Book Summary and Reviews of The Irish Goodbye by Beth Ann Fennelly

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Tracy R. (Raleigh, NC)

An author I will continue to follow
I really enjoyed this collection after I was fully rooted in it. The author weaves a narrative about life in all its' glory and gloom, including grief, that made me want to keep turning pages. Recommended for fans of Dani Shapiro's nonfiction, Mary Laura Philpott, and Catherine Newman.

Darlene_Goetzman

Will Reread
This is the second book of Beth Ann Fennely's I've read. Her writing is witty, vulnerable and often poignant. She is a master of the twist, and I am in awe of her skill and will read anything she writes. I read a lot of micro-memoir because this style appeals to me. Still, I wanted a tad more of a narrative thread in this book; the theme of Irish Goodbye moves in and out, but I wanted a little more connective tissue and reflection. Maybe it was in the sequencing of the pieces which are as short as one line and others a few pages? I will reread this to see if I missed something, and I will recommend it.

Brenda_Wychock

A heartfelt read
The Irish Goodbye.

Micro memoirs by Beth Ann Fennelly is a sweet and touching book . I really enjoyed reading this book. It is well written and very enjoyable book. There are a lot of deeply felt emotions in this read. I would think this will be a great choice for women's book clubs. I plan on reading more from Beth Ann Fennelly.

Carol_Dirks

What a delight!
I wasn't sure what to expect, especially when the first "micro memoir" was just seven lines long. But wow, can Ms. Fennelly tell a story. She drew me into her essays and then surprised the dickens out of me with her final line. I knew and understood her characters; I wanted to be one of her roomies. Her wry, witty insights made me laugh out loud. Her poignant, thoughtful portraits of her mom and sister were so incredibly touching. I was impressed with how respectful she was with all of her characters.
My judge of a good book is if I would share it with my mom. Although she's deceased, I know she would have loved this book as much as I did. I'm definitely recommending this book to others, and I look forward to reading her earlier books. I hope she dusts off that unpublished novel.

Deb Connelly Sheppard

Enjoyable And Heartwarming
Author Beth Ann Fennelly, wrote a quick, enjoyable and at times emotional reading as she goes through the stages of life.

The stages of her life, is so relatable to many of us, from the unexpected loss of a sibling to her mother’s battle with a devastating disease. Everyday look at marriage, and friendships that grow and change through the years.

Give this heartwarming book a read, but kept a box of tissues handy!

Judith_G

A book to cherish
Beth Ann Fennelly had me at the first page. Somehow, in a micro-memory of a folded oven mitt, one brief paragraph long, she conveys the love, humor, warmth, tenacity, patience and forgiveness that make up a good and long marriage.   
   
The Irish Goodbye is like a series of brief visits with a close friend over a fence, coffee or wine. Her anecdotes run the gamut of emotions from laugh-out-loud to heart-breaking. Sometimes her words stopped me in my tracks. (Fennelly was the poet laureate Mississippi.) For example, the title refers to an Irish habit of abruptly leaving a party without a goodbye, and Fennelly applies that to her beloved sister's unexpected, sudden death with: "How, without farewells, you slipped out the back door of the party of your life, O my sister."

This is a book to cherish. It deals with universal problems and joys. There are many treasures in it, poignant, moving, funny. The final piece is titled, "Dear Viewer of My Naked Body." Fennelly, a middle-aged woman living in the Bible Belt agreed to pose naked for an artist, and her telling of why she did and how it was and what it meant should become a classic.

I know I'll dip into this book many more times, and always with pleasure and appreciation.

postscript: Another book with the same title was recently released. I haven't read the other book, but I nonetheless am sure Beth Ann Fennelly's exceptional memoir is the one to add to your library.

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