Hold Off Until You Know: The All Of It

On a recent Great-Britain-like grey day, I happened to open a rarely used drawer in my dining room and came across a book.  I didn’t recognize it until I checked the title page and saw the author’s inscription—to a respected writer I know of by reputation.  Then, I remembered:  my friend Kathy had loaned me this book during her last visit only it had promptly vanished.

I intended to glance at the first page but several hours later I finished the book.  Maybe it was the grey day, but it felt so right to follow along on the story set in rural Ireland.

The All of It by Jeannette Haien seems like ancient history because the characters are so isolated and innocent, but actually it’s set in the recent past.  It’s a beautifully told story involving few characters.  It makes you question our tendency to rush to judgment before ‘the all of it’ is known.

At the end of the novel the story has unfolded and a fish is caught.  You’ll be richer if you find this gem of a book.