An absorbing, well written story with credible characters。 Personally, I found the ending a little contrived。 I highly recommend this book。
Diane James,
I loved this book。 Beautifully written it is a multi layered story of love, friendship and loyalty set in 1970s Northern Ireland amid brutal and violent sectarianism。 All the characters are well portrayed, the story moving and tragic and above all the prose lingers it is such a pleasure to read。 To think Louise Kennedy is a first time novelist of such calibre after thirty years of being a chef just takes my breath away!
Paul Snelling,
So much in this horrifying story of love and tension in the Belfast of the troubles。 There's a visceral atmosphere of both horror of violence and omnipresent oppression, but more than that, ancient forces of love, loss and compliance drive the story。 I'm not sure how I expected the love between the young teacher and the older, married lawyer to end and neither, perhaps, did they。 Thank goodness for the start and finish。 It could have been so much worse。 Highly recommended。 So much in this horrifying story of love and tension in the Belfast of the troubles。 There's a visceral atmosphere of both horror of violence and omnipresent oppression, but more than that, ancient forces of love, loss and compliance drive the story。 I'm not sure how I expected the love between the young teacher and the older, married lawyer to end and neither, perhaps, did they。 Thank goodness for the start and finish。 It could have been so much worse。 Highly recommended。 。。。more