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La isla de los anhelos
Una tarde como cualquier otra, Rosie vio cómo su hija Saoirse se alejaba sobre su bici en dirección a la ciudad. Esperaba oír el ruido de la puerta cuando regresara a casa más tarde. Pero ese sonido nunca llegó.
Ocho años después, tras una extensa investigación sobre su desaparición, Rosie es la única que cree firmemente que su hija podría seguir con vida. Cuando recibe una llamada de su padre pidiéndole que vuelva a casa a pasar el verano, se ve obligada a salir de su estado de ensoñación. La vida en la isla de Roaring Bay hace que resurjan viejas rivalidades, pero también le brinda nuevas amistades y un consuelo inesperado.
Sin embargo, cuando un rayo de esperanza parece asomar, Rosie se ve obligada a enfrentarse a una pregunta de difícil respuesta: ¿está en lo cierto al creer que Saoirse sigue viva? ¿O la convicción de que su hija volverá algún día podría costarle todo lo que todavía tiene?
Ocho años después, tras una extensa investigación sobre su desaparición, Rosie es la única que cree firmemente que su hija podría seguir con vida. Cuando recibe una llamada de su padre pidiéndole que vuelva a casa a pasar el verano, se ve obligada a salir de su estado de ensoñación. La vida en la isla de Roaring Bay hace que resurjan viejas rivalidades, pero también le brinda nuevas amistades y un consuelo inesperado.
Sin embargo, cuando un rayo de esperanza parece asomar, Rosie se ve obligada a enfrentarse a una pregunta de difícil respuesta: ¿está en lo cierto al creer que Saoirse sigue viva? ¿O la convicción de que su hija volverá algún día podría costarle todo lo que todavía tiene?
384 pages, Paperback
First published April 27, 2023
75 people are currently reading
1600 people want to read
About the author
Anne Griffin
3 books977 followersAnne Griffin is an Irish novelist.
Anne's third book 'The Island of Longing' will be published on May 4th, 2023
Anne was awarded the Newcomer of the year at the Irish Book awards 2019 for her debut novel 'When All Is Said'.
'Listening Still' and 'When All Is Said' are available worldwide, in hard format, e-book and audio.
Anne's third book 'The Island of Longing' will be published on May 4th, 2023
Anne was awarded the Newcomer of the year at the Irish Book awards 2019 for her debut novel 'When All Is Said'.
'Listening Still' and 'When All Is Said' are available worldwide, in hard format, e-book and audio.
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May 13, 2025
L’ISOLA DEI CRISANTEMI
Ci sono due temi che percorrono il romanzo, intrecciati e divisi: la sparizione della figlia diciassettenne Saoirse (impararne la pronuncia, sia quella british che american, è un bell’esercizio linguistico) e l’isola dove la quarantanovenne protagonista Rosie, moglie madre e figlia, è nata.
Un tema rimanda all’altro, si sviluppa annodato all’altro: ma anche separato e a se stante.
Saoirse è sparita in un primo pomeriggio ormai da otto anni. Mamma Rosie l’ha vista arrivare da scuola attraverso una finestra, e poi quando pensava di sentirla entrare in casa, si è accorta che Saoirse era scomparsa. Accanto alla siepe la sua bici abbandonata senza cura. Qualche ora dopo Rosie e suo marito Hugh avvisano la polizia, le indagini hanno inizio subito.
E per settimane la comunità di quel sobborgo dublinese è mobilitata in ricerche e sostegno alla famiglia della scomparsa.
Alla fine del romanzo nella sezione dei ringraziamenti Anne Griffin dichiara sono grata alle famiglie di tutti gli scomparsi in Irlanda, e si apprende così che i “missing children” sono un preoccupante fenomeno irlandese. Anche se poi nel corso del romanzo si apprende che gli scomparsi, adulti e minorenni, ammontano a una media di poco superiore all’uno al mese.
In ogni caso, vivere otto anni cercando la propria figlia adolescente, aspettando che torni a casa, tra interviste e appelli televisivi, senza sapere dov’è, che fine ha fatto, se si è allontanata volontariamente - magari in reazione ha qualcosa che la famiglia le ha fatto subire (da cui automatico dilaniante senso di colpa) – oppure è stata rapita, l’hanno costretta, le hanno fatto violenza… Beh, sono otto anni da non augurare a nessuno. Puro inferno.
L’altro filo rosso che percorre il romanzo è quello dell’isola, poco fuori la costa atlantica di Cork – e quindi, Irlanda del sud): una piccola comunità composta da brava gente solidale e garbata – e anche chi sembrava l’anima nera del luogo si rivela col tempo una brava persona – di cui la famiglia di Rosie è parte storica, con la madre che era la bibliotecaria del borgo e il padre il proprietario e il capitano del traghetto che fa la spola con la costa.
Rosie è cresciuta sull’isola a tè e timone, s’è innamorata di quella barca da bambina, è diventata la prima donna capitano d’Irlanda, e capisce che dopo otto anni d’attesa del ritorno di Saoirse, il posto dove vuole essere è l’isola, e la cosa che vuole fare è condurre il traghetto. Questa piccola terra che galleggia nell’oceano a poca distanza dall’isola patria, è prima di tutto uno spazio dell’anima.
Perciò, lascia il marito e Dublino e torna “a casa”: prima per qualche settimana, poi più stabilmente.
D’altra parte la coppia Rosie-Hugh - lui architetto, lei impiegata part-time della biglietteria dei traghetti locali - è consumata dagli otto anni d’attesa e ricerca e dolore. E a questo punto, mentre Rosie continua ad aspettare ogni giorno il ritorno a casa della scomparsa, Hugh invece vorrebbe seppellirla, almeno mentalmente: la tensione di tenere viva, palpitante, in qualche modo presente questa assenza, questa mancanza, questa scomparsa, lo ha logorato. E tra moglie e marito non è più come prima, non ci sono più le scintille dell’inizio e dei primi vent’anni insieme.
I vari capitoli sono intervallati da micronarrazioni che raccontano – pur restando in sospensione – la sorte dell’adolescente Saoirse, la dinamica della sua sparizione.
La scrittura della Griffin mi ha evocato una lenta marea crescente, quando raggiunge l’acme, tocca in profondità. Mi ha più volte riportato alla memoria Ioanna Karistiani, le sue isole egee, quelle minuscole comunità, quell’orgoglio isolano.
Infatti, il titolo che adotto è un omaggio a quello del romanzo più bello della scrittrice greca, là isola di gelsomini, qui di crisantemi perché il cimitero è parte “vitale” del luogo.
Ci sono due temi che percorrono il romanzo, intrecciati e divisi: la sparizione della figlia diciassettenne Saoirse (impararne la pronuncia, sia quella british che american, è un bell’esercizio linguistico) e l’isola dove la quarantanovenne protagonista Rosie, moglie madre e figlia, è nata.
Un tema rimanda all’altro, si sviluppa annodato all’altro: ma anche separato e a se stante.
Saoirse è sparita in un primo pomeriggio ormai da otto anni. Mamma Rosie l’ha vista arrivare da scuola attraverso una finestra, e poi quando pensava di sentirla entrare in casa, si è accorta che Saoirse era scomparsa. Accanto alla siepe la sua bici abbandonata senza cura. Qualche ora dopo Rosie e suo marito Hugh avvisano la polizia, le indagini hanno inizio subito.
E per settimane la comunità di quel sobborgo dublinese è mobilitata in ricerche e sostegno alla famiglia della scomparsa.
Alla fine del romanzo nella sezione dei ringraziamenti Anne Griffin dichiara sono grata alle famiglie di tutti gli scomparsi in Irlanda, e si apprende così che i “missing children” sono un preoccupante fenomeno irlandese. Anche se poi nel corso del romanzo si apprende che gli scomparsi, adulti e minorenni, ammontano a una media di poco superiore all’uno al mese.
In ogni caso, vivere otto anni cercando la propria figlia adolescente, aspettando che torni a casa, tra interviste e appelli televisivi, senza sapere dov’è, che fine ha fatto, se si è allontanata volontariamente - magari in reazione ha qualcosa che la famiglia le ha fatto subire (da cui automatico dilaniante senso di colpa) – oppure è stata rapita, l’hanno costretta, le hanno fatto violenza… Beh, sono otto anni da non augurare a nessuno. Puro inferno.
L’altro filo rosso che percorre il romanzo è quello dell’isola, poco fuori la costa atlantica di Cork – e quindi, Irlanda del sud): una piccola comunità composta da brava gente solidale e garbata – e anche chi sembrava l’anima nera del luogo si rivela col tempo una brava persona – di cui la famiglia di Rosie è parte storica, con la madre che era la bibliotecaria del borgo e il padre il proprietario e il capitano del traghetto che fa la spola con la costa.
Rosie è cresciuta sull’isola a tè e timone, s’è innamorata di quella barca da bambina, è diventata la prima donna capitano d’Irlanda, e capisce che dopo otto anni d’attesa del ritorno di Saoirse, il posto dove vuole essere è l’isola, e la cosa che vuole fare è condurre il traghetto. Questa piccola terra che galleggia nell’oceano a poca distanza dall’isola patria, è prima di tutto uno spazio dell’anima.
Perciò, lascia il marito e Dublino e torna “a casa”: prima per qualche settimana, poi più stabilmente.
D’altra parte la coppia Rosie-Hugh - lui architetto, lei impiegata part-time della biglietteria dei traghetti locali - è consumata dagli otto anni d’attesa e ricerca e dolore. E a questo punto, mentre Rosie continua ad aspettare ogni giorno il ritorno a casa della scomparsa, Hugh invece vorrebbe seppellirla, almeno mentalmente: la tensione di tenere viva, palpitante, in qualche modo presente questa assenza, questa mancanza, questa scomparsa, lo ha logorato. E tra moglie e marito non è più come prima, non ci sono più le scintille dell’inizio e dei primi vent’anni insieme.
I vari capitoli sono intervallati da micronarrazioni che raccontano – pur restando in sospensione – la sorte dell’adolescente Saoirse, la dinamica della sua sparizione.
La scrittura della Griffin mi ha evocato una lenta marea crescente, quando raggiunge l’acme, tocca in profondità. Mi ha più volte riportato alla memoria Ioanna Karistiani, le sue isole egee, quelle minuscole comunità, quell’orgoglio isolano.
Infatti, il titolo che adotto è un omaggio a quello del romanzo più bello della scrittrice greca, là isola di gelsomini, qui di crisantemi perché il cimitero è parte “vitale” del luogo.
February 19, 2024
Another Irish story that I loved…
Though it is heartbreaking.
Eight years ago while in an upstairs bedroom of her Dublin home , Rosie sees her seventeen year old daughter Saoirse, coming down the road towards home on her bicycle.
Later, Saoirse is never seen and her bike was left lying haphazardly in front of their house… no one has seen her. She is missing.
After these eight years of dealing with no answers to her disappearance.. her marriage and mental state suffering from all of this, she returns to the island she grew up on and where her father still lives. She is going there to run the ferry boat her family owns to help her mental outlook.
A really great group of characters live on the island .. I especially enjoyed the time spent there.
This story is about the missing girl.. but more so on how this shocking event effects a whole family.
From the author of WHEN ALL IS SAID.. which I loved!!
Though it is heartbreaking.
Eight years ago while in an upstairs bedroom of her Dublin home , Rosie sees her seventeen year old daughter Saoirse, coming down the road towards home on her bicycle.
Later, Saoirse is never seen and her bike was left lying haphazardly in front of their house… no one has seen her. She is missing.
After these eight years of dealing with no answers to her disappearance.. her marriage and mental state suffering from all of this, she returns to the island she grew up on and where her father still lives. She is going there to run the ferry boat her family owns to help her mental outlook.
A really great group of characters live on the island .. I especially enjoyed the time spent there.
This story is about the missing girl.. but more so on how this shocking event effects a whole family.
From the author of WHEN ALL IS SAID.. which I loved!!
March 15, 2023
A heartbreaking and powerful novel about a family whose daughter disappears before their eyes and how they cope with the unknown and try to stay connected as a family.
I liked how the author approached this novel, it a story of a mother who won’t allow herself to give up hope, while the book allows us glimpses of the mystery into the girls disappearance, it focuses more on the grieving family and and how life carries on around them. Hugh and Rosie are at odds after years of waiting for news of their missing daughter. Rosie returns to her place of birth, a quiet and peaceful Island off the coast of Ireland where her father runs the ferry company and she feels a connection with her missing daughter.
This is a quiet but beautifully written novel, and while it’s not a mystery, it does deal with the heartbreaking family tragedy that for any parent is unimaginable. We encounter a family at their most vulnerable moments and don’t even want to contemplate what our reactions would be. I loved the sense of time and place in this move, and the small island is really like another character in the story. It’s a novel with splashes of humour and some likeable characters.
I enjoyed the read my thank to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.
I liked how the author approached this novel, it a story of a mother who won’t allow herself to give up hope, while the book allows us glimpses of the mystery into the girls disappearance, it focuses more on the grieving family and and how life carries on around them. Hugh and Rosie are at odds after years of waiting for news of their missing daughter. Rosie returns to her place of birth, a quiet and peaceful Island off the coast of Ireland where her father runs the ferry company and she feels a connection with her missing daughter.
This is a quiet but beautifully written novel, and while it’s not a mystery, it does deal with the heartbreaking family tragedy that for any parent is unimaginable. We encounter a family at their most vulnerable moments and don’t even want to contemplate what our reactions would be. I loved the sense of time and place in this move, and the small island is really like another character in the story. It’s a novel with splashes of humour and some likeable characters.
I enjoyed the read my thank to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.
January 29, 2023
4-5 stars
Rosie watches from the window of her Dublin home as her daughter Saoirse comes up the drive on her bike. However, there is no door slam and her bike is found abandoned on the drive. That is the last sighting of Saoirse and the police, despite extensive enquiries, are no closer to solving the mystery of her disappearance, she vanishes before Rosie’s very eyes. Eight years on Rosie refuses to let go of the hope that her daughter is alive and she can’t move on. With the encouragement of her husband Hugh, Rosie goes back to Roaring Bay Island, West Cork to help her father captain the family owned ferry ‘Aoibhneas’ to and from the mainland. For Rosie, this island is her haven, it’s where she feels most connected to her daughter. Will Rosie be able to let go of the longing for Saoirse and accept that it is very unlikely that she is coming home?
This is inevitably a very emotional and moving read, which is beautifully told as you sense Saoirse’s spirit, and get a clear idea of Rosie’s strengths and weaknesses. The grief, pain and unhappiness is palpable but it is interwoven with wonderful characters and friendships, with terrific dialogue with some well placed humour. It’s a wonderful blend of the serious, examining how lives are irrevocably changed by loss, it looks at motherhood and relationships with the intense mystery of Saoirse’s disappearance underpinning all, which is heightened by the inclusion of snippets from that day.
The sense of place is outstanding, with the island and its inhabitants being beautifully described making you feel as if you are there with the characters becoming friends. It’s separation from the mainland serves to highlight Rosie’s feelings of isolation and the huge gap in her life following the loss of a much loved child. Yet the island also offers solace and the understanding she craves. Here, maybe she can find the comfort she so sorely needs.
Overall, inevitably at times this is a tear jerker but I love the message of the book and the ending is deeply moving.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Hodder and Stoughton for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
Rosie watches from the window of her Dublin home as her daughter Saoirse comes up the drive on her bike. However, there is no door slam and her bike is found abandoned on the drive. That is the last sighting of Saoirse and the police, despite extensive enquiries, are no closer to solving the mystery of her disappearance, she vanishes before Rosie’s very eyes. Eight years on Rosie refuses to let go of the hope that her daughter is alive and she can’t move on. With the encouragement of her husband Hugh, Rosie goes back to Roaring Bay Island, West Cork to help her father captain the family owned ferry ‘Aoibhneas’ to and from the mainland. For Rosie, this island is her haven, it’s where she feels most connected to her daughter. Will Rosie be able to let go of the longing for Saoirse and accept that it is very unlikely that she is coming home?
This is inevitably a very emotional and moving read, which is beautifully told as you sense Saoirse’s spirit, and get a clear idea of Rosie’s strengths and weaknesses. The grief, pain and unhappiness is palpable but it is interwoven with wonderful characters and friendships, with terrific dialogue with some well placed humour. It’s a wonderful blend of the serious, examining how lives are irrevocably changed by loss, it looks at motherhood and relationships with the intense mystery of Saoirse’s disappearance underpinning all, which is heightened by the inclusion of snippets from that day.
The sense of place is outstanding, with the island and its inhabitants being beautifully described making you feel as if you are there with the characters becoming friends. It’s separation from the mainland serves to highlight Rosie’s feelings of isolation and the huge gap in her life following the loss of a much loved child. Yet the island also offers solace and the understanding she craves. Here, maybe she can find the comfort she so sorely needs.
Overall, inevitably at times this is a tear jerker but I love the message of the book and the ending is deeply moving.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Hodder and Stoughton for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
April 22, 2023
EXCERPT: The last time I saw Saoirse was at 2.20 pm, Thursday, 16 July 2009. I'd seen her from Cullie's bedroom window cycle up the road of our estate. I'd glanced at his alarm clock and chuckled to myself, thinking she'd certainly made sure she was home well in time for her dinner, mac and cheese, her favourite. I hadn't expected her back until much later. I thought nothing further of it and went on gathering up the washing from each of our rooms, fully expecting to see her when I went down the stairs with a full load finally to hand.
ABOUT 'THE ISLAND OF LONGING': One unremarkable afternoon, Rosie watched her daughter Saoirse cycle into town, expecting to hear the slam of the door when she returned a few hours later. But the slam never came.
Eight years on, after an extensive investigation into her disappearance, Rosie is the only person who stubbornly believes that her child might still be alive. When Rosie receives a call from her father, asking her to return home for the summer, she is forced out of her limbo. Life on the island of Roaring Bay revives old rivalries, but it also brings new friendships and unexpected solace.
Yet, when a sudden glimmer of hope appears, Rosie is forced to face an impossible question: is she right to think that Saoirse is still alive? Or will her belief that her daughter will one day return to her come at the cost of everything she has left?
MY THOUGHTS: If you watch your child cycle up the road towards your house, the last thing you would expect is for that child not to walk through the door, to simply disappear. Then not to know what happened . . . that is cruel. I worry if I don't hear from my children every few days. I can't begin to imagine how I would feel, react, if one went missing.
Anne Griffin has written The Island of Longing from the point of view of Rosie, Saoirse's mother. We feel her despair, share her hope, and watch the family slowly come apart under the strain.
In an effort to save herself Rosie returns to Roaring Bay Island, and to help her father who has health issues. While the Island may be her 'happy place' her father has been hiding the reality of his failing business from her.
Will the struggle to save her beloved ferry save or sink Rosie?
The Island of Longing is an incredibly emotional and touching read. Occasionally interspersed in the text are two or three sentences from Saoirse's story. So eventually we know who abducts her and how.
I loved this gentle but passionate and powerful read, which I read in one sitting, and will be seeking out Anne Griffin's previous two books.
⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
#TheIslandofLonging #NetGalley
I: @aneegriffinwriter @hodderstoughton
T: @AnneGriffin_ @HodderBooks
#contemporaryfiction #deathanddying #familydrama #friendship #irishfiction #mystery
THE AUTHOR: Anne Griffin is an Irish novelist.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton, Sceptre, via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Island of Longing by Anne Griffin for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
ABOUT 'THE ISLAND OF LONGING': One unremarkable afternoon, Rosie watched her daughter Saoirse cycle into town, expecting to hear the slam of the door when she returned a few hours later. But the slam never came.
Eight years on, after an extensive investigation into her disappearance, Rosie is the only person who stubbornly believes that her child might still be alive. When Rosie receives a call from her father, asking her to return home for the summer, she is forced out of her limbo. Life on the island of Roaring Bay revives old rivalries, but it also brings new friendships and unexpected solace.
Yet, when a sudden glimmer of hope appears, Rosie is forced to face an impossible question: is she right to think that Saoirse is still alive? Or will her belief that her daughter will one day return to her come at the cost of everything she has left?
MY THOUGHTS: If you watch your child cycle up the road towards your house, the last thing you would expect is for that child not to walk through the door, to simply disappear. Then not to know what happened . . . that is cruel. I worry if I don't hear from my children every few days. I can't begin to imagine how I would feel, react, if one went missing.
Anne Griffin has written The Island of Longing from the point of view of Rosie, Saoirse's mother. We feel her despair, share her hope, and watch the family slowly come apart under the strain.
In an effort to save herself Rosie returns to Roaring Bay Island, and to help her father who has health issues. While the Island may be her 'happy place' her father has been hiding the reality of his failing business from her.
Will the struggle to save her beloved ferry save or sink Rosie?
The Island of Longing is an incredibly emotional and touching read. Occasionally interspersed in the text are two or three sentences from Saoirse's story. So eventually we know who abducts her and how.
I loved this gentle but passionate and powerful read, which I read in one sitting, and will be seeking out Anne Griffin's previous two books.
⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
#TheIslandofLonging #NetGalley
I: @aneegriffinwriter @hodderstoughton
T: @AnneGriffin_ @HodderBooks
#contemporaryfiction #deathanddying #familydrama #friendship #irishfiction #mystery
THE AUTHOR: Anne Griffin is an Irish novelist.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton, Sceptre, via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Island of Longing by Anne Griffin for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
February 23, 2023
Some books you read, some you consume, and some consume you. I devoured Anne Griffin’s 3rd novel. I loved When All Is Said and, although I didn’t enjoy Listening Still so much, I had been looking forward to more from her.
Rosie and her family have suffered what is, for most of us thankfully, an unimaginable loss. She and her husband grow apart and agree that she should return to the island she is from and join her father in running the ferry to the mainland. It’s the story of a very painful personal journey, relieved by the warmth of friendships and typical Irish humour. A guide to pronunciation would have been helpful rather than resorting to Google which isn’t entirely reliable. I think I now know how to pronounce Saoirse (Seershu), Rosie’s daughter’s name, and Aoibhneas (Eevnass), the name of the ferry, which I believe means something like joyfulness. Like Scots Gaelic, Irish Gaelic is not intuitive when it comes to pronunciation - Fionnuala would have been a great help!
I read this in a couple of days. I couldn’t put it down and can’t recommend it highly enough.
With thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for a review copy.
Rosie and her family have suffered what is, for most of us thankfully, an unimaginable loss. She and her husband grow apart and agree that she should return to the island she is from and join her father in running the ferry to the mainland. It’s the story of a very painful personal journey, relieved by the warmth of friendships and typical Irish humour. A guide to pronunciation would have been helpful rather than resorting to Google which isn’t entirely reliable. I think I now know how to pronounce Saoirse (Seershu), Rosie’s daughter’s name, and Aoibhneas (Eevnass), the name of the ferry, which I believe means something like joyfulness. Like Scots Gaelic, Irish Gaelic is not intuitive when it comes to pronunciation - Fionnuala would have been a great help!
I read this in a couple of days. I couldn’t put it down and can’t recommend it highly enough.
With thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for a review copy.
March 9, 2023
What an utterly beautiful, totally heartbreaking story.
One day, after a minor row, Saoirse Driscoll, goes missing. We join the story some eight years later as Saoirse's mother, Rosie, has returned to her birth place to help her father run the ferry between Roaring Bay Island and the mainland. Rosie has come home after a breakdown both mental and marital. She has come to find some peace while she wants for Saoirse to come back to her family.
There are several threads to the story that includes brief looks at Saoirse's view of the day she went missing. Rosie not only has to contend with trying to convince everyone her daughter is still alive but also the recent death of her mother, keeping her ailing father and his job as captain of the ferry going all while trying to give herself some peace of mind.
The characters Anne Griffin gives us are all expertly drawn. They have real life to them. We feel everything Rosie feels from despair and confusion to hope and an unwillingness to lie down and give up.
This is my first Anne Griffin. It most certainly won't be my last. The book itself is easy reading but not easy subject matter. I had to constantly slow my reading down because it is such a shame to rush through such a beautiful book.
Highly recommended.
One day, after a minor row, Saoirse Driscoll, goes missing. We join the story some eight years later as Saoirse's mother, Rosie, has returned to her birth place to help her father run the ferry between Roaring Bay Island and the mainland. Rosie has come home after a breakdown both mental and marital. She has come to find some peace while she wants for Saoirse to come back to her family.
There are several threads to the story that includes brief looks at Saoirse's view of the day she went missing. Rosie not only has to contend with trying to convince everyone her daughter is still alive but also the recent death of her mother, keeping her ailing father and his job as captain of the ferry going all while trying to give herself some peace of mind.
The characters Anne Griffin gives us are all expertly drawn. They have real life to them. We feel everything Rosie feels from despair and confusion to hope and an unwillingness to lie down and give up.
This is my first Anne Griffin. It most certainly won't be my last. The book itself is easy reading but not easy subject matter. I had to constantly slow my reading down because it is such a shame to rush through such a beautiful book.
Highly recommended.
September 23, 2024
Ein Buch, das mich mit seiner Thematik eiskalt erwischt hat. Ich war emotional total drin!
Wie auch in ihrem Debutroman, hat mir in Wellengang die Ausarbeitung der Figuren sehr gut gefallen. Sie fühlen sich so echt an. Mit ihren Problemen, Ecken und Kanten und liebenswürdigen Eigenarten.
Die Geschichte zeigt in glasklarer Präzision das Auseinanderbrechen einer Familie aufgrund des Verschwindens der Tochter Saoirse.
Rosie (Saoirses Mutter und Protagonistin) ist eine zerrissene Person: stark und gleichzeitig völlig verloren. Ich habe gemeinsam mit ihr einige Tränen vergossen.
Die kleine irische Insel, von der Rosie stammt und ihr Vater noch immer lebt, kam als Setting sehr schön rüber. Die Insel und auch die Fähre, die seit ihrer Kindheit im Familienbesitz ist, stehen symbolisch für die Wurzeln und die Verbindung zu ihrer Tochter. Ein toller Erzählerischer Kniff.
Absolute Leseempfehlung, wenn man ein traurig- schönes Buch mit Tiefgang sucht. 4,5 Sterne
Wie auch in ihrem Debutroman, hat mir in Wellengang die Ausarbeitung der Figuren sehr gut gefallen. Sie fühlen sich so echt an. Mit ihren Problemen, Ecken und Kanten und liebenswürdigen Eigenarten.
Die Geschichte zeigt in glasklarer Präzision das Auseinanderbrechen einer Familie aufgrund des Verschwindens der Tochter Saoirse.
Rosie (Saoirses Mutter und Protagonistin) ist eine zerrissene Person: stark und gleichzeitig völlig verloren. Ich habe gemeinsam mit ihr einige Tränen vergossen.
Die kleine irische Insel, von der Rosie stammt und ihr Vater noch immer lebt, kam als Setting sehr schön rüber. Die Insel und auch die Fähre, die seit ihrer Kindheit im Familienbesitz ist, stehen symbolisch für die Wurzeln und die Verbindung zu ihrer Tochter. Ein toller Erzählerischer Kniff.
Absolute Leseempfehlung, wenn man ein traurig- schönes Buch mit Tiefgang sucht. 4,5 Sterne
January 3, 2023
Tell me if anyone else does this.... I loved Anne Griffin's previous novel When All Is Said, one of my favourite ever novels. I love it so much I haven't read it again for fear that I won't love it as much. I have also been fearful of trying her other novels for fear my love for her wouldn't be as powerful as it was when I read WAIS.
However fear not, a brilliant start to 2023 continues with this one. In The Island of Longing, a child has gone missing and her mother Rosie has been looking for her for eight years. Whilst life goes on, Rosie cannot move on until she knows the truth of what happened all those years ago....She returns to life on the Island where she grew up to look after her father but can she really move on without knowing.
This is my second Anne Griffin novel and the second time I have finished the book in tears. I don't really want to say much more than that.
Thanks to Netgalley and Hodder and Stoughton for an ARC in exchange for an honest review
However fear not, a brilliant start to 2023 continues with this one. In The Island of Longing, a child has gone missing and her mother Rosie has been looking for her for eight years. Whilst life goes on, Rosie cannot move on until she knows the truth of what happened all those years ago....She returns to life on the Island where she grew up to look after her father but can she really move on without knowing.
This is my second Anne Griffin novel and the second time I have finished the book in tears. I don't really want to say much more than that.
Thanks to Netgalley and Hodder and Stoughton for an ARC in exchange for an honest review
December 3, 2023
Δείτε επίσης και στο Chill and read
Τα βιβλία που είναι γραμμένα από Ιρλανδούς συγγραφείς, πάντα βρίσκουν μια θέση στη βιβλιοθήκη μου και συνήθως και στην καρδιά μου. Δεν ξέρω γιατί συμβαίνει αυτό, αλλά νιώθω τόσο κοντά σ’ αυτή τη χώρα και τους ανθρώπους της. Ίσως φταίει το αιματηρό παρελθόν της χώρας, οι αγώνες που δόθηκαν από τους ανθρώπους της, η ανάγκη για ανεξαρτησία. Είναι νομίζω ξεκάθαρο πως δεν είμαι αντικειμενική, αλλά νομίζω πως αυτή η ιστορία, έχει περάσει και στη γραφή πολλών Ιρλανδών. Γι’ αυτό και δε θα μπορούσα να μη διαβάσω κι αυτό το βιβλίο, κι ας μην έχει καμία σχέση με τα ματωμένα χρόνια της Ιρλανδίας.
Βρισκόμαστε στο Δουβλίνο του 2009 όταν η Σίρσα, η κόρη της Ρόζι και του Χιου εξαφανίζεται. Η δεκαεφτάχρονη κοπέλα, έχει μόλις επιστρέψει με το ποδήλατό της από τη βόλτα της και η Ρόζι την έχει δει από το παράθυρο του πάνω ορόφου που πλησιάζει. Χαίρεται που ήρθε στην ώρα της για το αγαπημένο της φαγητό και περιμένει να ακούσει την πόρτα τους σπιτιού να αναγγέλλει την άφιξή της. Όταν κατεβαίνει όμως δεν τη βρίσκει στο σπίτι. Βρίσκει μόνο το γιο της. Όσο η ώρα περνάει και η Σίρσα δεν έχει επιστρέψει, μάνα και γιος ανησυχούν και αρχίζουν να την ψάχνουν στη γειτονιά. Βρίσκουν το ποδήλατό της παρατημένο στο σημείο που την είχε δει η Ρόζι από το παράθυρο. Η Σίρσα δε θα το άφηνε ποτέ έτσι βιαστικά κάπου. Πάντα τακτοποιεί τα πράγματά της. Εν τέλη, μαζί με το Χιου, ενημερώνουν την αστυνομία και η αναζήτηση ξεκινά.
Οχτώ χρόνια μετά η Σίρσα δεν έχει βρεθεί όμως η Ρόζι είναι σίγουρη πως το κοριτσάκι της είναι κάπου εκεί έξω. Δεν μπορεί να δεχτεί ότι ίσως και να μη ζει πια. Η ζωή της με τον Χιου έχει γίνει πιο περίπλοκη, ειδικά αφότου ο γιος τους έχει φύγει από το σπίτι μεγαλώνοντας. Έχει περάσει ένας χρόνος από όταν έχασαν τη μητέρα της όταν δέχεται ένα τηλεφώνημα από τον πατέρα της που της ζητάει να γυρίσει στο νησί Ρόρινγκ Μπέι για το καλοκαίρι και να τον βοηθήσει με το φέρι. Το να πιλοτάρει το φέρι ήταν κάποτε η αγαπημένη της ασχολία, αλλά δεν της είναι εύκολο να γυρίσει εκεί. Θα το κάνει όμως για χάρη του πατέρα της που το χωλό του πόδι τον δυσκολεύει όλο και περισσότερο τελευταία.
Στο νησί τα πράγματα είναι και δεν είναι εύκολα. Εκεί θα βρει τους ανθρώπους με τους οποίους μεγάλωσε και την αγαπούν από παιδί. Κάποιοι θα τολμήσουν να μιλήσουν για τη Σίρσα κι εκείνη θα προσπαθήσει να αποφύγει αυτές τις συζητήσεις. Θα βρει όμως και τον παλιό της αντίπαλο, που έχει βάλει σκοπό να αποκτήσει το φέρι και η έχθρα τους θα συνεχιστεί. Όμως θα βρει και παρηγοριά σε κάποιον που δεν περίμενε και θα κάνει έναν καινούριο φίλο που καταλαβαίνει, εν μέρη, τι περνάει, αλλά και που δεν τη φέρνει σε δύσκολη θέση.
Το θέμα του βιβλίου είναι δύσκολο, ειδικά για τους γονείς, όμως δεν είναι αυτό στο οποίο επικεντρώνεται η συγγραφέας. Μιλάει περισσότερο για την επίδραση που έχει ένα τέτοιο γεγονός στην οικογένεια του αγνοούμενου, αλλά και στην ψυχοσύνθεσή τους. Την ανάγκη να πιστέψει ο γονιός, η μάνα στην προκειμένη, πως η κόρη της ζει, πως είναι καλά και πως θα γυρίσει πίσω. Μια μάνα θα έκανε τα πάντα για το παιδί της και μέχρι να δει με τα ίδια της τα μάτια τι του έχει συμβεί, δε θα πάψει να το αναζητά. Όπως δηλαδή κάνει και η Ρόζι που δε χάνει την πίστη της, ακόμα κι αν αυτό σημαίνει πως χάνει σιγά σιγά τον εαυτό της. Κρατιέται από την πιο μικρή κλωστή ελπίδας που έχει. Όμως οι δικοί της άνθρωποι δεν μπορούν να την βλέπουν να «χάνεται» κάθε μέρα που περνάει και προσπαθούν, με όποιον τρόπο μπορούν, να τη φέρουν πίσω. Να μην τις χάσουν και τις δύο.
Παρά τα έντονα συναισθήματα που προκαλεί σε ορισμένα σημεία, το βιβλίο αυτό, η ιστορία της Ρόζι, διαβάζεται πολύ εύκολα και γρήγορα. Τα γκρίζα σημεία περνούν σαν από απόσταση. Δεν έχει αστυνομικό χαρακτήρα, βλέπουμε κάποια στοιχεία για την έρευνα, στο σημείο όμως που να εξηγούν τη συναισθηματική κατάσταση της οικογένειας. Δεν είναι ένα βιβλίο μυστηρίου όπου αναζητούμε τη Σίρσα. Είναι ένα καθαρά κοινωνικό βιβλίο.
Κάπου εδώ να πω πόσο αγαπώ τα Ιρλανδικά ονόματα. Μπορεί να είναι εύκολο για εμάς να διαβάσουμε το όνομα Σίρσα τώρα που έχει μεταφραστεί, αλλά αν το βλέπατε στην αυθεντική του μορφή, είμαι σίγουρη πως θα δυσκολευόσασταν πολύ να το προφέρετε! Η Γαελική μορφή του ονόματος είναι Saoirse. Αν δείτε λοιπόν κάποια ταινία με την Ιρλανδή ηθοποιό Saoirse Ronan, τώρα θα ξέρετε πως προφέρεται!
Τα βιβλία που είναι γραμμένα από Ιρλανδούς συγγραφείς, πάντα βρίσκουν μια θέση στη βιβλιοθήκη μου και συνήθως και στην καρδιά μου. Δεν ξέρω γιατί συμβαίνει αυτό, αλλά νιώθω τόσο κοντά σ’ αυτή τη χώρα και τους ανθρώπους της. Ίσως φταίει το αιματηρό παρελθόν της χώρας, οι αγώνες που δόθηκαν από τους ανθρώπους της, η ανάγκη για ανεξαρτησία. Είναι νομίζω ξεκάθαρο πως δεν είμαι αντικειμενική, αλλά νομίζω πως αυτή η ιστορία, έχει περάσει και στη γραφή πολλών Ιρλανδών. Γι’ αυτό και δε θα μπορούσα να μη διαβάσω κι αυτό το βιβλίο, κι ας μην έχει καμία σχέση με τα ματωμένα χρόνια της Ιρλανδίας.
Βρισκόμαστε στο Δουβλίνο του 2009 όταν η Σίρσα, η κόρη της Ρόζι και του Χιου εξαφανίζεται. Η δεκαεφτάχρονη κοπέλα, έχει μόλις επιστρέψει με το ποδήλατό της από τη βόλτα της και η Ρόζι την έχει δει από το παράθυρο του πάνω ορόφου που πλησιάζει. Χαίρεται που ήρθε στην ώρα της για το αγαπημένο της φαγητό και περιμένει να ακούσει την πόρτα τους σπιτιού να αναγγέλλει την άφιξή της. Όταν κατεβαίνει όμως δεν τη βρίσκει στο σπίτι. Βρίσκει μόνο το γιο της. Όσο η ώρα περνάει και η Σίρσα δεν έχει επιστρέψει, μάνα και γιος ανησυχούν και αρχίζουν να την ψάχνουν στη γειτονιά. Βρίσκουν το ποδήλατό της παρατημένο στο σημείο που την είχε δει η Ρόζι από το παράθυρο. Η Σίρσα δε θα το άφηνε ποτέ έτσι βιαστικά κάπου. Πάντα τακτοποιεί τα πράγματά της. Εν τέλη, μαζί με το Χιου, ενημερώνουν την αστυνομία και η αναζήτηση ξεκινά.
Οχτώ χρόνια μετά η Σίρσα δεν έχει βρεθεί όμως η Ρόζι είναι σίγουρη πως το κοριτσάκι της είναι κάπου εκεί έξω. Δεν μπορεί να δεχτεί ότι ίσως και να μη ζει πια. Η ζωή της με τον Χιου έχει γίνει πιο περίπλοκη, ειδικά αφότου ο γιος τους έχει φύγει από το σπίτι μεγαλώνοντας. Έχει περάσει ένας χρόνος από όταν έχασαν τη μητέρα της όταν δέχεται ένα τηλεφώνημα από τον πατέρα της που της ζητάει να γυρίσει στο νησί Ρόρινγκ Μπέι για το καλοκαίρι και να τον βοηθήσει με το φέρι. Το να πιλοτάρει το φέρι ήταν κάποτε η αγαπημένη της ασχολία, αλλά δεν της είναι εύκολο να γυρίσει εκεί. Θα το κάνει όμως για χάρη του πατέρα της που το χωλό του πόδι τον δυσκολεύει όλο και περισσότερο τελευταία.
Στο νησί τα πράγματα είναι και δεν είναι εύκολα. Εκεί θα βρει τους ανθρώπους με τους οποίους μεγάλωσε και την αγαπούν από παιδί. Κάποιοι θα τολμήσουν να μιλήσουν για τη Σίρσα κι εκείνη θα προσπαθήσει να αποφύγει αυτές τις συζητήσεις. Θα βρει όμως και τον παλιό της αντίπαλο, που έχει βάλει σκοπό να αποκτήσει το φέρι και η έχθρα τους θα συνεχιστεί. Όμως θα βρει και παρηγοριά σε κάποιον που δεν περίμενε και θα κάνει έναν καινούριο φίλο που καταλαβαίνει, εν μέρη, τι περνάει, αλλά και που δεν τη φέρνει σε δύσκολη θέση.
Το θέμα του βιβλίου είναι δύσκολο, ειδικά για τους γονείς, όμως δεν είναι αυτό στο οποίο επικεντρώνεται η συγγραφέας. Μιλάει περισσότερο για την επίδραση που έχει ένα τέτοιο γεγονός στην οικογένεια του αγνοούμενου, αλλά και στην ψυχοσύνθεσή τους. Την ανάγκη να πιστέψει ο γονιός, η μάνα στην προκειμένη, πως η κόρη της ζει, πως είναι καλά και πως θα γυρίσει πίσω. Μια μάνα θα έκανε τα πάντα για το παιδί της και μέχρι να δει με τα ίδια της τα μάτια τι του έχει συμβεί, δε θα πάψει να το αναζητά. Όπως δηλαδή κάνει και η Ρόζι που δε χάνει την πίστη της, ακόμα κι αν αυτό σημαίνει πως χάνει σιγά σιγά τον εαυτό της. Κρατιέται από την πιο μικρή κλωστή ελπίδας που έχει. Όμως οι δικοί της άνθρωποι δεν μπορούν να την βλέπουν να «χάνεται» κάθε μέρα που περνάει και προσπαθούν, με όποιον τρόπο μπορούν, να τη φέρουν πίσω. Να μην τις χάσουν και τις δύο.
Παρά τα έντονα συναισθήματα που προκαλεί σε ορισμένα σημεία, το βιβλίο αυτό, η ιστορία της Ρόζι, διαβάζεται πολύ εύκολα και γρήγορα. Τα γκρίζα σημεία περνούν σαν από απόσταση. Δεν έχει αστυνομικό χαρακτήρα, βλέπουμε κάποια στοιχεία για την έρευνα, στο σημείο όμως που να εξηγούν τη συναισθηματική κατάσταση της οικογένειας. Δεν είναι ένα βιβλίο μυστηρίου όπου αναζητούμε τη Σίρσα. Είναι ένα καθαρά κοινωνικό βιβλίο.
Κάπου εδώ να πω πόσο αγαπώ τα Ιρλανδικά ονόματα. Μπορεί να είναι εύκολο για εμάς να διαβάσουμε το όνομα Σίρσα τώρα που έχει μεταφραστεί, αλλά αν το βλέπατε στην αυθεντική του μορφή, είμαι σίγουρη πως θα δυσκολευόσασταν πολύ να το προφέρετε! Η Γαελική μορφή του ονόματος είναι Saoirse. Αν δείτε λοιπόν κάποια ταινία με την Ιρλανδή ηθοποιό Saoirse Ronan, τώρα θα ξέρετε πως προφέρεται!
July 12, 2023
If I could use one word to describe Anne Griffin's books, it's gentle. I enjoyed When All is Said, loved Listening Still, and really enjoyed The Island of Longing, her third novel. Her books take you by the hand and lead you to their inevitable, and often heartbreaking conclusion. They're emotional without ever feeling exploitative. The writing is eloquent and heartfelt.
Rosie grew up on the island of Roaring Bay off the coast of Cork (inspired, I think, by Cape Clear), skippering her father's boat Aoibhneas (meaning happiness). She marries and moves to Dublin, but when her 17 year old daughter Saoirse goes missing many years later, the island and the wheelhouse of Aoibhneas is the only place Rosie can find any solace. She never wants to give up searching for Saoirse, but her marriage is falling apart under the strain.
I read this at the same time as Kala by Colin Walsh, another Irish novel about a missing teenage girl and it made for an interesting counterpoint. Kala was gritty and violent, The Island of Longing gave a much gentler, more anodyne impression of rural Irish life. Neither story completely captured me, but I enjoyed both and on balance, enjoyed The Island of Longing more for its nuanced and compassionate portrayal of grief and the importance of community. 3.5/5 stars
*Many thanks to the author and publisher @sceptrebooks for the e-arc via @netgalley. As always, this is an honest review.
Rosie grew up on the island of Roaring Bay off the coast of Cork (inspired, I think, by Cape Clear), skippering her father's boat Aoibhneas (meaning happiness). She marries and moves to Dublin, but when her 17 year old daughter Saoirse goes missing many years later, the island and the wheelhouse of Aoibhneas is the only place Rosie can find any solace. She never wants to give up searching for Saoirse, but her marriage is falling apart under the strain.
I read this at the same time as Kala by Colin Walsh, another Irish novel about a missing teenage girl and it made for an interesting counterpoint. Kala was gritty and violent, The Island of Longing gave a much gentler, more anodyne impression of rural Irish life. Neither story completely captured me, but I enjoyed both and on balance, enjoyed The Island of Longing more for its nuanced and compassionate portrayal of grief and the importance of community. 3.5/5 stars
*Many thanks to the author and publisher @sceptrebooks for the e-arc via @netgalley. As always, this is an honest review.
April 22, 2023
This is quite possibly my favourite Anne Griffin novel, my soul was cleaved open during parts of this book and I’m not sure I’ll ever stop thinking about it. I’m not an easy crier when it comes to books, but the tears were flowing fast and steady at times while I was captivated by this beauty.
There’s just something about being immersed in Irish media that I really enjoyed, I enjoyed the TV shows, movies and books so much and I still can’t quite put my finger on why, but I’m pretty sure it’s the classic Irish humour that I love the most.
If you’re looking for an incredible read that will stick with you for a while then definitely pick this one up.
Thank you to Sceptre for sending me a proof of this one.
There’s just something about being immersed in Irish media that I really enjoyed, I enjoyed the TV shows, movies and books so much and I still can’t quite put my finger on why, but I’m pretty sure it’s the classic Irish humour that I love the most.
If you’re looking for an incredible read that will stick with you for a while then definitely pick this one up.
Thank you to Sceptre for sending me a proof of this one.
December 4, 2023
8 χρόνια μετά την εξαφάνιση της κόρης της Σίρσα, η Ρόζι επιμένει να θεωρεί ότι εκείνη θα επιστρέψει κοντά τους. Ο πατέρας της, καπετάνιος του φέρι που συνδέει την ηπειρωτική Ιρλανδία με το νησί Ρόρινγκ Μπέι, ζητά από τη Ρόζι να τον βοηθήσει έστω για το καλοκαίρι. Εκείνη το αποδέχεται με βαριά καρδιά κι επιστρέφει στον τόπο που γεννήθηκε και μεγάλωσε, που έκανε όνειρα, που έμαθε να κολυμπά και να πιλοτάρει την Ίβνες...τον τόπο που ερωτεύτηκε...Η απομάκρυνσή της από το Δουβλίνο κι η ενασχόλησή της με την πλοήγηση του φέρι, βοηθά την Ρόζι να ανακτήσει τις δυνάμεις της, να σκεφτεί όλα όσα συνέβησαν από την εξαφάνιση της κόρης της και να προσπαθήσει να κολλήσει τα κομμάτια της ραγισμένης της καρδιάς.
Πρώτη μου επαφή με την Ιρλανδή συγγραφέα Anne Griffin, με αυτό το βιβλίο, που γνωρίζοντας ότι το θέμα του είναι δύσκολο, η γραφή και ο τρόπος προσεγγισής του δεν θλίβει καθόλου τον αναγνώστη μιας κι επικεντρώνεται περισσότερο στη Ρόζι, τη μητέρα και τους δεσμούς που έχει με την γενέτειρά της, τον τρόπο που διαχειρίστηκε κάτι τόσο φοβερό και τη στήριξη που δέχτηκε απο όλους ακόμη κι όταν κατέρρευσε έπειτα από όλη την αναμονή. Οι άντρες της ζωής της, της συμπαραστέκονται, τη στηρίζουν και γνωρίζοντας την αγάπη της για την Ίβνες, της δίνουν τη διέξοδο που χρειάζεται - το νησί της, που την περιμένει και την αγαπά.
Ένα βιβλίο που αν και μιλά για την απώλεια, επικεντρώνεται περισσότερο στην τρυφερότητα και στην ενσυναίσθηση των ανθρώπων.
Ακόμη και μια απλή βόλτα στη θάλασσα, αγναντεύοντας τα φουρτουνιασμένα κύματά της, μπορέί να ηρεμήσει και την πιο ανταριασμένη ψυχή....
Πρώτη μου επαφή με την Ιρλανδή συγγραφέα Anne Griffin, με αυτό το βιβλίο, που γνωρίζοντας ότι το θέμα του είναι δύσκολο, η γραφή και ο τρόπος προσεγγισής του δεν θλίβει καθόλου τον αναγνώστη μιας κι επικεντρώνεται περισσότερο στη Ρόζι, τη μητέρα και τους δεσμούς που έχει με την γενέτειρά της, τον τρόπο που διαχειρίστηκε κάτι τόσο φοβερό και τη στήριξη που δέχτηκε απο όλους ακόμη κι όταν κατέρρευσε έπειτα από όλη την αναμονή. Οι άντρες της ζωής της, της συμπαραστέκονται, τη στηρίζουν και γνωρίζοντας την αγάπη της για την Ίβνες, της δίνουν τη διέξοδο που χρειάζεται - το νησί της, που την περιμένει και την αγαπά.
Ένα βιβλίο που αν και μιλά για την απώλεια, επικεντρώνεται περισσότερο στην τρυφερότητα και στην ενσυναίσθηση των ανθρώπων.
Ακόμη και μια απλή βόλτα στη θάλασσα, αγναντεύοντας τα φουρτουνιασμένα κύματά της, μπορέί να ηρεμήσει και την πιο ανταριασμένη ψυχή....
January 17, 2024
Hace 8 años Saorirse salió de casa y no volvió. Rosie se quedó esperando a su hija y después de muchas investigaciones se aferra a su recuerdo y no es capaz de dejarla marchar.
Su familia ya no sabe que hacer, ella sigue anclada a la idea de que su hija está viva y su
única salida es volver a Roaring Bay cuando su padre la pide que vaya a pasar el verano a la casa familiar.
Es isla le hace alejarse del dolor que está viviendo, recuperar su vida en cierta manera y encontrar algo de esperanza en esta difícil situación.
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Tengo que decir que ir conociendo todo lo que Rosie llega a pasar me provocaba mucha angustia, me resultaba muy complicado ponerme en su situación ya que es muy complicado si nunca has pasado por algo así. Sin duda es una lectura con la que sufriremos, empatizaremos y entenderemos el pozo sin fondo en el que se encuentra nuestra protagonista.
Está narrado de manera real, con todo el dolor que puede causar esta situación. Me encanta el paso de Rosie por la isla, cuando vemos como le va ayudando y conocemos a los habitantes del lugar.
Una historia emotiva, difícil de olvidar y que te estrujará el corazón.
Su familia ya no sabe que hacer, ella sigue anclada a la idea de que su hija está viva y su
única salida es volver a Roaring Bay cuando su padre la pide que vaya a pasar el verano a la casa familiar.
Es isla le hace alejarse del dolor que está viviendo, recuperar su vida en cierta manera y encontrar algo de esperanza en esta difícil situación.
·
Tengo que decir que ir conociendo todo lo que Rosie llega a pasar me provocaba mucha angustia, me resultaba muy complicado ponerme en su situación ya que es muy complicado si nunca has pasado por algo así. Sin duda es una lectura con la que sufriremos, empatizaremos y entenderemos el pozo sin fondo en el que se encuentra nuestra protagonista.
Está narrado de manera real, con todo el dolor que puede causar esta situación. Me encanta el paso de Rosie por la isla, cuando vemos como le va ayudando y conocemos a los habitantes del lugar.
Una historia emotiva, difícil de olvidar y que te estrujará el corazón.
April 25, 2023
The Island of longing is Irish author Anne Griffin’s third novel, and is available to buy on the 4th of May.
On a seemingly normal afternoon, Rosie waits for her daughter Saoirse to cycle home, but becomes concerned when she finds her bicycle and no sign of her daughter. Thus begins an extensive investigation into Saoirse’s disappearance and the hell her parents and brother must now live through.
Eight years later and Rosie is the only one still clinging to the possibility that her daughter is still alive, much to the detriment of her relationships with the rest of the family.
Under the guise of returning home to help her ageing dad skipper the local ferry, Rosie leaves Dublin and her broken relationships, and heads back to Roaring Bay Island off the coast of West Cork.
Here she finds solace in hard work, and in new friendships, but Saoirse is never far from her mind. When the slim hope appears that she may get her daughter back, Rosie will stop at nothing, and will risk losing everything she has left to see Saoirse again.
I loved this book. Something I think Anne Griffin does really well is writing emotionally complex stories; The Island of Longing is multi-layered and felt incredibly real to me.
Rosie’s grief and despair are all-consuming; her new role as a mother to a missing child felt almost unbearable to witness at times but I’m glad I stayed with her until the end. I really appreciated the balm the island provided her with, as I felt I needed it too, as the reader!
There is a wonderful sense of place and time and the island itself is so well realised; I loved the descriptions of the locals, the pub, and the island library, and how seasonal changes affect the landscape throughout the year.
I wept at the end of this book. I think a sign of a really great read is when you finish it and immediately begin to wonder what happens to the characters next, will they be ok?
While this is a character study in grief, there’s also hope in there so I feel comforted by that; I think Rosie and her crew will be ok ❤️
If you have the headspace for it, I would definitely recommend this one, but bring tissues!
Thank you so much to @hachetteireland & @sceptrebooks for the opportunity to read The Island of Longing.
On a seemingly normal afternoon, Rosie waits for her daughter Saoirse to cycle home, but becomes concerned when she finds her bicycle and no sign of her daughter. Thus begins an extensive investigation into Saoirse’s disappearance and the hell her parents and brother must now live through.
Eight years later and Rosie is the only one still clinging to the possibility that her daughter is still alive, much to the detriment of her relationships with the rest of the family.
Under the guise of returning home to help her ageing dad skipper the local ferry, Rosie leaves Dublin and her broken relationships, and heads back to Roaring Bay Island off the coast of West Cork.
Here she finds solace in hard work, and in new friendships, but Saoirse is never far from her mind. When the slim hope appears that she may get her daughter back, Rosie will stop at nothing, and will risk losing everything she has left to see Saoirse again.
I loved this book. Something I think Anne Griffin does really well is writing emotionally complex stories; The Island of Longing is multi-layered and felt incredibly real to me.
Rosie’s grief and despair are all-consuming; her new role as a mother to a missing child felt almost unbearable to witness at times but I’m glad I stayed with her until the end. I really appreciated the balm the island provided her with, as I felt I needed it too, as the reader!
There is a wonderful sense of place and time and the island itself is so well realised; I loved the descriptions of the locals, the pub, and the island library, and how seasonal changes affect the landscape throughout the year.
I wept at the end of this book. I think a sign of a really great read is when you finish it and immediately begin to wonder what happens to the characters next, will they be ok?
While this is a character study in grief, there’s also hope in there so I feel comforted by that; I think Rosie and her crew will be ok ❤️
If you have the headspace for it, I would definitely recommend this one, but bring tissues!
Thank you so much to @hachetteireland & @sceptrebooks for the opportunity to read The Island of Longing.
June 11, 2023
A beautifully written,heart wrenching and highly addictive read,one that I highly recommend.
August 6, 2023
Ogni giorno in Italia scompaiono 30 minori.
Nei primi quattro mesi del 2023 sono scomparsi quasi seimila minorenni e ne sono stati ritrovati meno di 2500.
(fonte @corriere)
Questi numeri servono per introdurvi alla storia di oggi e per far arrivare a voi una storia potentissima e delicata, uno tsunami emozionale che vi travolgerà.
Saoirse è un'adolescente che è scomparsa di punto in bianco davanti alla porta di casa.
La sua bicicletta gettata a terra davanti al vialetto di casa, come se un'emergenza non le avesse dato nemmeno il tempo di appoggiarla alla siepe.
Sono trascorsi otto anni, e di lei non si sa nulla.
Si sono perse le tracce, nessun indizio è mai venuto a galla.
Ma Rose, la madre è l'unica a non arrendersi.
Nel rapporto con il marito Hugh si è insinuata una fessura che senza che se accorgessero
si è allargata ed è cresciuta giorno dopo giorno finché è arrivato l'irreparabile.
Il momento giusto perché le loro strade inizino a dividersi è arrivato quando il padre di Rose, la chiama per chiederle di ritornare all'isola natia di Roaring Bay Island, in Irlanda per prendere il suo posto al timone del traghetto che guida da anni.
Il dolore alla schiena non gli permette più di lavorare, ha bisogno di riposarsi almeno per il periodo estivo e lei è l'unica che ha le competenze per guidare l'Aoibhneas.
A questa notizia Hugo le fa capire che entrambi hanno bisogno di una pausa, questa è l'occasione giusta e a lei non resta che raggiungere il padre.
Con dei brevissimi flash, tra un capitolo e l'altro, Anne Griffin ci porta a sbrogliare il fitto mistero della scomparsa di questa ragazza, legandoci alla storia con un filo sottile, molto teso che si ha paura possa spezzarsi da un momento all'altro.
Anne ci porta a navigare tra le acque tempestose dell'anino umano.
Ci guida tra le onde impetuose dei sentimenti,
tenendoci sospesi su un limbo di suspense continua, che dalla prima all'ultima pagina, ci fa voltare velocemente le pagine ma allo stesso tempo ci fa sperare che il libro non finisca mai.
È una storia che è un inno all'amore materno, che alza con leggerezza un lenzuolo dal quale emergono una quantità di dubbi, domande e paure.
•••
.
È una storia straziante che non lascia indifferenti, che penetra dentro.
.
Sebbene sia un romanzo e non una storia vera, la sua voce risuona forte come l'eco di milioni di mamme e genitori che urlano al nulla disperatamente il nome dei figli scomparsi.
.
Madri e padri che non si arrendono, che vivono per l'eternità aggrappati all'attesa, alla mancanza, all'accettazione e ad una sottile speranza.
.
Vi giuro questa storia fa venire i brividi.
.
Amo questa scrittrice, i suoi libri 𝐴𝑛𝑐𝑜𝑟𝑎 𝑖𝑛 𝑎𝑠𝑐𝑜𝑙𝑡𝑜 e 𝑄𝑢𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑜 𝑡𝑢𝑡𝑡𝑜 è 𝑑𝑒𝑡𝑡𝑜 li ho trovati delicati e meravigliosi, mi hanno emozionato come solo lei sa fare.
Ma in 𝐿'𝑖𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑎 𝑑𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑎 𝑛𝑜𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑙𝑔𝑖𝑎, si è proprio superata, a mio avviso il migliore dei tre.
.
Tutti i suoi romanzi hanno in comune la delicatezza poetica delle sue parole e toccano le fragili corde dei temi della m*rte, del lutto, della perdita e dell'amore.
.
In questo libro Anne Griffin ci porta a navigare ancora una volta negli abissi più profondi dell'animo umano.
Un libro che mi ha emozionato e commosso fino alle lacrime, era da parecchio che non mi succedeva.
Sicuramente entrerà nella top list del 2023.
.
Non perdertevi questo libro, non perdertevi questa autrice, vi accorgerete che la scrittura lirica e coinvolgente della Griffin era quello che stavate cercando.
.
❓️ Qual è l'ultimo libro che vi ha fatto commuovere fino alle lacrime ?
.
.
pag. 346
.
5/5 ★★★★★
Nei primi quattro mesi del 2023 sono scomparsi quasi seimila minorenni e ne sono stati ritrovati meno di 2500.
(fonte @corriere)
Questi numeri servono per introdurvi alla storia di oggi e per far arrivare a voi una storia potentissima e delicata, uno tsunami emozionale che vi travolgerà.
Saoirse è un'adolescente che è scomparsa di punto in bianco davanti alla porta di casa.
La sua bicicletta gettata a terra davanti al vialetto di casa, come se un'emergenza non le avesse dato nemmeno il tempo di appoggiarla alla siepe.
Sono trascorsi otto anni, e di lei non si sa nulla.
Si sono perse le tracce, nessun indizio è mai venuto a galla.
Ma Rose, la madre è l'unica a non arrendersi.
Nel rapporto con il marito Hugh si è insinuata una fessura che senza che se accorgessero
si è allargata ed è cresciuta giorno dopo giorno finché è arrivato l'irreparabile.
Il momento giusto perché le loro strade inizino a dividersi è arrivato quando il padre di Rose, la chiama per chiederle di ritornare all'isola natia di Roaring Bay Island, in Irlanda per prendere il suo posto al timone del traghetto che guida da anni.
Il dolore alla schiena non gli permette più di lavorare, ha bisogno di riposarsi almeno per il periodo estivo e lei è l'unica che ha le competenze per guidare l'Aoibhneas.
A questa notizia Hugo le fa capire che entrambi hanno bisogno di una pausa, questa è l'occasione giusta e a lei non resta che raggiungere il padre.
Con dei brevissimi flash, tra un capitolo e l'altro, Anne Griffin ci porta a sbrogliare il fitto mistero della scomparsa di questa ragazza, legandoci alla storia con un filo sottile, molto teso che si ha paura possa spezzarsi da un momento all'altro.
Anne ci porta a navigare tra le acque tempestose dell'anino umano.
Ci guida tra le onde impetuose dei sentimenti,
tenendoci sospesi su un limbo di suspense continua, che dalla prima all'ultima pagina, ci fa voltare velocemente le pagine ma allo stesso tempo ci fa sperare che il libro non finisca mai.
È una storia che è un inno all'amore materno, che alza con leggerezza un lenzuolo dal quale emergono una quantità di dubbi, domande e paure.
•••
.
È una storia straziante che non lascia indifferenti, che penetra dentro.
.
Sebbene sia un romanzo e non una storia vera, la sua voce risuona forte come l'eco di milioni di mamme e genitori che urlano al nulla disperatamente il nome dei figli scomparsi.
.
Madri e padri che non si arrendono, che vivono per l'eternità aggrappati all'attesa, alla mancanza, all'accettazione e ad una sottile speranza.
.
Vi giuro questa storia fa venire i brividi.
.
Amo questa scrittrice, i suoi libri 𝐴𝑛𝑐𝑜𝑟𝑎 𝑖𝑛 𝑎𝑠𝑐𝑜𝑙𝑡𝑜 e 𝑄𝑢𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑜 𝑡𝑢𝑡𝑡𝑜 è 𝑑𝑒𝑡𝑡𝑜 li ho trovati delicati e meravigliosi, mi hanno emozionato come solo lei sa fare.
Ma in 𝐿'𝑖𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑎 𝑑𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑎 𝑛𝑜𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑙𝑔𝑖𝑎, si è proprio superata, a mio avviso il migliore dei tre.
.
Tutti i suoi romanzi hanno in comune la delicatezza poetica delle sue parole e toccano le fragili corde dei temi della m*rte, del lutto, della perdita e dell'amore.
.
In questo libro Anne Griffin ci porta a navigare ancora una volta negli abissi più profondi dell'animo umano.
Un libro che mi ha emozionato e commosso fino alle lacrime, era da parecchio che non mi succedeva.
Sicuramente entrerà nella top list del 2023.
.
Non perdertevi questo libro, non perdertevi questa autrice, vi accorgerete che la scrittura lirica e coinvolgente della Griffin era quello che stavate cercando.
.
❓️ Qual è l'ultimo libro che vi ha fatto commuovere fino alle lacrime ?
.
.
pag. 346
.
5/5 ★★★★★
January 16, 2023
The story is about a family whose daughter vanishes from right outside their gate. It is heart wrenching witnessing how each family member is eaten up with the trauma of losing a daughter/sister and the guilt of 'what if's'. The mums grief is tangible, she is a broken woman. Your heart will break for her.
If you are ex pat Irish, part Irish, past generation Irish or even 0.01% Irish, you will love the setting of this story. You'll love the Irish names, the towns, the dialogue, the Island and the sense of place.
My chest physically hurt while reading this book, I could not put it down. If you love an emotional read, that is sure to bring you close to tears, then this is one for your 'To Read' list! I am keen to see what other books this author has written now.
Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC, in exchange for an honest review.
If you are ex pat Irish, part Irish, past generation Irish or even 0.01% Irish, you will love the setting of this story. You'll love the Irish names, the towns, the dialogue, the Island and the sense of place.
My chest physically hurt while reading this book, I could not put it down. If you love an emotional read, that is sure to bring you close to tears, then this is one for your 'To Read' list! I am keen to see what other books this author has written now.
Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC, in exchange for an honest review.
March 26, 2023
The Island of Longing is the first book I have read by Anne Griffin but certainly will not be my last.
Rosie saw her 17-year-old daughter cycle into town, that would be the last she saw her. Eight years on stuck in limbo believing her daughter is still alive she receives a phone call from her father asking her to return to Roaring Bay, her hometown.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the characters were well-developed as was the story. My only criticism would be I felt there was a lot of repetition especially in regards to the past. In saying that I would definitely recommend this book.
Thank you Netgalley, Anne Griffin and Hodder & Staughton for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Rosie saw her 17-year-old daughter cycle into town, that would be the last she saw her. Eight years on stuck in limbo believing her daughter is still alive she receives a phone call from her father asking her to return to Roaring Bay, her hometown.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the characters were well-developed as was the story. My only criticism would be I felt there was a lot of repetition especially in regards to the past. In saying that I would definitely recommend this book.
Thank you Netgalley, Anne Griffin and Hodder & Staughton for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
January 13, 2024
Realmente 3'5 una historia que me ha gustado sobre todo por temas que trata pero me ha faltado algo ...
August 7, 2024
I found this book mediocre at best as it was not only very slow to get through but the first 200 pages were simply a bore and added no relevance to the storyline/overall plot.
February 19, 2025
Όταν γίνεσαι γονιός μαζί με το παιδί σου γεννιούνται και πολλοί φόβοι. Ξεπηδάνε από παντού. Μην πεθάνεις και του στερήσεις την παρουσία και την αγάπη σου,μην αποτύχεις στον ρόλο σου,μην αρρωστήσει,μη το ένα μη το άλλο θα μπορούσα να γράφω κατεβατά ολόκληρα. Ένας από τους φόβους όμως είναι μην εξαφανιστεί το παιδί σου. Το γράφω και ανατριχιάζω. Μην εξαφανιστεί χωρίς να αφήσει κανένα ίχνος πίσω του κι εσύ μείνεις στο μαύρο σκοτάδι της αβύσσου να ισορροπείς ανάμεσα σε ζωή και θάνατο. Να αναρωτιέσαι κάθε λεπτό αν ζει,τι του συνέβη (ας μην γίνω αναλυτική...),αν θα το ξαναδείς ποτέ.Με αυτό το θέμα ασχολείται αυτό το βιβλίο. Στην ουσία παρακολουθείς την ψυχική κατάπτωση μιας οικογένειας μετά την εξαφάνιση της δεκαεπτάχρονης κόρης τους. Το πως οι σχέσεις αλλοιώνονται γιατί τα κουφάρια που μένουν πίσω είναι ανίκανα να διαχειριστούν μια τέτοια κατάσταση και να στηρίξουν τον ίδιο τον εαυτό τους, πόσο μάλλον τον σύντροφο. Θίγει και το θέμα της ελπίδας,που άλλον μπορεί να τον κρατάει όρθιο κι άλλον να τον διαλύει.
Το βιβλίο μου άρεσε πολύ,μου έσφιξε την καρδιά σε σημεία. Παίρνει μπρος κατά τη μέση σχετικά,μέχρι τότε είναι αρκετά χαλαρό αλλά αξίζει κατά τη γνώμη μου.
Το βιβλίο μου άρεσε πολύ,μου έσφιξε την καρδιά σε σημεία. Παίρνει μπρος κατά τη μέση σχετικά,μέχρι τότε είναι αρκετά χαλαρό αλλά αξίζει κατά τη γνώμη μου.
January 5, 2026
Un dolore senza fine che ti prosciuga e ti fa sfuggire di mano tutto il resto, un libro toccante e una storia che è destinata a entrarti dentro. Il finale è un crescendo di emozioni e di consapevolezza, sì alla fine si piange come è giusto che sia quando si ha tra le mani un romanzo del genere.
April 9, 2025
This was a heartbreaking story set in a beautiful island backdrop. Very much enjoyed!
May 8, 2023
So much about love and loss but she also writes so well about the everyday. This book absolutely gripped me. Highlight of the year so far
June 21, 2023
L'isola della nostalgia
Della stessa Autrice avevo letto "Ancora in ascolto" apprezzato e rimasto tra i libri più profondi e delicati, di una sensibilità notevole.
Tra le pagine di questo nuovo romanzo ritrovo il tocco delle parole che arrivano solenni e vibranti al cuore di chi le legge.
Si sente tutta la disperazione dell'assenza, della ricerca, del vuoto: le lacrime in silenzio e quelle tra parole senza fine su una spalla accogliente e protettiva. Ho ascoltato i silenzi tra gli abbracci che sostengono e l'abisso del dolore inaspettato, per una vita sottratta alla vita,
alla famiglia,
agli affetti più cari, rimasti smarriti e attoniti.
Il climax si avverte fortemente in un crescendo di conflitti interpersonali che riescono poi a sciogliersi lentamente e a distendersi in un ritorno che sa chiarirsi. Emozioni scorrono su ogni pagina e trasportano in quei luoghi lontani d'Irlanda. In particolare un'isola ricca di fascino che accoglie le vite di chi vi abita e di chi la raggiunge.
Spesso siamo isole che nessuno può abitare.
C'è chi arriva nella nostra vita, anche per caso e ci porta via
e poi c'è chi ritorna. C'è chi cambia vita, ma a volte è la vita a cambiarci e diventiamo isole irraggiungibili.
Lo consiglio a chi nei libri ci mette il cuore, a chi vive di emozioni e a chi, leggendo, raggiunge I luoghi e ne respira l'aria a chi riesce a leggere i silenzi delle pause, a chi sa comprendere una perdita devastante.
Leggetelo, vi piacerà e , se volete, se ancora non lo avete letto, leggete anche " Ancora in ascolto"
Della stessa Autrice avevo letto "Ancora in ascolto" apprezzato e rimasto tra i libri più profondi e delicati, di una sensibilità notevole.
Tra le pagine di questo nuovo romanzo ritrovo il tocco delle parole che arrivano solenni e vibranti al cuore di chi le legge.
Si sente tutta la disperazione dell'assenza, della ricerca, del vuoto: le lacrime in silenzio e quelle tra parole senza fine su una spalla accogliente e protettiva. Ho ascoltato i silenzi tra gli abbracci che sostengono e l'abisso del dolore inaspettato, per una vita sottratta alla vita,
alla famiglia,
agli affetti più cari, rimasti smarriti e attoniti.
Il climax si avverte fortemente in un crescendo di conflitti interpersonali che riescono poi a sciogliersi lentamente e a distendersi in un ritorno che sa chiarirsi. Emozioni scorrono su ogni pagina e trasportano in quei luoghi lontani d'Irlanda. In particolare un'isola ricca di fascino che accoglie le vite di chi vi abita e di chi la raggiunge.
Spesso siamo isole che nessuno può abitare.
C'è chi arriva nella nostra vita, anche per caso e ci porta via
e poi c'è chi ritorna. C'è chi cambia vita, ma a volte è la vita a cambiarci e diventiamo isole irraggiungibili.
Lo consiglio a chi nei libri ci mette il cuore, a chi vive di emozioni e a chi, leggendo, raggiunge I luoghi e ne respira l'aria a chi riesce a leggere i silenzi delle pause, a chi sa comprendere una perdita devastante.
Leggetelo, vi piacerà e , se volete, se ancora non lo avete letto, leggete anche " Ancora in ascolto"
January 9, 2024
La Isla de los Anhelos nos narra la historia de Rosie, una madre quién perdió a su hija Saoirse hace 8 años y que no se ha dado por vencida en encontrarla. El libro consta de tres partes y en cada una de ellas vemos una parte distinta de la historia, además de encontrar una especie de “flashbacks” sobre la perspectiva de Saoirse el día que desapareció.
Fue una lectura sorprendente e impactante para mí. Pensé que iba a encontrar una historia un poco menos triste, pero no fue así. Y no lo veo como algo negativo, la historia es como debe ser contada, la historia de una madre que daría todo por su hija y cómo ha cambiado su vida desde el momento en que Saoirse no regresó a casa. Es un libro que te pone a pensar y que te rompe el corazón, pero es una historia que, a pesar de no ser un hecho real, merece ser contada y que nos da la perspectiva de un lugar en el que nadie querría estar. Yo no tengo hijos, pero por un breve momento me imaginé estar en los zapatos de Rosie, si algo llegara a pasarles a mis sobrinos, y puedo decir que su comportamiento es más que comprensible.
Además de la historia de Rosie conocemos un poco de los lugareños de la isla, y es al final esa isla la que poco a poco ayuda a Rosie a salir adelante, con el apoyo de su familia.
Como dije, el libro te parte el corazón. Yo no pude evitar llorar en varias partes, pero creo que fue un libro que valió mucho la pena leer. El estilo de la autora es atrapante y no puedes dejar de leer.
Si les gustan los libros reales, La isla de los anhelos será sin duda una gran lectura.
Fue una lectura sorprendente e impactante para mí. Pensé que iba a encontrar una historia un poco menos triste, pero no fue así. Y no lo veo como algo negativo, la historia es como debe ser contada, la historia de una madre que daría todo por su hija y cómo ha cambiado su vida desde el momento en que Saoirse no regresó a casa. Es un libro que te pone a pensar y que te rompe el corazón, pero es una historia que, a pesar de no ser un hecho real, merece ser contada y que nos da la perspectiva de un lugar en el que nadie querría estar. Yo no tengo hijos, pero por un breve momento me imaginé estar en los zapatos de Rosie, si algo llegara a pasarles a mis sobrinos, y puedo decir que su comportamiento es más que comprensible.
Además de la historia de Rosie conocemos un poco de los lugareños de la isla, y es al final esa isla la que poco a poco ayuda a Rosie a salir adelante, con el apoyo de su familia.
Como dije, el libro te parte el corazón. Yo no pude evitar llorar en varias partes, pero creo que fue un libro que valió mucho la pena leer. El estilo de la autora es atrapante y no puedes dejar de leer.
Si les gustan los libros reales, La isla de los anhelos será sin duda una gran lectura.
July 19, 2023
Un titolo migliore non si poteva trovare: L’isola della nostalgia di Anne Griffin è la rappresentazione perfetta dello stato d’animo legato alla nostalgia.
La figlia di Rosie è scomparsa da anni ma lei non si è mai arresa e continua a cercarla. La sua vita però comincia a cadere a pezzi fino a quando non ritorna sulla piccola isola dove è cresciuta e si ritrova davanti al timone della sua amata barca.
Non è semplice raccontare una storia carica di tristezza e rimpianto senza renderla pesante o che strizzi l’occhio ad un sentimentalismo artificioso o troppo calcato. Anne Griffin invece è riuscita in questa impresa con una penna fluida e delicata.
Sin dalle prime pagine ci si immerge con tutti i piedi nella storia, venendo inglobati passo dopo passo nel passato e nel presente della protagonista. Si è cullati dalle onde, pardon, dalle parole e le si seguono in maniera passiva ma allo stesso tempo ipnotizzati.
È un libro che, come avrete capito, non è gioioso ma, dopo averlo finito, avremo un piccolo sorriso sulle labbra.
Un bell’abbraccio.
Puoi trovare questa e altre recensioni sul mio profilo Instagram “I libri di Dede” www.instagram.com/ilibrididede o sul mio blog/sito www.ilibrididede.it 📚
Se non vuoi perderti neanche una recensione c’è anche il canale telegram: https://t.me/ilibrididede
Mi è stata inviata una copia gratuita di questo libro da parte della casa editrice che ringrazio.
La figlia di Rosie è scomparsa da anni ma lei non si è mai arresa e continua a cercarla. La sua vita però comincia a cadere a pezzi fino a quando non ritorna sulla piccola isola dove è cresciuta e si ritrova davanti al timone della sua amata barca.
Non è semplice raccontare una storia carica di tristezza e rimpianto senza renderla pesante o che strizzi l’occhio ad un sentimentalismo artificioso o troppo calcato. Anne Griffin invece è riuscita in questa impresa con una penna fluida e delicata.
Sin dalle prime pagine ci si immerge con tutti i piedi nella storia, venendo inglobati passo dopo passo nel passato e nel presente della protagonista. Si è cullati dalle onde, pardon, dalle parole e le si seguono in maniera passiva ma allo stesso tempo ipnotizzati.
È un libro che, come avrete capito, non è gioioso ma, dopo averlo finito, avremo un piccolo sorriso sulle labbra.
Un bell’abbraccio.
Puoi trovare questa e altre recensioni sul mio profilo Instagram “I libri di Dede” www.instagram.com/ilibrididede o sul mio blog/sito www.ilibrididede.it 📚
Se non vuoi perderti neanche una recensione c’è anche il canale telegram: https://t.me/ilibrididede
Mi è stata inviata una copia gratuita di questo libro da parte della casa editrice che ringrazio.
February 14, 2023
I loved Anne Griffin's novel When All Is Said, it is one of my all time favourite books , so I was very happy to receive an advanced copy of her new novel, The Island of Longing. The story is a sad one, centered on Rosie and her daughter's disappearance eight years ago and the fructures it caused and continued to cause in the family dynamics.
The backdrop of an island in Ireland, made it seem even more spiritual and I was hoping for a happy ending or a miracle right until the very end.
The backdrop of an island in Ireland, made it seem even more spiritual and I was hoping for a happy ending or a miracle right until the very end.
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