The Good People in Aussie Readers

Nov 02, 2016 Brenda rated it it was amazing

Shelves: historical-fiction, 2016-release, aussie-authors, borrowed-from-library

4.5★s

The grief was etched deeply on Nóra Leahy’s face as she stood in shocked disbelief beside the body of her husband Martin. After losing their daughter Johanna earlier in the year, Nóra hadn’t thought things could get worse. But now with both her husband and daughter gone, the burden of caring for her four year old grandson Micheál, the boy who wasn’t right in the head; couldn’t speak or walk – fell solely on her shoulders. Her shame had her hiding the child away – the gossips of the town wou 4.5★s

The grief was etched deeply on Nóra Leahy’s face as she stood in shocked disbelief beside the body of her husband Martin. After losing their daughter Johanna earlier in the year, Nóra hadn’t thought things could get worse. But now with both her husband and daughter gone, the burden of caring for her four year old grandson Micheál, the boy who wasn’t right in the head; couldn’t speak or walk – fell solely on her shoulders. Her shame had her hiding the child away – the gossips of the town would be cruel she knew…

Nóra’s best friend Peg O’Shea advised her to hire a maid to help care for Micheál – so fourteen year old Mary Clifford came to share Nóra’s home. Her initial shock when she spied Micheál’s deformities had her wanting to flee, but then her compassion overcame her. Mary had younger siblings herself and was used to caring for them. This wouldn’t be very different – would it?

Murmurs of discontent rippled through the townsfolk as little by little, things began to go wrong. The superstitious nature of some had them inferring that the fairies were interfering in their lives. Nóra had nowhere else to turn – the one with the Knowledge; the one who could cure with herbs and words would bring her grandson back to her. Nance Roche could speak to the Good People to return Micheál to the boy he once was. Nóra was sure of it. So Mary and Nóra walked the long distance to Nance’s dwelling with Micheál in their arms…

The Good People by Aussie author Hannah Kent is an intense, heartbreaking look at the long held superstitions of Ireland and is based on a true event which occurred in County Kerry in 1826. (The Author’s Note at the end of the book makes very interesting reading). The majority of the Irish folk believed deeply in the fairies; the Good People – the rituals the believers performed to protect themselves and their loved ones were as necessary to them as locking our front door is to us. Deeply engaging, The Good People had me right in the poverty stricken streets from the first to the last page. Hannah Kent is definitely an author to watch. Highly recommended. ...more

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Oct 05, 2016 PattyMacDotComma rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: aa, australian-author, historical-fiction, aa-ce, kindle

4★
“It was not the time to tempt the Devil or the fairies. People disappeared on Samhain Eve. Small children went missing. They were lured into ringforts and bogs and mountain sides with music and lights, and were never seen again by their parents.”

Samhain Eve was ‘celebrated’ in old Celtic times as the liminal space between the seasons as they were going into winter. It is also the boundary between old and new, seen and unseen, this world and the other world. It is probably the origin of Hallowe ...more

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Nov 30, 2016 Michael Livingston rated it really liked it

An enthralling story about faith and superstition, desperation and belonging. Kent has meticulously reconstructed a 19th century Irish crime, which delves into the difficult lives of women in rural Ireland. It's impressively researched, but more importantly, the characters of the three main protagonists are skillfully and believably drawn. Kent is interested in the oppressive lives of these women as much as she is in the motivations and implications of the murder central to the book's plot. I fo ...more

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Nov 27, 2016 Nettie rated it it was amazing

Loved it. Every bit as good as Burial Rites. It's one if those books that I'm just a bit sad that I've finished it as I enjoyed the reading so much. ...more

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Sep 14, 2016 Nicki Markus rated it it was amazing

Shelves: read-historical

Having loved Burial Rites, I was excited to read The Good People, and I wasn't disappointed. The pacing in this book is slower than Kent's first release, but that's a minor matter, and the story held my interest enough that it wasn't a problem. The prose is a delight to read and the characters are well-crafted individuals. I enjoyed the narrative trio of the three women at the centre of the story as you really get a feel for each of them. The discussion of folklore and herbal remedy showed dilig ...more

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Nov 19, 2016 Tracey rated it liked it

Shelves: australian, historical, fiction, supernatural, 2016

Rural Ireland 1825, Nora Leahy has recently suffered the loss of her husband and daughter nad has been left to care for her invalid son. It is a tough life for a single woman, made even more difficult as Nora is consumed with grief and unable to cope. She employs Mary a young lass who is not overly schooled in the ways of the world. Circling around Nora is the superstitions of people who look for to place blame on the unknown or the different in a misguided attempt to find meaning in an uncertai Rural Ireland 1825, Nora Leahy has recently suffered the loss of her husband and daughter nad has been left to care for her invalid son. It is a tough life for a single woman, made even more difficult as Nora is consumed with grief and unable to cope. She employs Mary a young lass who is not overly schooled in the ways of the world. Circling around Nora is the superstitions of people who look for to place blame on the unknown or the different in a misguided attempt to find meaning in an uncertain world. Nora turns to Nance, an elderly woman who understands the use of herbs and the influence of fairies on the mortal world.
Hannah Kent burst onto the literary scene a couple of years ago with her debut novel ‘Burial Rites’ an evocative story about place and people. The question always was going to be could she replicate her early success? I have to say I am honestly in two minds as to whether she has or not.
The writing is sublime and you are easily moved into being immersed into Nora’s world. The bleakness of trying to carve out an existence are wonderfully captured. Kent has done her research and allows it to flow into the novel without bogging down the pace or stalling the direction.
The characters are all magnificently realised and lift off the page. The three main characters work well together as they provide balance and counter point each other. Young Mary brought into assist Nora is vulnerable and unsure of herself. Nance shows kindness and understanding in the face of great adversity. Nora is a complex character who from the outset is ashamed and fearful of what neighbours may say about her Grandson. The death of her husband sends her into a spiral of grief and despair that makes her behaviour irrational.
While I love the book and the writing style, I just felt it was missing something. I cannot put my finger on it but that oppressiveness of the fear of superstition did not come through. It became more about a Grandmother wanting her grandson back. I just felt that Nora as a character became confused in her intentions and wants.
It is a wonderful novel and a really fantastic read. ...more

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Apr 12, 2018 Dzintra aka Ingrid rated it it was amazing

This book didn’t disappoint! Irish Faerie Lore back in the day, Changelings, Herbs.....and all based on a true event. Loved some of the language In this. The more I read the more I wanted to know! Well done Hannah!

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Dec 10, 2016 Tango rated it it was amazing

This novel is based on a true story. Set in 19th century England in a rural village where religion and superstition live side by side, The Good People tells the story of recently widowed Nora, who has been left with the care of her deceased daughter's young son Micheal. Micheal is unable to walk or talk and Nora is ashamed of him, believing him to be a changeling she hides him away and secures the services of a young woman to help look after him, before deciding to seek a cure from the local wis ...more

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Aug 18, 2017 Jacinta Hoare rated it it was ok

Shelves: audio-book, 2017

Why are stories set in Ireland so utterly miserable? The Irish people I know are so full of life and happiness but every time I pick up a book set in Ireland I feel like sticking forks in my eyes to alleviate the misery of the reading experience.

This author writes well and is good with dark subjects but I found this story to be particularly depressing.

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