The Second Child

by John Boyne

Alison returns home to her parent's in Wexford with her movie star boyfriend. It is the first time she has been home in years. Her father does not approve of her boyfriend or her pregnancy & Alison's mother is struggling to keep them from fighting.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction

100 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

I was born in Dublin, Ireland, and studied English Literature at Trinity College, Dublin, and Creative Writing at the University of East Anglia, Norwich. In 2015, I was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Letters by UEA.

I’ve published 14 novels for adults, 6 novels for younger readers, and a short story collection. The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas was a New York Times no.1 Bestseller and was adapted for a feature film, a play, a ballet and an opera, selling around 11 million copies worldwide.

Among my most popular books are The Heart’s Invisible Furies, A Ladder to the Sky and My Brother’s Name is Jessica.

I’m also a regular book reviewer for The Irish Times.

In 2012, I was awarded the Hennessy Literary ‘Hall of Fame’ Award for my body of work. I’ve also won 4 Irish Book Awards, and many international literary awards, including the Que Leer Award for Novel of the Year in Spain and the Gustav Heinemann Peace Prize in Germany. In 2015, I was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Letters from the University of East Anglia.

My novels are published in 58 languages.

My 14th adult novel, ALL THE BROKEN PLACES, a sequel and companion novel to THE BOY IN THE STRIPED PYJAMAS, will be published in the UK on September 15th 2022, in the US and Canada on November 29th, and in many foreign language editions in late 2022 and 2023.

Reviews

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this short 2008 novella, John Boyne captures the intensity of a family homecoming as he brings together an estranged father and daughter....after eight years.

Her once loving, supportive father who said, "You can tell your old dad anything....anything at all, any time because I'll always be your old dad"....reneged on his promise.

The discussions at the dinner table are awkward, to say the least, as mother Annie tries to keep the peace, but together with brother Dara, his obnoxious fiancé Jane AND daughter Alison's twenty million dollar man, it might be awhile until they come back....or maybe not.

Great ending. Love Boyne's writing. Even in this little snippet of a story, my attention never wavered.

[Richbern · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wisp of a book (really just a short story with a cover), The Second Child takes the smallest slice of life to show the ongoing damage a parent can inflict on their child by turning their back in the time of need. While this review is probably longer than the story itself, it shows once again how John Boyle is a master at capturing the roil of emotions that lies within us all.

[Simon Howard · Rating 4 out of 5]

This 2008 novella, published as part of a series for "emerging adult readers" was a fun, single-sitting affair for me. The plot follows an estranged Irish daughter visiting her parents with her partner—a successful Hollywood actor—while pregnant. As well as being very funny, it captures the complexity of familial relationships and the conflict which can emerge from clashing social expectations of different generations.

This isn't ground-breaking, but I don't think it set out to be. It's just a well-written very brief story which captures complex and conflicting emotions which can emerge in fairly universal relationships. I often find short stories unsatisfying, but I enjoyed this.

[Marti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once again, John Boyne shows his unrivaled skill as a storyteller. In under 70 pages, this short story pulls you in and you immediately feel like you’re part of the tension, the family drama, the heartache.

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short story set in Ireland about set values that haven't changed and a father who can't or won't say sorry.

[sonataiscool · Rating 2 out of 5]

Alison is the best character <3

[Carly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this as part of my 'I will read everything by JB' and it was nice to see how his writing translated into a much, much shorter work.

Hope it serves its purpose and gets more people reading!

[Marilyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s difficult to rate this very short story, though it certainly triggers a plethora of emotions. I wonder why he wrote it as a novella rather than expanding it out to a 280-300 page book?

3 stars

[Siobhan O' Sullivan · Rating 3 out of 5]

short story with not much point to it,

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book about family relationships. Awkward father who is clearly old school religious. Who has a visit from his daughter who is pregnant before marriage. The dynamics of the family is rather awkward but seems true to the plot. Interesting quick read.