The Good People in Aussie Readers

Mar 07, 2017 Kate Forsyth rated it it was amazing

Shelves: historical, aww16

Like so many others, I loved Hannah Kent’s debut novel Burial Rites and so I was excited to be sent a proof copy of her second novel, The Good People. In her letter to readers included at the front of the book, Hannah described herself as ‘someone who – as my friends describe it – writes books about dark happenings in cold places’; a description that gave me a little shiver of anticipation. She did not disappoint me.

The Good People is set in the Irish countryside in 1825, and begins with the dea ...more

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Sep 20, 2017 Kathryn rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, reading-list-2017, australian-authors, audiobooks, top-40-bookclub-reads-2017

I didn’t like this as much as Hannah Kent’s debut novel - possibly because I don’t believe in fairies, and I don’t feel much sympathy with people who inflict physical pain on their family members in the name of superstition. Although I did sympathise with Nora and Mary and the desperation that Nora, in particular, felt and that drove her to make some poor choices.

And I did feel sorry for Mary who got caught up in Nora’s life through no fault of her own.

I listened to this, and did thoroughly enjo ...more

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Oct 14, 2016 Joanne rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fiction, historical-fiction, australian-writers, e-books, women-writers

Hannah Kent proves with this second novel that her first best selling novel, Burial Rites, was no fluke. I loved this new one just as much, maybe even more. She is a seriously good writer. In this book she pulls us into the hard, precarious world of Irish peasantry (is that the right word?) in the late 1800s, when superstition and religion were held equally close by the poorest people. Obviously well researched, and then beautifully written.

Highly recommended. ...more

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Oct 05, 2023 Karen rated it liked it

It is 1825 in a remote valley near Killarney in south west Ireland Nora Leahy has lost her daughter and husband in the one year and is caring for her 4 year severely disabled grandson. He cannot walk, or speak and Nora hides him away as others might see his deformity as bad sign. She hires a 14 year old girl, Mary to help her with the care of the boy and the cow and chickens. Nora ends up seeking the help of Nance Roche, the local herbalist and a person who has The Knowledge and who consorts wit ...more

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