by Maggie O’Farrell, 2026, Audiobook narrated by Dane Wyte O’Hara, Random House Audio

This is a very well written book about a family in Ireland during and after the great famine. It chronicles the loss of the Irish due to famine, the oppression of the British, and how some managed to survive. I thought the characters were compelling and O’Farrell’s storytelling is quite good.

I didn’t rate it higher because it was hard to follow in the beginning with multiple flashbacks and flashforwards. I sometimes couldn’t tell whether I was dealing with the son or father’s childhood. Also, even though the book was very well written, the story about the family didn’t interest me all that much. I did like the sense of place that the author created.

Dane Wyte O’Hara’s narration is excellent. He definitely creates the right tone for the story.