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Greener
'A thoughtful meditation on what happens to old friendships when you make yourself a new life. Insightful, believable and raw, there are questions here about all of our lives' Joanna Glen, the author of The Other Half of Augusta Hope
As teenagers, Helen, Annie and Laura were inseparable, bonding over family, boys, and their dreams for the future. But when school ended, so did their friendship.
Twenty-five years later, a snowstorm forces the three women to spend time together, leaving them wondering if they can reconcile the gap between who they are and who they used to be.
GREENER is an exploration of the changing dynamics of adult friendships and asks whether old friends can ever let us become new people.
'Heartbreaking, philosophical and funny' Niamh Prior'Set in the latter days of the pandemic, Greener is a quiet yet powerful novel which examines the nature of friendship and the compromises that people make in their lives' Madeleine D'Arcy'Murphy is an accomplished writer with the gift of transferring everyday life onto the page assuredly' Anne Griffin‘Gráinne Murphy's keen-eyed exploration of the complexities of adult friendship brims with warmth and humour' Danielle McLaughlin
Grainne Murphy has for- the Caledonia Novel Award 2019- the Irish Writers’ Centre Novel Fair 2019- the Luke Bitmead Bursary 2016- the Virginia Prize for Fiction 2014Longlisted for- the Sunday Times Audible Short Story Award 2021- the V.S Pritchett Short Story Prize 2024
As teenagers, Helen, Annie and Laura were inseparable, bonding over family, boys, and their dreams for the future. But when school ended, so did their friendship.
Twenty-five years later, a snowstorm forces the three women to spend time together, leaving them wondering if they can reconcile the gap between who they are and who they used to be.
GREENER is an exploration of the changing dynamics of adult friendships and asks whether old friends can ever let us become new people.
'Heartbreaking, philosophical and funny' Niamh Prior'Set in the latter days of the pandemic, Greener is a quiet yet powerful novel which examines the nature of friendship and the compromises that people make in their lives' Madeleine D'Arcy'Murphy is an accomplished writer with the gift of transferring everyday life onto the page assuredly' Anne Griffin‘Gráinne Murphy's keen-eyed exploration of the complexities of adult friendship brims with warmth and humour' Danielle McLaughlin
Grainne Murphy has for- the Caledonia Novel Award 2019- the Irish Writers’ Centre Novel Fair 2019- the Luke Bitmead Bursary 2016- the Virginia Prize for Fiction 2014Longlisted for- the Sunday Times Audible Short Story Award 2021- the V.S Pritchett Short Story Prize 2024
274 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 18, 2024
26 people are currently reading
352 people want to read
About the author
Gráinne Murphy
11 books45 followersGráinne grew up and currently resides in rural West Cork, working as a self-employed language editor specialising in human rights and environmental issues. Some of Gráinne’s earlier novels were shortlisted for the Caledonia Novel Award 2019, the Irish Writers’ Centre Novel Fair 2019, the Luke Bitmead Bursary 2016 and the Virginia Prize for Fiction 2014. In short fiction, her story Further West placed third in the Zoetrope All-Story Contest 2018, and was long-listed for the Sunday Times Audible short story award in 2021.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
December 30, 2024
The thing is, Grainne Murphy is SUCH a good writer. I love her turn of phrase and how she captures the meaning and subtleties in small exchanges, BUT the story here just wasn’t very interesting. It dragged on. One of the main characters was a horrible person, the other one a one dimensional saint, and the third, underdeveloped and tacked on.
It is also very annoying that the writer alluded to the reasons for why the women became estranged for most of the book, in an unsuccessful attempt to create tension, but the reason in the end was so boring, just a non event really, and it also made Helens coldness towards Annie inexplicable.
I think Im going to have to stop reading this author, and im a sucker for an irish woman writer!
But no, way too boring.
It is also very annoying that the writer alluded to the reasons for why the women became estranged for most of the book, in an unsuccessful attempt to create tension, but the reason in the end was so boring, just a non event really, and it also made Helens coldness towards Annie inexplicable.
I think Im going to have to stop reading this author, and im a sucker for an irish woman writer!
But no, way too boring.
December 22, 2024
3.5 ⭐️ rounded up
April 19, 2024
Greener by Gráinne Murphy is published by Legend Press (April 18th) and is described as ‘an exploration of the changing dynamics of adult friendships and asks whether old friends can ever let us become new people.’
Gráinne Murphy is a local Cork writer who has deservedly been making a name for herself as one whose work has a very affecting impact. Her last novel Winter People, which I described as a novel of reflection, garnered huge praise and was listed in the Irish Examiner Best Books of 2022.
Greener sheds light on friendship and how it can change and develop through the years. Helen, Annie and Laura were childhood best friends. They laughed and cried together, shared secrets and were inseparable. But, like many relationships, they eventually all went their separate ways. Now, twenty-five years later, unexpected circumstances throw all three together and they are struggling to pick up where they left off.
The recent Covid pandemic provides the backdrop for this novel, with loose references made about masks and PCR tests but at no time are we made to relive the trauma of those years again. Helen’s father is unwell and is being cared for at home. Helen has been unable to visit due to the restrictions but, during a period of relaxation, when limited travel is a viable option, she has run out of excuses and returns home.
Helen, now married with children, lives a very structured almost formal existence. Growing up as an only child, she often felt surplus to her parent’s marriage. Never short of any luxury in life, she lived in a beautiful gated family home, but she often felt like an extra. Her father was a well-established soap-opera actor, coming home on weekends only, and during the weekdays her mother complained of headaches and tiredness, retiring to her room, leaving Helen alone.
Annie was reared by a loving but strict mother. Choosing a career in nursing, Annie had plans. She was in a relationship and felt her life was where it should be. But, as the years passed, circumstances changed and Annie found herself stuck in the place she grew up in, with her life virtually on hold.
Laura was a newcomer to the friend group. Raised by her mother, following a tragic accident that took the life of her father, Laura was very much aware of the challenges her mother faced. She was never short on love but there were times when she envied Helen and her beautiful family home. After her education, Laura did travel overseas but now she is home with a much different perspective on life.
Helen, Annie and Laura lost contact and, in the intervening years, they just got on with their lives. When all three are thrown together, they tentatively explore what they had, what they have now and what they could have in the future. With Gráinne Murphy’s masterful pen, the reader is taken on a very emotional and wistful journey as the three women examine the remnants of their friendship. Extremely poignant scenes unfold as father-daughter and mother-daughter relationships are probed, with parental aging taking centre stage.
On Gráinne Murphy’s website there is a wonderful description that states that ‘her work often reflects her interest in family and identity, in those bittersweet moments where we have to stare life down and choose who we want to be.’ This sentence encapsulates Greener, a novel that will resonate with so many of us. We all have lost and found friends, we all experience the painful process of witnessing a parent age and we all experience grief.
Reading Greener focuses our minds on these life-experiences and sensitively reminds us all of how fragile we, and our lives, really are. Human relationships are extraordinary and sometimes we are all so very guilty of taking them for granted. We need to value our friendships more. We need to learn to love ourselves more. If we are lucky enough, we need to look at our parents and value the sacrifices made and the love and care given unconditionally.
Greener offers an introspective reading experience that demonstrates beautifully what a dazzling writer Gráinne Murphy is. Bursting with profound prose and written with a lightness of hand, Greener is a tender and elegant novel, a gorgeous examination of life and friendship.
Gráinne Murphy is a local Cork writer who has deservedly been making a name for herself as one whose work has a very affecting impact. Her last novel Winter People, which I described as a novel of reflection, garnered huge praise and was listed in the Irish Examiner Best Books of 2022.
Greener sheds light on friendship and how it can change and develop through the years. Helen, Annie and Laura were childhood best friends. They laughed and cried together, shared secrets and were inseparable. But, like many relationships, they eventually all went their separate ways. Now, twenty-five years later, unexpected circumstances throw all three together and they are struggling to pick up where they left off.
The recent Covid pandemic provides the backdrop for this novel, with loose references made about masks and PCR tests but at no time are we made to relive the trauma of those years again. Helen’s father is unwell and is being cared for at home. Helen has been unable to visit due to the restrictions but, during a period of relaxation, when limited travel is a viable option, she has run out of excuses and returns home.
Helen, now married with children, lives a very structured almost formal existence. Growing up as an only child, she often felt surplus to her parent’s marriage. Never short of any luxury in life, she lived in a beautiful gated family home, but she often felt like an extra. Her father was a well-established soap-opera actor, coming home on weekends only, and during the weekdays her mother complained of headaches and tiredness, retiring to her room, leaving Helen alone.
Annie was reared by a loving but strict mother. Choosing a career in nursing, Annie had plans. She was in a relationship and felt her life was where it should be. But, as the years passed, circumstances changed and Annie found herself stuck in the place she grew up in, with her life virtually on hold.
Laura was a newcomer to the friend group. Raised by her mother, following a tragic accident that took the life of her father, Laura was very much aware of the challenges her mother faced. She was never short on love but there were times when she envied Helen and her beautiful family home. After her education, Laura did travel overseas but now she is home with a much different perspective on life.
Helen, Annie and Laura lost contact and, in the intervening years, they just got on with their lives. When all three are thrown together, they tentatively explore what they had, what they have now and what they could have in the future. With Gráinne Murphy’s masterful pen, the reader is taken on a very emotional and wistful journey as the three women examine the remnants of their friendship. Extremely poignant scenes unfold as father-daughter and mother-daughter relationships are probed, with parental aging taking centre stage.
On Gráinne Murphy’s website there is a wonderful description that states that ‘her work often reflects her interest in family and identity, in those bittersweet moments where we have to stare life down and choose who we want to be.’ This sentence encapsulates Greener, a novel that will resonate with so many of us. We all have lost and found friends, we all experience the painful process of witnessing a parent age and we all experience grief.
Reading Greener focuses our minds on these life-experiences and sensitively reminds us all of how fragile we, and our lives, really are. Human relationships are extraordinary and sometimes we are all so very guilty of taking them for granted. We need to value our friendships more. We need to learn to love ourselves more. If we are lucky enough, we need to look at our parents and value the sacrifices made and the love and care given unconditionally.
Greener offers an introspective reading experience that demonstrates beautifully what a dazzling writer Gráinne Murphy is. Bursting with profound prose and written with a lightness of hand, Greener is a tender and elegant novel, a gorgeous examination of life and friendship.
December 3, 2024
Three school friends reunite – unplanned - in difficult circumstances. It’s well written as you’d expect from Grainne Murphy, and there’s some wonderfully insightful passages which related. But the dialogue in the set piece scene seemed unlikely in places. Four and a half stars
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April 18, 2025Greener was published a year ago today and I coincidentally just finished reading it as part of a buddy read this week organised by @latenightliteraryclub and @solennsbooknook. I had previously loved Winter People by the same author, and bought Greener last year as I had a feeling I would love it too. I enjoyed this book so much, I’m only sorry it took me until now to pick it up.
This is the story of three women; Annie, Helen, and Laura, inseparable as teenagers, but quickly lost touch after school. Twenty five years later, a snowstorm forces them back together again, where previous hurts and perceived slights are aired.
They’re all struggling in their own ways; family problems, ageing and unwell parents, work issues, COVID fears, etc. Perhaps what they needed all along was each other. No one really knows you like the friend you made in your formative years after all, and the journeys the three women take to get back to each other are formidable, but beautifully told.
I really love Murphy’s style of writing. Her prose is poetic at times; her descriptions of nature in particular are vivid, I could picture myself taking the same snow-crunching steps as the characters, and I could really relate to their desperate need to be outside during lockdowns.
Really though, the true heart of this book is the characters, all three so different from each other but somehow all equally relatable too. This is a slow burn of a read; a build up to when Laura, Helen, and Annie meet again. I so enjoyed reaching that point of the book with them, I looked forward to picking my book up every night and spending time with them, which is always the sign of a good read!
This is a quietly powerful novel about the importance of friendship in our lives; heartbreaking but ultimately so hopeful too. Recommend!
This is the story of three women; Annie, Helen, and Laura, inseparable as teenagers, but quickly lost touch after school. Twenty five years later, a snowstorm forces them back together again, where previous hurts and perceived slights are aired.
They’re all struggling in their own ways; family problems, ageing and unwell parents, work issues, COVID fears, etc. Perhaps what they needed all along was each other. No one really knows you like the friend you made in your formative years after all, and the journeys the three women take to get back to each other are formidable, but beautifully told.
I really love Murphy’s style of writing. Her prose is poetic at times; her descriptions of nature in particular are vivid, I could picture myself taking the same snow-crunching steps as the characters, and I could really relate to their desperate need to be outside during lockdowns.
Really though, the true heart of this book is the characters, all three so different from each other but somehow all equally relatable too. This is a slow burn of a read; a build up to when Laura, Helen, and Annie meet again. I so enjoyed reaching that point of the book with them, I looked forward to picking my book up every night and spending time with them, which is always the sign of a good read!
This is a quietly powerful novel about the importance of friendship in our lives; heartbreaking but ultimately so hopeful too. Recommend!
August 20, 2024
In a world recently freed from Covid lockdowns, Helen returns to Ireland, from the UK, to visit her father (Jack), who has suffered a stroke. She arrives with trepidation; not only due to her father's condition, and their less-than-close relationship, but because Annie is now caring for Jack. Annie was one of Helen's childhood best friends, along with Laura. The three girls were once inseparable, but time and distance have rendered them strangers. When circumstances draw them together, once again, can their old closeness be rekindled, or has it been lost forever?
Greener is an exploration of friendship, both old and new: the girls' friendship in their schooldays and those of Jack and Annie, Annie and Laura as adults. It examines the relationship with ones' parents, and how the way we see our lives can be very different to how they are seen by others. The close setting, chiefly confined to Jack's house (Helen's childhood home) allows the focus to be all about the characters, who are beautifully crafted and totally relatable, in their insecurities and imperfections.
I always think the mark of a really good, character-focused novel is when I come away thinking about the characters afterwards; wondering what happened to them. For me, Greener did just that.
Having loved Gráinne Murphy's previous novel, Winter People, I purchased Greener as soon as it was published. It sat on my TBR for a while because, like 'the good chocolates', I wanted to save it for a time when I could curl up and savour every bit of it. It was a delight to read and I would definitely recommend it.
Greener is an exploration of friendship, both old and new: the girls' friendship in their schooldays and those of Jack and Annie, Annie and Laura as adults. It examines the relationship with ones' parents, and how the way we see our lives can be very different to how they are seen by others. The close setting, chiefly confined to Jack's house (Helen's childhood home) allows the focus to be all about the characters, who are beautifully crafted and totally relatable, in their insecurities and imperfections.
I always think the mark of a really good, character-focused novel is when I come away thinking about the characters afterwards; wondering what happened to them. For me, Greener did just that.
Having loved Gráinne Murphy's previous novel, Winter People, I purchased Greener as soon as it was published. It sat on my TBR for a while because, like 'the good chocolates', I wanted to save it for a time when I could curl up and savour every bit of it. It was a delight to read and I would definitely recommend it.
October 7, 2024
Greener is billed as ‘an exploration of the changing dynamics of adult friendships and asks whether old friends can ever let us become new people.’
As teenagers, Helen, Annie and Laura were inseparable, bonding over their dreams for the future. But when school ended, so did their friendship. Twenty-five years later, unexpected circumstances throw all three together, and they are struggling to pick up where they left off.
Set against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, Greener, thanks to Murphy’s masterful pen, is a very emotional and reflective journey as these three women examine the remnants of their friendship and family relationships, with a particular focus on the impact of parental ageing.
Helen’s father is unwell and is being cared for at home. Helen has been unable to visit due to the restrictions which actually suited her well enough. However, during a period of rule relaxation, when limited travel is a viable option, she has run out of excuses and reluctantly returns home.
Annie succumbed to a career in nursing, and now she is caring for Helen’s father, a point of consternation for both of them. As the years passed, Annie felt more and more stuck in the place she grew up in, with her life virtually on hold.
Laura, the newcomer to the friend group, was reared by her mother following a tragic accident that took the life of her father. She was always acutely aware of the challenges her mother faced, yet despite this, she envied Helen and her beautiful family home. Laura travelled overseas after finishing her education, but now she is home and has a much different perspective on life.
For these three women, their easy friendship is altered. They’ve all had new experiences, and they find lines that can’t be crossed, boundaries that need to be negotiated. But will they reconcile their differences after all?
Human relationships are complicated yet extraordinary, and sure, we all can take them for granted, but really, we should value the sacrifices made and the love and care given much more. 5⭐
Many thanks to the publisher for kindly sending me a copy in return for an, as always, honest review.
As teenagers, Helen, Annie and Laura were inseparable, bonding over their dreams for the future. But when school ended, so did their friendship. Twenty-five years later, unexpected circumstances throw all three together, and they are struggling to pick up where they left off.
Set against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, Greener, thanks to Murphy’s masterful pen, is a very emotional and reflective journey as these three women examine the remnants of their friendship and family relationships, with a particular focus on the impact of parental ageing.
Helen’s father is unwell and is being cared for at home. Helen has been unable to visit due to the restrictions which actually suited her well enough. However, during a period of rule relaxation, when limited travel is a viable option, she has run out of excuses and reluctantly returns home.
Annie succumbed to a career in nursing, and now she is caring for Helen’s father, a point of consternation for both of them. As the years passed, Annie felt more and more stuck in the place she grew up in, with her life virtually on hold.
Laura, the newcomer to the friend group, was reared by her mother following a tragic accident that took the life of her father. She was always acutely aware of the challenges her mother faced, yet despite this, she envied Helen and her beautiful family home. Laura travelled overseas after finishing her education, but now she is home and has a much different perspective on life.
For these three women, their easy friendship is altered. They’ve all had new experiences, and they find lines that can’t be crossed, boundaries that need to be negotiated. But will they reconcile their differences after all?
Human relationships are complicated yet extraordinary, and sure, we all can take them for granted, but really, we should value the sacrifices made and the love and care given much more. 5⭐
Many thanks to the publisher for kindly sending me a copy in return for an, as always, honest review.
May 1, 2024
I have become such a fan of this author, I read and reviewed Where The Edge Is in 2020, and Winter People in 2022. Those were two very special books and Greener is another one. The writing is sublime, the characters are carefully and beautifully crafted and the sense of place is just magnificent. Reading Greener is like dropping in on old friends, even though you've never met them before.
Greener is the literary equivalent of visiting a fine portrait gallery. The author has created vibrant, realistic and utterly believable character, and as she reveals a little more about them, be it their background, or their innermost thoughts, it's like looking at a painting and discovering those little extras that you didn't spot when you first looked.
The story is set during the pandemic, but it is not about the pandemic. The restrictions on travelling have prevented Helen from travelling home to Ireland to visit her father who has suffered a stroke. However, she's arrived now and although she's very grateful that her old friend Annie has taken such care of her father in her absence, she struggles to come to terms with their relationship. Annie moved in during the pandemic, to make things easier for them both and Helen now feels as though this house, where she grew up is no longer really her home.
Helen, Annie and Laura were childhood friends. So very close back in the day, sharing new experiences and secrets. Each of them had their own difficulties. Helen, the daughter of a famous soap opera star and a delicate mother often felt surplus, although she wanted for nothing materially, she would have liked more attention. Annie and Laura were both brought up by single mothers, but this seemed to be the only real thing that they had in common. Like most of us, they grew up, got on with their lives and lost touch. Now as bad weather sets in and they find themselves having to spend time together, they rediscover each other, carefully and with trepidation. All of them quite anxious, not sure of where they stand.
This is a character led story that examines relationships between parent and daughter and also the complexities of female friendships. There's no doubt that women make more of relationships than men, that they have longer memories, that they often have distorted views of things done and words uttered, often many years ago. Murphy has such skill in unpicking these relationships, she can convey to the reader the tiniest nuance, the most explosive memories, and it is utterly beautiful and compelling. There are poignant, heart breaking moments, there are discoveries that make the reader understand why the adult woman is who she is today. There are regrets and there is love.
Another captivating novel from this hugely talented writer. I love it and highly recommend it.
Greener is the literary equivalent of visiting a fine portrait gallery. The author has created vibrant, realistic and utterly believable character, and as she reveals a little more about them, be it their background, or their innermost thoughts, it's like looking at a painting and discovering those little extras that you didn't spot when you first looked.
The story is set during the pandemic, but it is not about the pandemic. The restrictions on travelling have prevented Helen from travelling home to Ireland to visit her father who has suffered a stroke. However, she's arrived now and although she's very grateful that her old friend Annie has taken such care of her father in her absence, she struggles to come to terms with their relationship. Annie moved in during the pandemic, to make things easier for them both and Helen now feels as though this house, where she grew up is no longer really her home.
Helen, Annie and Laura were childhood friends. So very close back in the day, sharing new experiences and secrets. Each of them had their own difficulties. Helen, the daughter of a famous soap opera star and a delicate mother often felt surplus, although she wanted for nothing materially, she would have liked more attention. Annie and Laura were both brought up by single mothers, but this seemed to be the only real thing that they had in common. Like most of us, they grew up, got on with their lives and lost touch. Now as bad weather sets in and they find themselves having to spend time together, they rediscover each other, carefully and with trepidation. All of them quite anxious, not sure of where they stand.
This is a character led story that examines relationships between parent and daughter and also the complexities of female friendships. There's no doubt that women make more of relationships than men, that they have longer memories, that they often have distorted views of things done and words uttered, often many years ago. Murphy has such skill in unpicking these relationships, she can convey to the reader the tiniest nuance, the most explosive memories, and it is utterly beautiful and compelling. There are poignant, heart breaking moments, there are discoveries that make the reader understand why the adult woman is who she is today. There are regrets and there is love.
Another captivating novel from this hugely talented writer. I love it and highly recommend it.
May 31, 2025
Earlier in April, I took part in a buddy read of Greener, having bought it on publication in April 2024 and having read and adored one of the author's previous books, Winter People.
Although I (completely!!) failed to keep up with the buddy read, I loved reading back on the chats and insights that my fellow readers had and also hearing from Grainne herself, as she discussed her inspiration and ideas for this book.
Greener is the story of three women, Helen, Annie and Laura, who met in secondary school and are reunited in Glebe Cottage (Helen's family home) some years and a lifetime later. Annie is the live-in carer for Helen's father, Jack, and it is due to Jack's deteriorating health that Helen returns home. Helen blames Covid as the reason for not returning home sooner, but we come to gain much more insight in to the reasons Helen stayed away for 25 years.
At the beginning of this book we bear witness to the tension between Helen and Annie, Annie having a closer relationship with Jack than Helen could dream of. We watch as they tiptoe around each other, wondering whose role is whose. Laura, is the relief that this book, and these two women, needed. She is independent and individualistic and has, without apology, carved her own unique path in life. She was a joy to read about and I know she was a firm favourite among the other buddy readers.
This book explores friendship in a deeply meaningful way. Moreover, it explores changes in friendships over the years, particularly when those within a friendship group follow different paths at different times. I really think everyone will connect with this book in their own way by drawing on their own experiences of friendship. Whether friendships have changed due to moving away, changes in family circumstances, or just due to the natural disolution of relationships, you are sure to find yourself in this book.
This book is set at the tail end of the Covid-19 pandemic and it was so bizarre to kind of "look back" and to see how the various restrictions and protocols affected people. We all had such different experiences of the lockdowns and restrictions and I feel that a novel like this one provides the perfect lens through which to see how other people's circumstances changed their experiences and outlook.
I absolutely adored every one of the 267 pages in this book. Every sentence was written with such intention, not one word wasted or used as filler. For this reason, I found it to be a slow, gentle read in the best possible way. A book to read a few chapters, and then sit and reflect on them. A book to connect with in a miriad of ways. A true gem of a book and one I really wish I had picked off my shelf sooner.
Although I (completely!!) failed to keep up with the buddy read, I loved reading back on the chats and insights that my fellow readers had and also hearing from Grainne herself, as she discussed her inspiration and ideas for this book.
Greener is the story of three women, Helen, Annie and Laura, who met in secondary school and are reunited in Glebe Cottage (Helen's family home) some years and a lifetime later. Annie is the live-in carer for Helen's father, Jack, and it is due to Jack's deteriorating health that Helen returns home. Helen blames Covid as the reason for not returning home sooner, but we come to gain much more insight in to the reasons Helen stayed away for 25 years.
At the beginning of this book we bear witness to the tension between Helen and Annie, Annie having a closer relationship with Jack than Helen could dream of. We watch as they tiptoe around each other, wondering whose role is whose. Laura, is the relief that this book, and these two women, needed. She is independent and individualistic and has, without apology, carved her own unique path in life. She was a joy to read about and I know she was a firm favourite among the other buddy readers.
This book explores friendship in a deeply meaningful way. Moreover, it explores changes in friendships over the years, particularly when those within a friendship group follow different paths at different times. I really think everyone will connect with this book in their own way by drawing on their own experiences of friendship. Whether friendships have changed due to moving away, changes in family circumstances, or just due to the natural disolution of relationships, you are sure to find yourself in this book.
This book is set at the tail end of the Covid-19 pandemic and it was so bizarre to kind of "look back" and to see how the various restrictions and protocols affected people. We all had such different experiences of the lockdowns and restrictions and I feel that a novel like this one provides the perfect lens through which to see how other people's circumstances changed their experiences and outlook.
I absolutely adored every one of the 267 pages in this book. Every sentence was written with such intention, not one word wasted or used as filler. For this reason, I found it to be a slow, gentle read in the best possible way. A book to read a few chapters, and then sit and reflect on them. A book to connect with in a miriad of ways. A true gem of a book and one I really wish I had picked off my shelf sooner.
April 26, 2024
This is another beautifully evocative story from @gramurphywriter, whose previous book 'Winter People', turned into an autobuyer and fan for everything she writes.
I think Grainne takes everyday people with normal lives and wraps them into a story so intricate that it's almost a psychological exercise. The characters in this book encourage the reader to revisit past friendships and relationships and parse the reasoning behind each important person from our past.
As a person who has had the same two best friends for almost fifty years, this book intrigued me. It's a thoughtful exploration of the psychology of how friendship changes from teenage years, (when we say with absolute certainty that we will be friends forever and ever and ever), but in reality, things can change over the years by geography, career, relationships, children and circumstance.
The three women in this story are very different twenty five years later; it's difficult to see initially how they were so connected as young girls. Circumstances have forced a reunion of sorts and explores the dynamics of what they have individually believed, to the breakdown and eventual truth. Grainne writes expertly about human relationships.
Included in this wonderful story of friendship, the author addressed illness and old age, dementia and it's devastating demands and the death of a parent, in a sensitive but reflective manner. The relationship between Annie and Jack is the key to this gathering.
"Annie's grief was immediately present....She was now the keeper of all the Annie-and Jack-memories.... Death transformed biology into psychology".
Of course there's the "aha" moment, when Laura yearns for a glimpse of green in New York, a green that she doesn't have to travel a distance to see. And then there's Annie, looking forward to the end of Winter, to catch the emergent Spring and the green of nature. Of course, in Ireland, what would we be without our beautiful green landscape.
I absolutely love a good friendship story. This was one of the best
I think Grainne takes everyday people with normal lives and wraps them into a story so intricate that it's almost a psychological exercise. The characters in this book encourage the reader to revisit past friendships and relationships and parse the reasoning behind each important person from our past.
As a person who has had the same two best friends for almost fifty years, this book intrigued me. It's a thoughtful exploration of the psychology of how friendship changes from teenage years, (when we say with absolute certainty that we will be friends forever and ever and ever), but in reality, things can change over the years by geography, career, relationships, children and circumstance.
The three women in this story are very different twenty five years later; it's difficult to see initially how they were so connected as young girls. Circumstances have forced a reunion of sorts and explores the dynamics of what they have individually believed, to the breakdown and eventual truth. Grainne writes expertly about human relationships.
Included in this wonderful story of friendship, the author addressed illness and old age, dementia and it's devastating demands and the death of a parent, in a sensitive but reflective manner. The relationship between Annie and Jack is the key to this gathering.
"Annie's grief was immediately present....She was now the keeper of all the Annie-and Jack-memories.... Death transformed biology into psychology".
Of course there's the "aha" moment, when Laura yearns for a glimpse of green in New York, a green that she doesn't have to travel a distance to see. And then there's Annie, looking forward to the end of Winter, to catch the emergent Spring and the green of nature. Of course, in Ireland, what would we be without our beautiful green landscape.
I absolutely love a good friendship story. This was one of the best
May 9, 2025
The thing is, this book was fairly enjoyable to read, with some nice insight into grief and friendships especially post-covid, however, I feel like it really doesn’t achieve what could be achieved with these contexts. I have found grief and friendships to be explored in better, more interesting ways before. I’m it’s premise, the book sounds good, and yet I find myself wanting more.
The blurb of the book is just somewhat misleading, placing emphasis on the snowstorm as almost a catalyst when it actually isn’t afforded that much importance in the book and also only begins to take place over halfway through the book. Which caused a lot before it to feel almost like filler. Mostly, the anecdotes were somewhat necessary to establish the characters, but the effect of almost the whole first half of the book being analepsis I just don’t like, it feels uninspired.
I also don’t like the writing at times, I felt as though at the start of the book there were sentences that were repeated with no necessity, for example, telling us a character is doing/thinking about something twice, even though saying it once already establishes they’re thinking about it. The narrator also seeks quite undecided in their narration, sometimes offering judgements that just seem forced like at the end of the sleep vanishing paragraph when they say ‘this was how a person gave their sleep away’. It’s fine for narrators to express opinion but in this novel it’s placed oddly and not frequent enough to make it a ‘thing’.
I also just think that post covid dynamics could have been explored more. And I didn’t feel that connected to the characters, however I do like the relationship between Annie and Jack being explored, and Laura’s relationship with her daughter (even though it once again could have been explored more).
Also, the whole reason they stop being friends is so underwhelming.
Overall, good in premise, contexts, and some discussions, but largely underwhelming in execution.
The blurb of the book is just somewhat misleading, placing emphasis on the snowstorm as almost a catalyst when it actually isn’t afforded that much importance in the book and also only begins to take place over halfway through the book. Which caused a lot before it to feel almost like filler. Mostly, the anecdotes were somewhat necessary to establish the characters, but the effect of almost the whole first half of the book being analepsis I just don’t like, it feels uninspired.
I also don’t like the writing at times, I felt as though at the start of the book there were sentences that were repeated with no necessity, for example, telling us a character is doing/thinking about something twice, even though saying it once already establishes they’re thinking about it. The narrator also seeks quite undecided in their narration, sometimes offering judgements that just seem forced like at the end of the sleep vanishing paragraph when they say ‘this was how a person gave their sleep away’. It’s fine for narrators to express opinion but in this novel it’s placed oddly and not frequent enough to make it a ‘thing’.
I also just think that post covid dynamics could have been explored more. And I didn’t feel that connected to the characters, however I do like the relationship between Annie and Jack being explored, and Laura’s relationship with her daughter (even though it once again could have been explored more).
Also, the whole reason they stop being friends is so underwhelming.
Overall, good in premise, contexts, and some discussions, but largely underwhelming in execution.
April 24, 2025
Helen is at the door of her Father’s house. Jack has had a stroke and is being cared for by Annie. She hovers, uncertain of Annie’s reaction. Childhood friends, adulthood has severed their connection at some undetermined point. Helen isn’t clear on the arrangements between Annie and Jack and why Annie is living in his house - her house. Annie waits inside, wondering what choices Helen will make about Jack’s care and where that will leave her. And there is Laura, the third friend, who lives nearby with her child. Laura works on Jack’s garden..
This story was set up perfectly. Three women who have been friends, now find themselves tiptoeing around each other. The narrative switches between them, allowing us to listen to their inner dialogues, perspectives on the past and reflections on the friendship The reader is thus able to view the circle of friendship from all angles, and rather like a mediator to work out where the fractures have appeared and why. The author describes the inner landscape of her characters so intuitively..
“It made her feel greasy and manipulative, as though she was performing warmth towards Jack simply in response to the coldness between her and Helen.”
This is gorgeously domestic and thoroughly engaging. I could picture the house and the garden, I felt close to the three women. I read this with a lovely group and discussing it each evening I became deeply immersed in the story. A gentle and reflective read, this is beautifully written and relatable. So many of us will need to consider care for an elderly parent at some point. Having lost my childhood friend in her 40s I really envied these women the connections that the friendship gave them to the past, unlocking old memories together. I was hoping throughout that they would find the way back.
October 8, 2024
Sad and Joyous
This is the poetic, considered, and overall beautifully constructed writing that I needed. It is both sad and joyous
It may take a little time to warm to the characters, settings, and to get to grips with the pacing of the story, but it beds-in soon enough, becoming something warm and personable, relatable and perceptive
There is something within each of the characters’ narratives and backstories that tap into memories, events, feelings, emotions, and characteristics I myself display/have displayed, and it is this touching, insightful, compassionate writing that resonates
Having recently listened to an audiobook supposedly more seriously contemplating mortality, human vulnerability, serious illness, and what it is to live through and experience all of the aforementioned, I must say that this novel tackles all elements so much better!
This is the poetic, considered, and overall beautifully constructed writing that I needed. It is both sad and joyous
It may take a little time to warm to the characters, settings, and to get to grips with the pacing of the story, but it beds-in soon enough, becoming something warm and personable, relatable and perceptive
There is something within each of the characters’ narratives and backstories that tap into memories, events, feelings, emotions, and characteristics I myself display/have displayed, and it is this touching, insightful, compassionate writing that resonates
Having recently listened to an audiobook supposedly more seriously contemplating mortality, human vulnerability, serious illness, and what it is to live through and experience all of the aforementioned, I must say that this novel tackles all elements so much better!
June 3, 2024
A beautifully crafted story about friendship in all its forms. Friendships lost and gained, friendships valued, friendships wasted, friendships formed and treasured. The relationship between Annie and Jack is wonderfully written. The fractured relationship between Helen, Annie, and Laura is exquisitely dismantled and remade with all the emotional baggage that can create. I loved this story from start to finish. The characters are true to themselves and the sense of place for everyone is perfect. Essentially a story of love, re-connection, and an appreciation for life.
October 24, 2024
I think this book is beautifully written. I’m typically a fan of meandering, plotless stories that have good character development and can paint an image in my mind with good descriptions, but the last 1/3 of the book was painful for me to get though. The writing wasn’t bad I just feel the book started really strong and kind of fizzled for me at the end. There were so many relatable moments and times I really enjoyed reading it, but it was just a bit anti-climactic. Giving it 3 stars for the beautiful writing— just wish the plot had given a bit more at the end!
April 17, 2025
this book was so heartwarming and so sad. a great combination for books to be!!!!!! talked about platonic love sooooo well. and i’m always a sucker for a reunion story. loved. so easy to read. this made me wanna talk to my parents more
July 11, 2024
3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars
October 20, 2024
3.5
took me a while to get into it and I wish it had been solely told from Annie's POV but still a lot of great stuff in here <3
took me a while to get into it and I wish it had been solely told from Annie's POV but still a lot of great stuff in here <3
December 29, 2024
Found the story took a while to get going, and the character profiles a bit weak. However, some wonderful descriptions of hard-to-put-into-words feelings bring this book to life.
December 31, 2024
I just couldn't get into this book. Seemed to take me ages to read it. Dare I say it, but I did find it boring and unengaging.
February 26, 2025
Beautiful. A wonderful Novel. I could not put it down. Grainne is a brilliant writer. MORE MORE MORE!!!
May 20, 2025
3.5 stars
July 13, 2025
This book had been on my TBR for a long time and I just finished it this morning, picking it up at every available opportunity over the last few days. It was a wonderful, immersive book, the writing is beautiful, and it evoked plenty of feeling as it was relatable on so many levels.
Set during the pandemic, after the second lockdown, the story is about three school friends, Helen, Annie and Laura, who reunite in Helen’s parents’ house, where Annie is currently residing, to look after Helen’s father, Jack, who has recently had a stroke. Helen, returning after 25 years, had cut off ties with her two best friends from school, and is now back to visit her father. Jack and Annie had developed a friendship prior to him becoming ill and had been both living in Jack’s beautiful Glebe house, as friends, before he had the stroke. Laura, the third of the friendship grouping, had been looking after Jack’s garden as one of her many jobs, and in the years of Helen’s absence, had become closer to Annie, and is curious to see how Helen reintegrates during her long awaited visit.
The action in this book takes place over a few days, when Helen’s visit to her father becomes something else, when her father takes a turn for the worse, and goes to hospital, during a snow storm, and the friends are left stuck in Glebe house together. Here, feelings that lay beneath the surface, build and bubble up, inevitably coming out in a dramatic and defining moment in the book. The fallout, however, is tamed by a sobering phone call from the hospital, where grievances must be put to the side in favour of support, which is needed now more than acrimony. So much past comes up as the friends discuss mortality, life choices, loneliness, identity, love, friendship, kids, family, all in the same home they discussed their hopes and dreams for their futures as the teenagers, welcomed by Helen’s mother Lily, who spent her time waiting for beloved husband Jack’s return each weekend from his acting set, playing the role of debonair Doctor Danny Furlong.
I loved this book. I think what I loved most about it was the characters and how real they were. Even the peripheral characters, Jack, Lily, Laura’s mother, Conor all were individual people, people I could draw up in my mind, whose centrality and vibrancy were summed up in their actions and one or two pivotal sentences that captured their true nature. The three main characters, Helen, Annie and Laura were so well drawn. I found myself wondering who I could relate to most and felt Laura was the one I aspired to be like with her spontaneity, adaptability, affinity to nature and protecting the earth and easy recognition of joy as it comes and goes. Even the detail about the tin foil used in her childhood lunches resonated with me. But in reality I am not spontaneous like her, and also relate to Annie’s measured and practical approach to life, and Helen’s insecurity and uncertainty despite being surrounded by people.
The pandemic feel of the book was so relatable and how people dealt with it in so many different ways. As a time when many people re-evaluated their lives, and a time when friendships were never more important and so sorely missing from peoples’ lives, it was very clever to reunite these three friends during the pandemic. I really enjoyed the dynamic of the three friends, the tension they felt and determination to retrieve what was lost. The pandemic forced us to ask the hard questions as these characters are doing here and it allowed us to be part of the discussion, to reconsider what it is that brings us joy, how we want to show up for our family, friends, what makes us feel alive.
I loved this book and look forward to reading more by this writer.
Set during the pandemic, after the second lockdown, the story is about three school friends, Helen, Annie and Laura, who reunite in Helen’s parents’ house, where Annie is currently residing, to look after Helen’s father, Jack, who has recently had a stroke. Helen, returning after 25 years, had cut off ties with her two best friends from school, and is now back to visit her father. Jack and Annie had developed a friendship prior to him becoming ill and had been both living in Jack’s beautiful Glebe house, as friends, before he had the stroke. Laura, the third of the friendship grouping, had been looking after Jack’s garden as one of her many jobs, and in the years of Helen’s absence, had become closer to Annie, and is curious to see how Helen reintegrates during her long awaited visit.
The action in this book takes place over a few days, when Helen’s visit to her father becomes something else, when her father takes a turn for the worse, and goes to hospital, during a snow storm, and the friends are left stuck in Glebe house together. Here, feelings that lay beneath the surface, build and bubble up, inevitably coming out in a dramatic and defining moment in the book. The fallout, however, is tamed by a sobering phone call from the hospital, where grievances must be put to the side in favour of support, which is needed now more than acrimony. So much past comes up as the friends discuss mortality, life choices, loneliness, identity, love, friendship, kids, family, all in the same home they discussed their hopes and dreams for their futures as the teenagers, welcomed by Helen’s mother Lily, who spent her time waiting for beloved husband Jack’s return each weekend from his acting set, playing the role of debonair Doctor Danny Furlong.
I loved this book. I think what I loved most about it was the characters and how real they were. Even the peripheral characters, Jack, Lily, Laura’s mother, Conor all were individual people, people I could draw up in my mind, whose centrality and vibrancy were summed up in their actions and one or two pivotal sentences that captured their true nature. The three main characters, Helen, Annie and Laura were so well drawn. I found myself wondering who I could relate to most and felt Laura was the one I aspired to be like with her spontaneity, adaptability, affinity to nature and protecting the earth and easy recognition of joy as it comes and goes. Even the detail about the tin foil used in her childhood lunches resonated with me. But in reality I am not spontaneous like her, and also relate to Annie’s measured and practical approach to life, and Helen’s insecurity and uncertainty despite being surrounded by people.
The pandemic feel of the book was so relatable and how people dealt with it in so many different ways. As a time when many people re-evaluated their lives, and a time when friendships were never more important and so sorely missing from peoples’ lives, it was very clever to reunite these three friends during the pandemic. I really enjoyed the dynamic of the three friends, the tension they felt and determination to retrieve what was lost. The pandemic forced us to ask the hard questions as these characters are doing here and it allowed us to be part of the discussion, to reconsider what it is that brings us joy, how we want to show up for our family, friends, what makes us feel alive.
I loved this book and look forward to reading more by this writer.
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