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3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is the story of Murtagh, who falls in love and marries an American student Maeve, he meets in Dublin in 1978. At the very opening of the book, Maeve has disappeared and is discovered drowned. It is the story of mental illness in a family, and the silences that surround it. Murtagh trains as a potter and is given the opportunity to take over the business of a retiring potter who lives on an island, near Galway. Maeve is an actress and though she hopes to carry on acting after moving to the island, they are too far from Galway.
From the beginning, we know Maeve suffers from depression Like many who have this disease, she cannot tolerate medication and does her best, using alternative ways of coping with the symptoms. She has 4 children including a set of twins, and childbirth leaves her with postnatal depression. Murtagh tries to make up for Maeve's lack of maternal affection. His pottery business is a success thanks to the large number of tourists who visit the island.
The book takes a turn at the end which may leave some readers dissatisfied I am a reader who does not like things that seem to spring out of thin air. Decide for yourselves
From the beginning, we know Maeve suffers from depression Like many who have this disease, she cannot tolerate medication and does her best, using alternative ways of coping with the symptoms. She has 4 children including a set of twins, and childbirth leaves her with postnatal depression. Murtagh tries to make up for Maeve's lack of maternal affection. His pottery business is a success thanks to the large number of tourists who visit the island.
The book takes a turn at the end which may leave some readers dissatisfied I am a reader who does not like things that seem to spring out of thin air. Decide for yourselves
A huge thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.
This tightly woven family drama drew me into its arms like a cozy blanket. I was transported to an island where the cadence of Gaelic falls soft on the ears, where magic happens and stories are crafted.
I agonized with Maeve over her struggles with darkness and her feelings of helplessness. I empathized with Murtagh over his fragile hope, tender care and unwavering devotion. I cried with the four children as they navigate the treacherous waters of their mother's battle with mental illness.
This book offers both profoud truths and a hope of sanctuary. We are all broken. We all bend. Love is precious no matter where we choose to bestow it - amd nurtures even in the bleakest of circumstances.
If you love family sagas with finely drawn characters, unflinching portrayals of reality and honest examinations of the complex mechanics of grief, you will love this book.
This tightly woven family drama drew me into its arms like a cozy blanket. I was transported to an island where the cadence of Gaelic falls soft on the ears, where magic happens and stories are crafted.
I agonized with Maeve over her struggles with darkness and her feelings of helplessness. I empathized with Murtagh over his fragile hope, tender care and unwavering devotion. I cried with the four children as they navigate the treacherous waters of their mother's battle with mental illness.
This book offers both profoud truths and a hope of sanctuary. We are all broken. We all bend. Love is precious no matter where we choose to bestow it - amd nurtures even in the bleakest of circumstances.
If you love family sagas with finely drawn characters, unflinching portrayals of reality and honest examinations of the complex mechanics of grief, you will love this book.
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
The Truth Must Dazzle Gradually is a family drama, one which focussed on the impact of severe depression, not just on the individual but the wider family. The novel opens on Christmas Eve with the Moone family searching for Maeve. Sadly her body is eventually found and it is clear she has taken her own life. The remainder of the novel unfolds in two parts. The first goes back in time to Maeve’s teen years, how she met and married Murtagh, their move to small island off the coast of Ireland and the growth of their family. The second part focusses on the after - how Murtagh and their four children coped with the loss of Maeve, and how it impacted them in the years that followed. I found this to be beautifully written, a compassionate look at mental illness. The author was able to get the reader to walk alongside Maeve, share her thoughts and struggles, share her emotions - particularly her despair as she felt depresssion encroaching again and feeling she would never be free from it. Her belief that she was failing her children, that they would be better off without her was heartbreaking. I couldn’t help wonder if a different choice made early in the couple’s marriage would have resulted in a different outcome.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Mental illness, Suicide, Grief