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A brilliant story of the secrets we keep.
Desmond Fitzmaurice is a mysterious literary giant of the thirties whom no one has seen for years. Caroline is a London journalist, and hasn’t the faintest interest in going to Dublin to interview him. That his life story will feature ‘lots of sex and some violence’, as the old man claims, seems farcical. She’ll stay for a couple of nights, extract what she can and try to make his life sound interesting. But in Desmond’s quiet house, his quiet life, Caroline discovers much, much more than she bargained for…
Desmond Fitzmaurice is a mysterious literary giant of the thirties whom no one has seen for years. Caroline is a London journalist, and hasn’t the faintest interest in going to Dublin to interview him. That his life story will feature ‘lots of sex and some violence’, as the old man claims, seems farcical. She’ll stay for a couple of nights, extract what she can and try to make his life sound interesting. But in Desmond’s quiet house, his quiet life, Caroline discovers much, much more than she bargained for…
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Reviews
Roddy Doyle has called her "the best writer in Ireland" and I'm not going to argue. Any novel by the great Johnston is an event...wisdom, pinpoint observation and elegance...even the surprises are surprising...richly satisfying
Johnston writes with exquisite precision, yet scenes and characters are brought vividly before our eyes...An Irish masterpiece in miniature...in the same class as William Trevor - that is, head and shoulders above most writers at work today
Jennifer Johnston is not just one of Ireland's best living writers, she is one of the best, full stop...A masterpiece
Irresistible
[Caroline's] journey into [Desmond's] murky past is beautifully written and builds to a glorious grand finale
Quiveringly tender and sensitive...as perfect and as minutely aware as ever