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There are currently 23 member reviews
for The Irish Goodbye
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Kathy (southern ME)
Eclectic and Enjoyable Essays
I previously read and enjoyed Fennelly's collection of "micro-memoirs," Heating and Cooling, so I was eager to read her newest collection. Perhaps because she is a poet she has an uncanny ability to cut to the heart of a personal story or issue. At times, with no more than a sentence she can elicit a wave of sadness or a laugh. While the essays could stand alone there are central themes of loss and love throughout as she shares stories of her sister who passed and episodes from her mother and mother-in-laws' bouts with dementia. Having been busy and stressed over the last month or two it was a perfect read - bite sized passages that I could enjoy whenever I did have a few moments to spare.
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Debra L. (Marana, AZ)
A little gem of a book…
This short 'journal/ diary/memoir was a thoughtful sharing of observations and feelings. The exploration of loss and grief was woven throughout, though there were plenty of chuckles as well. I found myself nodding at some of her pithy comments and interesting anecdotes. Written in short segments, I did find myself hoping for MORE—longer entries to expand the topics. Her writing is beautiful and meaningful and very relatable.
My biggest complaint would be its brevity. I wanted to read more about her handling of her mother's dementia, about her husband and their relationship, and about her group of friends (who sound amazing!). It was a great bedside book to read before retiring—short snippets that made you think.
I have recommended it to friends…..
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Patricia B. (Norwood, MA)
Life Lessons to Ponder
An honest, sometimes raw collections of essays that are relatable to so many, not just the Irish.
The author's views on friendships, family relationships as well as relating that even broken ties can be mended. Fennelly illustrates in her own format to reflect on our own lives and live with a purpose.
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Wendy F. (Kalamazoo, MI)
Irish Goodbye
This book takes you from laughter to tears as we uncover glimpes of Beth Ann Fennelly's life on each page. A repeated theme is Beth Ann being haunted by the death of her sister. Memories of days gone by, peeks into a marriage, and thoughts coming out in each chapter giving us a look at a life well lived.
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Elise B. (Macedonia, OH)
The Irish Goodbye
The Irish Goodbye struck me like I was reading somebody's journal. Some of it was mundane and I skimmed the pages, while other parts packed a strong emotional punch that has stayed with me. The overriding theme of the micro memoirs is the unexpected death of Ms. Fennelly's sister before age 40. Her micro memoirs consist of her life as a teacher in the Czech Republic, wife, daughter, mother, friend and sister. It's a short book that would appeal to a wide range of people due to common themes of marriage, aging, friendship and death.
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Laura P. (Atlanta, GA)
Quick and inspirational
This is the kind of thoughtful book you leave on the night stand in your guest room or hand to a friend sitting in a waiting room. Author Beth Ann Fennelly calls the format a "micro-memoir." It's a collection of observations taken on her life, some as short as a sentence and others brief essays of several pages. Many focus on the untimely and surprising death of her older sister, and her mother's descent into Alzheimer's disease -- not exactly humorous content but delivered gently. The most upbeat and one of the most impactful sections deals with her ongoing relationship with her college roommate group (they are all now middle-aged), which presents an inspiring view of the value of friendship. It's a quick, enjoyable and at times emotional reading experience.
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Kathryn T. (Geneseo, NY)
An Unintended Goodbye and Other Incidentals
Beth Ann Fennelly's micro memoirs snap, crackle and pop off the page with a variety of essays and one underlying story, that of her younger sister's untimely death.
Her brutely honest writing recollecting her 70s teaching stint in a newly-free Czechoslovakia where she never gets the culture, and her description of her mother-in-law's goodness when failing with dementia is suburb. Folded oven mitts? That's Fennelly's love in a nutshell for her husband and their ups and downs as a couple. Her whit and candor provide laughter and tears all on a single page.
The title of her book isn't clear until you realize what a profound impression her sister's sudden death was on her. When an Irishman makes a hasty exit from a party without bidding goodbye to the host and other guests is "An Irish Goodbye". Her sister left the world in just that way. One thing for sure is that Fennelly is not leaving the writing world anytime soon. There's more in her.
