Like many others, I have memories of my childhood that are skewed due to personal guilt - maybe a lie gone too far, or something misunderstood that caused me to lash out in anger. I also have memories of being hurt, memories that have been refuted by those who did the "hurt" to me. A simple chat, a re-hashing of those times is enough to clear away the fog and, possibly, set things a little more straight in my current life.

And that is what this book is ultimately about. Yes, there's family relationship drama, there's horrifying circumstances, there's guilt, there's hurt, there's anger, and there's love, hope, healing and joy. Told as a story within a story, Gemma Whelan takes Fiona and slowly opens her up to the reader, allowing us bits and pieces of her story through her own fictional book and through her actions in "real life".

I thought this book was beautiful. I wept for Fiona and her family, I struggled with them as they looked to make certain decisions and I found bittersweet vindication along-side Fiona and her family.

I've never been to Ireland, and I can't say that I've known any of Irish well, personally - but this book personifies what I love so much about Irish authors. It held so much emotion, packed into a story that kept me gripped from start until finished, but I never felt frantic or hurried to get to the end. Instead, I enjoyed the journey there and the emotional turmoil that it caused, because that's why I read - to have my emotions woken up and stirred, because that makes me feel even more alive. ( )

This review and others can be seen on my blog: http://bookworm-meags222.blogspot.com

I have to say I quite enjoyed this book. It has one of the best opening descriptions that I have read in a while. It vividly depicts a scene in a movie theatre. I would usually post a quote however I have an advanced reader copy and it may not be as accurate. More reason to go out and get this book. It is the story of Fiona who moved to the United States from Ireland. Her book is a novel but it is based mostly about her life. Family life in Ireland was tumultuous and this has greatly affected her life as an adult. It is only when Fiona's father dies that she is forced to face the ghosts of her past and really deal with healing her pain. I could not put this book down. I felt like I could relate on a certain level to Fiona. When stressful things happen in your past many things just show up in your adult life. It may be the smallest thing but when it happens you know that you still have to really heal from the past and move on. The characters in this novel were rich and you can't help but fall in love with some of them.
The novel also explores the idea of memory and how accurate it can be. Whether you remember a situation a certain way someone else may remember it quite differently. Memory is a funny thing and we all put our own slant on each memory. It's sometimes hard to tell what really happens.
Overall, I have to say I really liked this book. Whelan is a great writer and I recommend you read this. I give this book 5 out of 5 stars. ( )

This novel takes place in New York City and Ireland and it is about a woman who has written a novel that is similar to her own past. She works closely with the man writing the movie script of her novel. As they work together to get the script ready for production, Fiona is forced to confront her demons of her past, her sister had died at an early age and she was estranged from her brother. She had left Ireland hoping never to go back but the producers agreed that the movie should be as authentic as possible and the movie should be filmed at their childhood home. Her father has recently passed away and her and her brother need to come to an agreement as to what to do with the house, do they sell or keep. With all these issues going on she becomes very close to a man who can help her through her issues. I really enjoyed reading this book, a wonderful story about love, loss, redemption and forgiveness. ( )