Bad Things Happen

by Tim Buckley

Aengus lives in a vibrant new city, among charming new friends, with a thriving career. He could never know that, just a scratch below the surface of his world, lurks emptiness and aimlessness. And when his wife is killed in a traffic accident, the thin veneer is suddenly and irredeemably ripped away. He tries to relocate his place in the world, to re-establish his path and purpose, but he can t. All at once he is an outsider among friends he no longer recognises, in a place that has become suddenly sinister. A place where he doesn t really belong. And so he seeks out the only person who can give him back a little piece of what he has lost the daughter they gave up for adoption some twenty years before. His search takes him home to Ireland and face-to-face with the father with whom he has endured a fractured relationship. It throws into question the certainties that have guided his life, the lighthouses by which he has navigated its course. He discovers a sense of belonging with people he left behind years before. In places long-forgotten. In dreams he once coveted but never dared to grasp.

368 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[Elaine Perry · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of the most beautifully written books I have ever read. The author has such a talent for detail and description. While I had guessed at the ending it took nothing away from the quality of this read because it was only in the very last chapter that it became clear. The author has such a lovely way of exploring the different relationships we encounter through our lives, from our parents, our friends, our casual acquaintances, our life partners and our children. A stunning read.