A review by tessa_talks_books
Listening Still by Anne Griffin

4.0

Listening Still by Anne Griffin is a compelling tale about Jeanie Masterson Longley, a woman with the power to talk to the dead soon after they pass and her fitting career at the family's funeral home. She tells the story of her obligation-filled life through a very personal first-person narration that surprisingly flowed rather slowly for my taste. She meanders through her life's journey and doesn't reflect as much on her gift as I imagined she would. I did, however, love the central theme of the story, which is that living a life of fear means facing a lot of closed doors, whereas if you are brave and face down your fears, then your world will be full of possibilities. This is such excellent insight and so true of many people in this world. Jeanie lives a life full of fear and obligation. She works with the dead but never really lives life by taking chances and facing her fears. Jeanie is delicately developed with fragile layers, each exposed as the story proceeds. The support characters are all somewhat unique and intriguing. My biggest wish for Listening Still is that it had moved a bit faster by sharing more experiences of Jeannie as she talks to the dead. There is a story behind what led to the decisions about which things should be shared and what should be buried with them. I can envision an even more compelling tale containing the experiences that led to or reinforced their decisions in this regard. If you are looking for a compelling story with an insightful theme, Listening Still should be the next book that you pick up.