Critics' Opinion:
Readers' rating:
Published Mar 2019
336 pages
Genre: Literary Fiction
Publication Information
"I'm here to remember–-all that I have been and all that I will never be again."
If you had to pick five people to sum up your life, who would they be? If you were to raise a glass to each of them, what would you say? And what would you learn about yourself, when all is said?
At the bar of a grand hotel in a small Irish town sits 84-year-old Maurice Hannigan. He's alone, as usual - though tonight is anything but. Pull up a stool and charge your glass, because Maurice is finally ready to tell his story.
Over the course of this evening, he will raise five toasts to the five people who have meant the most to him. Through these stories - of unspoken joy and regret, a secret tragedy kept hidden, a fierce love that never found its voice - the life of one man will be powerful and poignantly laid bare.
Beautifully heart-warming and powerfully felt, the voice of Maurice Hannigan will stay with you long after all is said and done.
An Indie Next Pick
One of Goodreads' 43 Most Anticipated Reads of 2019
"While the plot hinges heavily on coincidence, and the device of addressing an absent son feels extraneous, Maurice is a likable and complex character with a voice that readers will be drawn to." - Publishers Weekly
"Starred Review. Highly recommended; this unforgettable first novel introduces Griffin as a writer to watch." - Library Journal
"Griffin's portrait of an Irish octogenarian provides a stage for the exploration of guilt, regret, and loss, all in the course of one memorable night." - Kirkus
"Griffin's stunning debut, brimming with irresistible Irish-isms, is an elegy to love, loss and the complexity of life." - People Magazine
"Beautiful. Intimate. Tearful. Aching and lyrical. So simply and beautifully told." - Louise Penny, #1 New York Times bestselling author
This information about When All Is Said was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Anne Griffin is the winner of the John McGahern Award for Literature. Shortlisted for the Hennessey New Irish Writing Award and The Sunday Business Post Short Story Competition, Anne's work has been featured in, amongst others, The Irish Times and The Stinging Fly, and she had an eight year career at Waterstones.Anne lives in Ireland with her husband and son. When All Is Said is her debut novel.
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