What do you think?
Rate this book
This family of things
On his way back up from the yard, Bird had seen something white and round - a girl who had curled herself into a ball. Lifting her was like retrieving a ball of newspaper from out of the grass or an empty crisp bag that someone had flung over the ditch. She seemed to lack the bones and meat and muscle of real people. She felt as if she was filled with feathers. On the day Midge O'Connor comes hurtling into Bird Keegan's life, she flings open his small, quiet world. He and his two sisters, Olive and Margaret, have lived in the same isolated community all their lives, each one more alone than the others can know. Taking in damaged, sharp-edged Midge, Bird invites the scorn of his neighbours and siblings. And as they slowly mend each other, family binds - and the tie of the land - begin to weigh down on their tentative relationship. Can it survive the misunderstandings, contempt and violence of others? A poignant and powerful study of the emotional lives of three siblings and the girl who breaks through their solitude.
384 pages, Paperback
Published June 8, 2017
1 person is currently reading
57 people want to read
About the author
Alison Jameson
7 books15 followersAlison Jameson grew up on a farm in rural Ireland, a remote and beautiful place that continues to inspire her work. An English and History graduate of University College Dublin she worked in advertising for many years before becoming a full-time writer. Home is Dublin where she lives with her husband and son.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
May 24, 2018
Three and a half stars.
It took me a little while to get clued into this book. But then I became involved in the lives of the unmarried loner, Bird Keegan, and his two unmarried sisters Margaret and Olive. Each of them has sorrow in their lives and lack of understanding from others. Even their relationship is strained at best, though Olive is somewhat more approachable. Then Bird discovers Midge O’Connor curled in a ball on his property and takes her home. Midge comes from a family with a father who abuses her and her mother. From the time that Midge appears in Bird’s life things start to change, and not just for him. Olive is making her own changes and Margaret is not happy about either of these two changes to their settled, isolated lives. She carries hurt from the past like a burden with her every day.
The writing in this is beautiful and melancholic. I very much enjoyed the style and I was right there with Midge and Bird in particular, my heart breaking for her. Until I felt the story take an unnecessary turn and one incident that to me did not fit. At that point I realised what I initially thought was going to be a much higher rating, had just travelled downward. The last part of the book did not hold my interest as the earlier chapters had. It seemed to lose the atmosphere, and actions of the characters did not ring true. Others may differ about this. It is still worth reading from the writing but it is not a feel-good book.
It took me a little while to get clued into this book. But then I became involved in the lives of the unmarried loner, Bird Keegan, and his two unmarried sisters Margaret and Olive. Each of them has sorrow in their lives and lack of understanding from others. Even their relationship is strained at best, though Olive is somewhat more approachable. Then Bird discovers Midge O’Connor curled in a ball on his property and takes her home. Midge comes from a family with a father who abuses her and her mother. From the time that Midge appears in Bird’s life things start to change, and not just for him. Olive is making her own changes and Margaret is not happy about either of these two changes to their settled, isolated lives. She carries hurt from the past like a burden with her every day.
The writing in this is beautiful and melancholic. I very much enjoyed the style and I was right there with Midge and Bird in particular, my heart breaking for her. Until I felt the story take an unnecessary turn and one incident that to me did not fit. At that point I realised what I initially thought was going to be a much higher rating, had just travelled downward. The last part of the book did not hold my interest as the earlier chapters had. It seemed to lose the atmosphere, and actions of the characters did not ring true. Others may differ about this. It is still worth reading from the writing but it is not a feel-good book.
Read
June 17, 2017Bird Keegan is a farmer and a loner. The only two people he’s in regular contact with are his two sisters, Margaret and Olive, and even those weekly visits are incredibly awkward for all of them. But Bird seems to be mostly okay with his lot in life.
Margaret had her heart broken at a young age and never recovered. Now in her late 40’s, she lives with her sister. But Olive may like to change a few things about her life while she still can. Then one day, Midge enters their lives and things will never be the same again.
Midge is a young woman who grew up in dire circumstances. With an abusive father and a submissive mother, all she wants is to save up enough money to go to America and start a new life.
Bird and his sisters are stuck in an endless rut of routine and solitude and it’s Midge who will break down the barriers and make them realise there’s more to life than the farm and their small Irish village.
I feel I was probably not the right audience for this novel. This Family of Things is beautifully written but I found it very slow and quite depressing. I couldn’t connect to any of the characters in this isolated Irish community, who are all alone and miserable in their own way, even if they don’t know it themselves. There were scenes I felt were written so complicatedly that I couldn’t truly understand what was happening. And while part of me understood how the story ended, it also left me a bit disappointed as after having invested so much time in the characters, I wanted something else for them.
However, the author has a wonderfully descriptive and evocative writing style, really bringing the town to life with beautiful imagery. I could almost feel the sense of claustrophobia of being so secluded and having everyone know your business. And while I couldn’t relate to the characters, they were believable and realistic.
I have no doubt this novel will appeal to many other readers. Sadly, it just wasn’t for me.
Margaret had her heart broken at a young age and never recovered. Now in her late 40’s, she lives with her sister. But Olive may like to change a few things about her life while she still can. Then one day, Midge enters their lives and things will never be the same again.
Midge is a young woman who grew up in dire circumstances. With an abusive father and a submissive mother, all she wants is to save up enough money to go to America and start a new life.
Bird and his sisters are stuck in an endless rut of routine and solitude and it’s Midge who will break down the barriers and make them realise there’s more to life than the farm and their small Irish village.
I feel I was probably not the right audience for this novel. This Family of Things is beautifully written but I found it very slow and quite depressing. I couldn’t connect to any of the characters in this isolated Irish community, who are all alone and miserable in their own way, even if they don’t know it themselves. There were scenes I felt were written so complicatedly that I couldn’t truly understand what was happening. And while part of me understood how the story ended, it also left me a bit disappointed as after having invested so much time in the characters, I wanted something else for them.
However, the author has a wonderfully descriptive and evocative writing style, really bringing the town to life with beautiful imagery. I could almost feel the sense of claustrophobia of being so secluded and having everyone know your business. And while I couldn’t relate to the characters, they were believable and realistic.
I have no doubt this novel will appeal to many other readers. Sadly, it just wasn’t for me.
June 10, 2017
I must admit the first chapter of this book left me a little flat, I wasn't quite sure where it was going to go, what the hook was, or the intrigue. But I loved the fluid, poetic style of writing so I continued on with an open mind. And I am so glad I did.
This is a beautiful book. It searches deep into the human soul and takes you on an emotional journey with four people who are very ordinary and in search of nothing, but everything at the same time. Now, being more a reader of psychological thrillers I had to get over the urge to think things might take unexpected turns or twists, because this is not that sort of book. Instead you just need to read, absorb and enjoy the story about the lives of the characters. There are no hidden agenda's just the exploration of the way the mind works in one man and three women who have all kept themselves in relative isolation for one reason or another.
Although the main protagonist is Midge Connors, the story involves Bird, Margaret and Olive Keegan, three siblings, in equal measure. The story looks closely at the relationships the four manufacture between each other and the relationship they have with themselves. Midge arrives in the Keegan household after Bird discovers her in a heap on his driveway, following being ejected from the car in which she travelled with her violent father. Once the two meet, although they try to forget about each other, a bond has been forged and they are drawn to each other. But each has their own demons and life throws many obstacles in the way of a happy existence - the question is whether they are strong enough people to withstand what fate puts in their way. In the meantime the two sisters, Margaret and Olive are also assessing the option of love in their lives, something they have both held back from for various reasons, instead only choosing to trust in one another. The question they must ask is : Are they too old to change?
This is a true tale of love, hate, discovery, loss and empowerment. I enjoyed the journey of each of the characters and it was told in gentle, heartfelt and emotive fashion with beautiful use of language and imagery. I really liked the structure of the novel it helps to really define quite a long timescale and compartmentalise the stages in the characters lives.
This is a novel that will tug at your heartstrings and make you think. Sometimes it will leave you scratching your head, wishing the characters to make a different choice, but ultimately it will leave you feeling like you have read a really good book.
This is a beautiful book. It searches deep into the human soul and takes you on an emotional journey with four people who are very ordinary and in search of nothing, but everything at the same time. Now, being more a reader of psychological thrillers I had to get over the urge to think things might take unexpected turns or twists, because this is not that sort of book. Instead you just need to read, absorb and enjoy the story about the lives of the characters. There are no hidden agenda's just the exploration of the way the mind works in one man and three women who have all kept themselves in relative isolation for one reason or another.
Although the main protagonist is Midge Connors, the story involves Bird, Margaret and Olive Keegan, three siblings, in equal measure. The story looks closely at the relationships the four manufacture between each other and the relationship they have with themselves. Midge arrives in the Keegan household after Bird discovers her in a heap on his driveway, following being ejected from the car in which she travelled with her violent father. Once the two meet, although they try to forget about each other, a bond has been forged and they are drawn to each other. But each has their own demons and life throws many obstacles in the way of a happy existence - the question is whether they are strong enough people to withstand what fate puts in their way. In the meantime the two sisters, Margaret and Olive are also assessing the option of love in their lives, something they have both held back from for various reasons, instead only choosing to trust in one another. The question they must ask is : Are they too old to change?
This is a true tale of love, hate, discovery, loss and empowerment. I enjoyed the journey of each of the characters and it was told in gentle, heartfelt and emotive fashion with beautiful use of language and imagery. I really liked the structure of the novel it helps to really define quite a long timescale and compartmentalise the stages in the characters lives.
This is a novel that will tug at your heartstrings and make you think. Sometimes it will leave you scratching your head, wishing the characters to make a different choice, but ultimately it will leave you feeling like you have read a really good book.
August 1, 2017
4.5 - a real heartbreaker, so much sadness but beautifully rendered.
June 8, 2017
Tullyvin, a small town in County Wicklow, Ireland is the setting for this novel.
Midge Connor, at the age of 21, is the only child still at home. Her father, an alcoholic, regularly doling out physical abuse to Midge's mother. The mother washes dishes in the local Italian restaurant, drowning her sorrows in booze. Neither has the time for Midge who drifts aimlessly seeming without any direction or idea of a future.
On the other side of town live sister Margaret and Olive, two spinsters comfortable living side by side.
Up the hill their brother Bird, his whole life consumed by the family farm, totally introvert rarely conversing or interacting with the people of Tullyvin.
Tragedy strikes and Bird finds Midge curled up in tight ball outside his farm changing his life and those around him.
The characters are wonderfully portrayed. Midge, mentally scarred from years of living in an abusive home, vulnerable and unloved, totally at odds with the world.
Margaret, devastated after a broken engagement many years ago, unwilling to open up and trust anyone.
Olive, bubbly and vivacious but somehow tied to Margaret.
My favourite character has to be Bird. Wild unkempt hair and beard, totally serious, a loner, a deep thinker, wrapped up in the farm. I didn't feel any pity or sorrow for his lonely existence but wanted to nurture him and bring him out of his shell.
Throughout the novel Jameson skilfully unwraps the characters, giving us access to their innermost thoughts and emotions as their actions and those of others impact on their lives.
You cannot help but become totally emotionally immersed and at times I found I had to wipe away the odd tear from my eyes!
Whilst the characters are at the heart of this novel, the imagery Jameson's writing invokes are nothing but complimentary to their actions and emotions. The use of location, particularly a small town in Ireland where everyone knows everyone's business and the claustrophobia this can generate added to the drama and tension.
It is a novel that will break your heart but will also fill you with hope.
This novel is simply beautiful and I loved it.
Thank to Rosie Margesson and Transworld for a proof copy to read and review
Midge Connor, at the age of 21, is the only child still at home. Her father, an alcoholic, regularly doling out physical abuse to Midge's mother. The mother washes dishes in the local Italian restaurant, drowning her sorrows in booze. Neither has the time for Midge who drifts aimlessly seeming without any direction or idea of a future.
On the other side of town live sister Margaret and Olive, two spinsters comfortable living side by side.
Up the hill their brother Bird, his whole life consumed by the family farm, totally introvert rarely conversing or interacting with the people of Tullyvin.
Tragedy strikes and Bird finds Midge curled up in tight ball outside his farm changing his life and those around him.
The characters are wonderfully portrayed. Midge, mentally scarred from years of living in an abusive home, vulnerable and unloved, totally at odds with the world.
Margaret, devastated after a broken engagement many years ago, unwilling to open up and trust anyone.
Olive, bubbly and vivacious but somehow tied to Margaret.
My favourite character has to be Bird. Wild unkempt hair and beard, totally serious, a loner, a deep thinker, wrapped up in the farm. I didn't feel any pity or sorrow for his lonely existence but wanted to nurture him and bring him out of his shell.
Throughout the novel Jameson skilfully unwraps the characters, giving us access to their innermost thoughts and emotions as their actions and those of others impact on their lives.
You cannot help but become totally emotionally immersed and at times I found I had to wipe away the odd tear from my eyes!
Whilst the characters are at the heart of this novel, the imagery Jameson's writing invokes are nothing but complimentary to their actions and emotions. The use of location, particularly a small town in Ireland where everyone knows everyone's business and the claustrophobia this can generate added to the drama and tension.
It is a novel that will break your heart but will also fill you with hope.
This novel is simply beautiful and I loved it.
Thank to Rosie Margesson and Transworld for a proof copy to read and review
July 2, 2017
This Family Of Things is a novel that focuses mainly on two families in a small town in Ireland. Midge comes from an abusive family, all her brothers and sisters have left home and are not in touch. Bird, Margaret and Olive are siblings who run a farm nearby. When Bird finds Midge late at night all their lives change.
I haven’t read much Irish fiction but the books that I have read I have enjoyed. I like the humour and the approach to life that you never seem to see in novels set elsewhere. I found though, that I didn’t get into this immediately. I think this was mainly because I was only reading a bit at a time. Once I could read it in bigger chunks I enjoyed it a lot more.
All the characters were different, even Bird and his sisters had little in common. All coped with their various problems in different ways and none could be judged with how they chose to live their lives. I did struggle though with the way I felt about Midge until the second half of the novel.
Set in Ireland and Oregon, I preferred the Irish setting. The way the villagers communicated with each other was magical, if not always likeable. A combination of compassion, ridicule, denial, fear and sarcasm that all felt natural.
A different type of novel from my usual crime fiction but it was a welcome one. Recommended.
With thanks to the publisher for the copy received.
I haven’t read much Irish fiction but the books that I have read I have enjoyed. I like the humour and the approach to life that you never seem to see in novels set elsewhere. I found though, that I didn’t get into this immediately. I think this was mainly because I was only reading a bit at a time. Once I could read it in bigger chunks I enjoyed it a lot more.
All the characters were different, even Bird and his sisters had little in common. All coped with their various problems in different ways and none could be judged with how they chose to live their lives. I did struggle though with the way I felt about Midge until the second half of the novel.
Set in Ireland and Oregon, I preferred the Irish setting. The way the villagers communicated with each other was magical, if not always likeable. A combination of compassion, ridicule, denial, fear and sarcasm that all felt natural.
A different type of novel from my usual crime fiction but it was a welcome one. Recommended.
With thanks to the publisher for the copy received.
September 11, 2018
"On his way back up from the yard Bird had seen something white and round – a girl who had curled herself into a ball. Lifting her was like retrieving a ball of newspaper from out of the grass or an empty crisp bag that someone had flung over the ditch. She seemed to lack the bones and meat and muscle of real people. She felt as if she was filled with feathers."
When Midge Connor is found in in Bird Keegan's yard, having been hurtled from a car by her abusive, alcoholic father, Charlie, everything in Bird's small life changes.
Bird, a half-deaf "oddball farmer" lives on a decaying family farm in Tullyvin, Co Wicklow, near his two spinster sisters, Margaret and Olive. His sisters are involved in the small local community but Bird is a man who doesn't share himself with anybody. Uncharacteristically of Bird - and to the scorn of his two sisters and neighbours - he takes Midge in. Soon Bird discovers that the terrible past the young girl has encountered is not one that can be easily recovered from, and with her arrival, the Keegans' lives are opened up and explored, exposed and transformed.
Although Alison Jameson's book got off to a slow start for me, I did enjoy how it flowed, moving between moments of joy and sadness before reaching a satisfying - yet unsentimental - close. The writing is subtle and beautiful, and altogether forms an intricate study of family and community. Loneliness, human connection and rural life are also prevalent themes in this contemporary story with an old-fashioned feel, and overall I found it to be an enjoyable read that I would recommend to fans of books like Holding by Graham Norton.
When Midge Connor is found in in Bird Keegan's yard, having been hurtled from a car by her abusive, alcoholic father, Charlie, everything in Bird's small life changes.
Bird, a half-deaf "oddball farmer" lives on a decaying family farm in Tullyvin, Co Wicklow, near his two spinster sisters, Margaret and Olive. His sisters are involved in the small local community but Bird is a man who doesn't share himself with anybody. Uncharacteristically of Bird - and to the scorn of his two sisters and neighbours - he takes Midge in. Soon Bird discovers that the terrible past the young girl has encountered is not one that can be easily recovered from, and with her arrival, the Keegans' lives are opened up and explored, exposed and transformed.
Although Alison Jameson's book got off to a slow start for me, I did enjoy how it flowed, moving between moments of joy and sadness before reaching a satisfying - yet unsentimental - close. The writing is subtle and beautiful, and altogether forms an intricate study of family and community. Loneliness, human connection and rural life are also prevalent themes in this contemporary story with an old-fashioned feel, and overall I found it to be an enjoyable read that I would recommend to fans of books like Holding by Graham Norton.
September 22, 2017
Loved it, the writing, the story, the characters. I wanted more.
July 7, 2019
The story of four adults living in a small town in Ireland told in an exceptionally beautiful way, This Family of Things takes us into the heart of the lives of Midge Connors, and Bird, Margaret and Olive Keegan when a tragic incident causes them to unexpectedly collide.
Two very different families become bound together when Bird Keegan finds Midge Connors shivering and hurt on the land he shares with his two sisters. Despite disapproval and family discord, Bird takes in Midge and vows to care for her. This Family of Things is a story about love, loss, and the complexities of family relationships and the human condition that leaves an indelible impression on you long after you have read it.
Alison Jameson is an incredible wordsmith and the prose throughout This Family of Things is poetic and utterly beguiling. The sense of place – from Ireland to America – is depicted in such a way that you are in the fields with Bird in Ireland and firmly on American soil in Portland. Jameson manages to capture both countries perfectly and ensure the two are distinct in feel and ambience. Similarly, the atmosphere and tone that each page contains is incredibly well crafted and ever present. Often melancholy in tone (but in a good way), Jameson manages to also intersperse snippets of humour that offer a break from the sadness that can envelope you while reading. This Family of Things gets deep within your bones while you are reading as its atmosphere becomes all-pervading.
What I really loved about This Family of Things is Jameson’s wonderful use of imagery. Nature plays a huge part in this book and Jameson’s use of it to evoke how the characters are feeling is stunning. I found myself highlighting numerous passages to reread, reflect on and enjoy for a second and third time. This all adds to build an evocative story that pulls you into its every perfectly constructed line.
At times heart-breaking, always captivating, This Family of Things movingly captures the fragility of the human mind and all its emotional impact on the individual and their relationships. I found myself completely wrapped up in the characters and their lives; their trials and fears and the way they tried to deal with them and the setting. If you enjoy literary fiction, and love to be blown away by beautiful prose, This Family of Things is for you. A gorgeous book by a very talented writer.
Two very different families become bound together when Bird Keegan finds Midge Connors shivering and hurt on the land he shares with his two sisters. Despite disapproval and family discord, Bird takes in Midge and vows to care for her. This Family of Things is a story about love, loss, and the complexities of family relationships and the human condition that leaves an indelible impression on you long after you have read it.
Alison Jameson is an incredible wordsmith and the prose throughout This Family of Things is poetic and utterly beguiling. The sense of place – from Ireland to America – is depicted in such a way that you are in the fields with Bird in Ireland and firmly on American soil in Portland. Jameson manages to capture both countries perfectly and ensure the two are distinct in feel and ambience. Similarly, the atmosphere and tone that each page contains is incredibly well crafted and ever present. Often melancholy in tone (but in a good way), Jameson manages to also intersperse snippets of humour that offer a break from the sadness that can envelope you while reading. This Family of Things gets deep within your bones while you are reading as its atmosphere becomes all-pervading.
What I really loved about This Family of Things is Jameson’s wonderful use of imagery. Nature plays a huge part in this book and Jameson’s use of it to evoke how the characters are feeling is stunning. I found myself highlighting numerous passages to reread, reflect on and enjoy for a second and third time. This all adds to build an evocative story that pulls you into its every perfectly constructed line.
At times heart-breaking, always captivating, This Family of Things movingly captures the fragility of the human mind and all its emotional impact on the individual and their relationships. I found myself completely wrapped up in the characters and their lives; their trials and fears and the way they tried to deal with them and the setting. If you enjoy literary fiction, and love to be blown away by beautiful prose, This Family of Things is for you. A gorgeous book by a very talented writer.
April 11, 2019
Four and a half stars actually!
This is a well written book, with beautiful prose. Slow to start, but as you are introduced to each of the characters from a rural Irish background, your interest cannot help but become deeply engaged and empathetic. Bird Keegan is a lonely young farmer, with two equally lonely older sisters. They share an awkward functioning relationship in a quiet country village where every body knows your every move. Enter Midge O'Connor from a dysfunctioning, fractured family unit, and an abusive alcoholic father. The impact of these two families colliding makes for a great read. I couldn't help but compare it to Anne Enright's Green Road which depicts the gaps in rural Irish society and the sad and bleak families that are often found within the community. Jameson skilfully portrays the isolation and desolation that each of the characters experience; Bird's desire to be a husband, father and protector, Margaret's past heartbreak being relived, and Olive striving for health and love. This is a book you won't want to put down.
This is a well written book, with beautiful prose. Slow to start, but as you are introduced to each of the characters from a rural Irish background, your interest cannot help but become deeply engaged and empathetic. Bird Keegan is a lonely young farmer, with two equally lonely older sisters. They share an awkward functioning relationship in a quiet country village where every body knows your every move. Enter Midge O'Connor from a dysfunctioning, fractured family unit, and an abusive alcoholic father. The impact of these two families colliding makes for a great read. I couldn't help but compare it to Anne Enright's Green Road which depicts the gaps in rural Irish society and the sad and bleak families that are often found within the community. Jameson skilfully portrays the isolation and desolation that each of the characters experience; Bird's desire to be a husband, father and protector, Margaret's past heartbreak being relived, and Olive striving for health and love. This is a book you won't want to put down.
August 6, 2019
Enjoyed this book. Beautiful use of language and very evocative. The setting in Ireland was similar to where I grew up and I found that part of the story the most engaging. The later part felt less real and some of the elements didn't seem to fit. It felt a bit confused, as if the author was trying to fill out the story without any particular reason for some of the plotlines. Maybe I just didn't understand it...
Having said that, I did enjoy the book and would recommend it.
Having said that, I did enjoy the book and would recommend it.
April 22, 2019
This is a beautifully written book which reminded me of Anne Enright's The Green Road - it's very Irish and depicts the melancholy and isolation of rural Irish life very well. I liked the ending which was unexpected.
January 2, 2025
Beautiful writing.
July 5, 2025
First 3/4 was great. Didn’t like the way it turned….but well written.
February 19, 2018
A very emotive book written in beautiful prose of a family of two sisters and a brother and the choices they make, of family turbulence and words unspoken. Although a little depressing at times, the way it was written kept me wanting to keep reading and delve more into these characters lives.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews