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Rabbit Hayes #2
Below the Big Blue Sky
From the bestselling author of The Last Days of Rabbit Hayes comes a huge-hearted novel about death, family and finding laughter in the most bloody mental places.
When forty-year-old Rabbit Hayes dies, she leaves behind a family broken by grief. Her mother Molly is distraught and in danger of losing her faith. Her father Jack spends hour upon hour in the family attic, poring over his old diaries, losing himself in the past.
Rabbit's brother Davey finds himself suddenly guardian to her twelve-year-old daughter Juliet. Juliet might be able to fill a hole in Davey's heart - but how can he help Juliet through her grief when he can barely cope with his own?
Meanwhile, Rabbit's sister Grace is struggling with the knowledge that she carries the same gene that made her sister ill, and Rabbit's best friend Marjorie is lost, struggling to remain a part of a family she has always wished was her own now that her link to them is gone.
But even though the Hayes family are all fighting their own battles, they are drawn together by their love for Rabbit, and their love for each other. In the years that follow her death they find new ways to celebrate and remember her, to find humour and hope in the face of tragedy, and to live life to its fullest, as Rabbit would have wanted.
Below a Big Blue Sky will make you laugh, cry and shout with joy for the colourful, unruly Hayes family as they battle with the loss of their beloved Rabbit, the daughter, mother, sister and friend, who in her own crazy way taught each of them how to live, and goes on showing them how to love from beyond the grave.
When forty-year-old Rabbit Hayes dies, she leaves behind a family broken by grief. Her mother Molly is distraught and in danger of losing her faith. Her father Jack spends hour upon hour in the family attic, poring over his old diaries, losing himself in the past.
Rabbit's brother Davey finds himself suddenly guardian to her twelve-year-old daughter Juliet. Juliet might be able to fill a hole in Davey's heart - but how can he help Juliet through her grief when he can barely cope with his own?
Meanwhile, Rabbit's sister Grace is struggling with the knowledge that she carries the same gene that made her sister ill, and Rabbit's best friend Marjorie is lost, struggling to remain a part of a family she has always wished was her own now that her link to them is gone.
But even though the Hayes family are all fighting their own battles, they are drawn together by their love for Rabbit, and their love for each other. In the years that follow her death they find new ways to celebrate and remember her, to find humour and hope in the face of tragedy, and to live life to its fullest, as Rabbit would have wanted.
Below a Big Blue Sky will make you laugh, cry and shout with joy for the colourful, unruly Hayes family as they battle with the loss of their beloved Rabbit, the daughter, mother, sister and friend, who in her own crazy way taught each of them how to live, and goes on showing them how to love from beyond the grave.
487 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 18, 2019
113 people are currently reading
1438 people want to read
About the author
Anna McPartlin
27 books593 followersAnna McPartlin is an international best selling author, currently published in 15 languages across 18 countries. Pack Up The Moon and The Last Days of Rabbit Hayes were nominated for Irish book awards. Rabbit Hayes also won a silver readers book award in Germany. In the UK it was a Simon Mayo and Richard and Judy book club pick and in the USA it was a Barnes & Nobel Book of the Month.
In the last few years Anna has been honing her TV scriptwriting skills working on medical drama ‘Holby City’ for the BBC (UK), legal drama ‘Striking Out,’ for RTE (IRE) and historical adaptation Jesus His Life for History Channel (USA).
Anna was nominated for an Irish Film & Television Academy award for her one off bi-lingual drama ‘School Run,’ and is currently in development with Hot Drop Films / Treasure Entertainment and funded by Screen Ireland for the film adaptation of ‘Rabbit Hayes.’ She is also in development for a crime series ‘Serious Crimes,’ with Blinder Productions (Virgin Media) in IRE. A historical crime drama with Noho Film & TV (UK) and ‘Richter,’ an RTE/NZ TV co-production crime drama with Blinder Productions.
Anna’s first children’s book the ‘Fearless Five’ came out May 2019. Her next fiction novel ‘Below The Big Blue Sky,’ is on shelves in UK and IRE in April 2020 and she is currently working on her ninth commercial fiction title.
Anna started out briefly as an actress and stand-up comedian but although her heart wasn’t in performance, she revels in storytelling and shining a light in dark places. Anna’s USP is in tackling difficult subjects with understanding, empathy and humour that spills onto every page.
In the last few years Anna has been honing her TV scriptwriting skills working on medical drama ‘Holby City’ for the BBC (UK), legal drama ‘Striking Out,’ for RTE (IRE) and historical adaptation Jesus His Life for History Channel (USA).
Anna was nominated for an Irish Film & Television Academy award for her one off bi-lingual drama ‘School Run,’ and is currently in development with Hot Drop Films / Treasure Entertainment and funded by Screen Ireland for the film adaptation of ‘Rabbit Hayes.’ She is also in development for a crime series ‘Serious Crimes,’ with Blinder Productions (Virgin Media) in IRE. A historical crime drama with Noho Film & TV (UK) and ‘Richter,’ an RTE/NZ TV co-production crime drama with Blinder Productions.
Anna’s first children’s book the ‘Fearless Five’ came out May 2019. Her next fiction novel ‘Below The Big Blue Sky,’ is on shelves in UK and IRE in April 2020 and she is currently working on her ninth commercial fiction title.
Anna started out briefly as an actress and stand-up comedian but although her heart wasn’t in performance, she revels in storytelling and shining a light in dark places. Anna’s USP is in tackling difficult subjects with understanding, empathy and humour that spills onto every page.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 282 reviews
April 28, 2022
fulfilling my 2022 goal to read one book each month that was not published in my country that i wanted badly enough to have a copy shipped to me from abroad and then...never read.
i didn't like this one nearly as much as The Last Days of Rabbit Hayes and now i've gone and brought it into the country like that shakespeare fanboy did with the starling and look what happened there.
i'm not saying that reading this book was as bad an idea as loosing a destructive invasive species into a whole unsuspecting ecosystem, but still—it was kind of a letdown.
The Last Days of Rabbit Hayes was about a big irish family seeing their beloved daughter/sister/aunt/mother rabbit through the final days of her terminal illness.
it was a vibrant story of a life well-lived; a larger-than-life character developed layer upon layer through the bittersweet memories of those about to lose her, and what made it such a striking and memorable book was how determined both rabbit and her family were to celebrate her life instead of dwelling on her impending death; telling stories and filling her hospital room with irish black humo(u)r instead of maudlin grief.
Below the Big Blue Sky is the grief book, where all of the sadness they'd suppressed for rabbit’s sake is set free to seep into what's left of their lives now that she's gone. and it's pretty bleak.
sure, there's some humo(u)r to relieve the relentless mourning, but mostly it's about the myriad ways that grief can be experienced on the path to healing. i am someone who struggles with becoming emotionally invested in fictional stories, and it's pretty stifling, as an empathically-challenged reader, to be immersed in secondhand grief. the way the rabbit's family dealt with the approach of her death was life-affirming, but they way they deal with grief is just...grief. over the course of a year, each character experiences her loss in their own individual ways: losing god, finding a cause, hiding out in the past, leaving the country, making drastic health choices, plowing through the pain using various shields—work, relationships, any distraction at hand to get through it, but regardless of how they choose to manage their loss, it all kind of reads the same—sadness is pretty one-dimensional.
my main complaint (other than the obvious fact that it's uplifting to read about a family coming together in a time of crisis and it’s exhausting to read about them falling apart), is the great rabbit hayes herself.
i loved rabbit in the first book—she was sweet and funny and kind and resourceful and flawed, living her life and facing her death on her own terms. her character was vividly drawn through her family's memories of her life's ups and downs and the book was a perfect living eulogy to an individual who touched so many lives.
BUT—if you haven't read that book (or if you don't remember enough about it, considering there were seven years between the two books' pub dates), it's probably hard to understand the magnitude of the rabbit-shaped hole in everyone's lives, since this doesn't do much beyond sketching out the barest outline of her character.
so, it's counting on your having read the first one, where you, too, fell in love with rabbit. if you haven't, it's hard to understand why she was Everyone's Favorite Person, and the hagiography gets a bit overwrought:
rabbit hayes even got injured better than everyone else.
every page is a parade of 'rabbit said this' and 'rabbit believed that,' and these cardboard-prop reminders are too flimsy to do the work The Last Days of Rabbit Hayes did in fleshing out her character, so everyone comes across as pathologically obsessed with this woman, building a whole laura palmer-sized mythology (but w/o the trainwreck personality) around her memory.
while it's natural that she is remembered with such fervent love and admiration from her immediate family, the extension of this rabbit-worship into even her casual acquaintances seems forced and it's a little unsettling that the minutia of her life is still being trotted out with such excessive scrutiny a year after her death by people whose lives were only tangentially connected to hers.
i get that there's a whole smalltown legend built around her: she died young, the local-boy love of her life died much younger—there's a bittersweet doomed romance angle to their love story that is appealing, but it just doesn't come across in this book the way it did in The Last Days of Rabbit Hayes, and the johnny-stuff in this one was, frankly, a little cheesy and kind of tainted the allure for me.
i thought i was taking an emotional risk with this one—it was a bad time of year for me to be reading something so saturated in grief, but honestly—i thought it was a little boring. it just didn't have the sparkle of the first one, and i couldn't connect to any of the characters, although her father—holed up alone reading years' worth of diaries written in happier times while everyone around him spins out of control, and her sister grace—electing to have aggressive preventative surgery to avoid dying of the same cancer that killed rabbit, were very moving portrayals.
i'm glad i read it—there are some strong moments, and it's a perfectly fine, sweet book, but i'm more glad that i read The Last Days of Rabbit Hayes, because i need a little more than sweet to fall in love.
***********************
i only recently learned that this book, a sequel to the phenomenal The Last Days of Rabbit Hayes, existed, and i wish enough americans had read and praised that book to have made it worth the publisher's effort to publish it here, but MAYBE THERE'S STILL TIME!
and maybe my review will convince you to check it out!
come to my blog!
i didn't like this one nearly as much as The Last Days of Rabbit Hayes and now i've gone and brought it into the country like that shakespeare fanboy did with the starling and look what happened there.
i'm not saying that reading this book was as bad an idea as loosing a destructive invasive species into a whole unsuspecting ecosystem, but still—it was kind of a letdown.
The Last Days of Rabbit Hayes was about a big irish family seeing their beloved daughter/sister/aunt/mother rabbit through the final days of her terminal illness.
it was a vibrant story of a life well-lived; a larger-than-life character developed layer upon layer through the bittersweet memories of those about to lose her, and what made it such a striking and memorable book was how determined both rabbit and her family were to celebrate her life instead of dwelling on her impending death; telling stories and filling her hospital room with irish black humo(u)r instead of maudlin grief.
Below the Big Blue Sky is the grief book, where all of the sadness they'd suppressed for rabbit’s sake is set free to seep into what's left of their lives now that she's gone. and it's pretty bleak.
sure, there's some humo(u)r to relieve the relentless mourning, but mostly it's about the myriad ways that grief can be experienced on the path to healing. i am someone who struggles with becoming emotionally invested in fictional stories, and it's pretty stifling, as an empathically-challenged reader, to be immersed in secondhand grief. the way the rabbit's family dealt with the approach of her death was life-affirming, but they way they deal with grief is just...grief. over the course of a year, each character experiences her loss in their own individual ways: losing god, finding a cause, hiding out in the past, leaving the country, making drastic health choices, plowing through the pain using various shields—work, relationships, any distraction at hand to get through it, but regardless of how they choose to manage their loss, it all kind of reads the same—sadness is pretty one-dimensional.
my main complaint (other than the obvious fact that it's uplifting to read about a family coming together in a time of crisis and it’s exhausting to read about them falling apart), is the great rabbit hayes herself.
i loved rabbit in the first book—she was sweet and funny and kind and resourceful and flawed, living her life and facing her death on her own terms. her character was vividly drawn through her family's memories of her life's ups and downs and the book was a perfect living eulogy to an individual who touched so many lives.
BUT—if you haven't read that book (or if you don't remember enough about it, considering there were seven years between the two books' pub dates), it's probably hard to understand the magnitude of the rabbit-shaped hole in everyone's lives, since this doesn't do much beyond sketching out the barest outline of her character.
so, it's counting on your having read the first one, where you, too, fell in love with rabbit. if you haven't, it's hard to understand why she was Everyone's Favorite Person, and the hagiography gets a bit overwrought:
'The last time I saw you I was running you over,' Molly said.
'That's right, I still have a scar on me elbow.' He showed it to her.
'Where?'
'There,' he said, pointing to a small faded scar.
'That's not a scar,' she said, pulling out a photo of a beaming Rabbit showing off a long, stitched cut on her forearm.'That's a scar.'
rabbit hayes even got injured better than everyone else.
every page is a parade of 'rabbit said this' and 'rabbit believed that,' and these cardboard-prop reminders are too flimsy to do the work The Last Days of Rabbit Hayes did in fleshing out her character, so everyone comes across as pathologically obsessed with this woman, building a whole laura palmer-sized mythology (but w/o the trainwreck personality) around her memory.
while it's natural that she is remembered with such fervent love and admiration from her immediate family, the extension of this rabbit-worship into even her casual acquaintances seems forced and it's a little unsettling that the minutia of her life is still being trotted out with such excessive scrutiny a year after her death by people whose lives were only tangentially connected to hers.
i get that there's a whole smalltown legend built around her: she died young, the local-boy love of her life died much younger—there's a bittersweet doomed romance angle to their love story that is appealing, but it just doesn't come across in this book the way it did in The Last Days of Rabbit Hayes, and the johnny-stuff in this one was, frankly, a little cheesy and kind of tainted the allure for me.
i thought i was taking an emotional risk with this one—it was a bad time of year for me to be reading something so saturated in grief, but honestly—i thought it was a little boring. it just didn't have the sparkle of the first one, and i couldn't connect to any of the characters, although her father—holed up alone reading years' worth of diaries written in happier times while everyone around him spins out of control, and her sister grace—electing to have aggressive preventative surgery to avoid dying of the same cancer that killed rabbit, were very moving portrayals.
i'm glad i read it—there are some strong moments, and it's a perfectly fine, sweet book, but i'm more glad that i read The Last Days of Rabbit Hayes, because i need a little more than sweet to fall in love.
***********************
i only recently learned that this book, a sequel to the phenomenal The Last Days of Rabbit Hayes, existed, and i wish enough americans had read and praised that book to have made it worth the publisher's effort to publish it here, but MAYBE THERE'S STILL TIME!
and maybe my review will convince you to check it out!
come to my blog!
July 5, 2020
There are many different things you can get out of this follow up to The Last Days of Rabbit Hayes but for me this was about the way that grief is experienced in different ways.
I could relate to this – 2 years ago when my father passed away a good friend did what most people do when facing with a friend’s grief. She brought me (unwanted) food and wanted me to cry on her shoulder. And she was adamant that I HAD to cry! That’s her way of dealing with grief.
I felt uncomfortable with this pressure to “perform” but after the 5th time she said “You are so brave for not crying” I forced/faked a few tears out just go get her off my back. I directed my anger of the situation onto her even though her intentions were 100% pure. Grief is a personal and tricky thing and I really appreciated that the book focused on the myriad of ways that grief can manifest.
After Rabbit succumbs to her cancer each family member deals with her loss in their own unique dysfunctional way.
The matriarch of the family stops believing in God and goes on a spree of charity and protesting the new water meters in her neighbourhood. The daughter, who tested positive for the same gene that gave her sister cancer, decides to cut out her perfectly healthy female parts as a preventative measure.
Rabbit’s daughter, Juliet, goes to live with her uncle Davey and he has absolutely no idea how to take care of a child, and a blossoming teenager to boot. And Rabbit’s best friend feels like she did not only loose her best friend but also a family.
And Rabbit’s father? He tries to honour his daughter’s last wishes but that will lead to the fight of all fights and potentially break up his marriage forever.
There was also a lot of laughter with the depiction of an Irish family and their wild antics, which in a book like this, was very needed.
I laughed, I cried (unforced) and I thought about the people in my life that matter most to me.
An easy recommendation
Netgalley ARC
I could relate to this – 2 years ago when my father passed away a good friend did what most people do when facing with a friend’s grief. She brought me (unwanted) food and wanted me to cry on her shoulder. And she was adamant that I HAD to cry! That’s her way of dealing with grief.
I felt uncomfortable with this pressure to “perform” but after the 5th time she said “You are so brave for not crying” I forced/faked a few tears out just go get her off my back. I directed my anger of the situation onto her even though her intentions were 100% pure. Grief is a personal and tricky thing and I really appreciated that the book focused on the myriad of ways that grief can manifest.
After Rabbit succumbs to her cancer each family member deals with her loss in their own unique dysfunctional way.
The matriarch of the family stops believing in God and goes on a spree of charity and protesting the new water meters in her neighbourhood. The daughter, who tested positive for the same gene that gave her sister cancer, decides to cut out her perfectly healthy female parts as a preventative measure.
Rabbit’s daughter, Juliet, goes to live with her uncle Davey and he has absolutely no idea how to take care of a child, and a blossoming teenager to boot. And Rabbit’s best friend feels like she did not only loose her best friend but also a family.
And Rabbit’s father? He tries to honour his daughter’s last wishes but that will lead to the fight of all fights and potentially break up his marriage forever.
There was also a lot of laughter with the depiction of an Irish family and their wild antics, which in a book like this, was very needed.
I laughed, I cried (unforced) and I thought about the people in my life that matter most to me.
An easy recommendation
Netgalley ARC
January 27, 2022
I read the first in the series, The Last Days of Rabbit Hayes, a few years ago and really enjoyed it, so immediately applied for a review copy when I saw this follow up on Netgalley. I'm so glad I did, as I loved going on this journey with the Hayes family. The thing I relished most about these two books is that the author has the amazing talent of making me laugh and cry on the same page, and she is able to do this again and again. Light, funny and sad - this reminded me a bit of Me Before You but lighter on the romance.
I highly recommend these two books if you need some Lock-down escapism.
I highly recommend these two books if you need some Lock-down escapism.
June 2, 2021
Incroyablement beau et touchant, j’ai encore pleuré mais qu’est ce que j’ai aimé. Ça m’a fait un bien fou de retrouver la famille Hayes et de replonger dans le style absolument merveilleux d’Anna McPartlin ... une pépite !
March 11, 2023
Une excellente lecture, dans la continuité des Derniers jours de Rabbit Hayes.
Le coup de cœur n'est pas égalé mais j'ai adoré retrouver la famille Hayes, son humour, son entièreté, sa gentillesse; tous les personnages sont tellement attendrissants!
Ce roman est à nouveau la définition même d'une histoire pleine d'amour, très belle et terriblement triste à la fois.
J'ai adoré la première partie du roman; l'association entre réflexions/situations ultra drôles et sujets très lourds est faite à la perfection par l'autrice.
La suite est toujours très intéressante mais plus "sérieuse" ce qui ne m'a pas empêché de la savourer.
J'ai déjà hâte de découvrir les autres écrits de Anna McPartlin.
Le coup de cœur n'est pas égalé mais j'ai adoré retrouver la famille Hayes, son humour, son entièreté, sa gentillesse; tous les personnages sont tellement attendrissants!
Ce roman est à nouveau la définition même d'une histoire pleine d'amour, très belle et terriblement triste à la fois.
J'ai adoré la première partie du roman; l'association entre réflexions/situations ultra drôles et sujets très lourds est faite à la perfection par l'autrice.
La suite est toujours très intéressante mais plus "sérieuse" ce qui ne m'a pas empêché de la savourer.
J'ai déjà hâte de découvrir les autres écrits de Anna McPartlin.
June 12, 2021
Emotional… crying both at the start and end and bits in the middle too. Takes a lot for real tears to fall when reading but Anna McPartlin managed that rather early in the book.
It’s though uplifting, it feels like it comes full circle and if you haven’t read the first book, then it starts with a massive spoiler for the ending of that one!
Split into various parts, and each part we alternate between the focus of various members of the Hayes family as they come to terms with life after Rabbit. It is really easy to follow with each chapter clearly headed and by the end I felt as though I was part of the bigger wider Hayes family.
I have absolutely no words to describe this book, or how it made me feel. It was beautifully written, tugged my heart strings like nothing else and was a really special book to read.
Realistically I can’t do justice to this book, it’s wonderful, it makes me feel glad to be alive and you will need to have tissues ready. The author has written something so fantastic that all I can say Is read it for yourself, without much prior info and be gripped into this family’s highs and lows. You won’t be disappointed.
Thank you Zaffre and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
It’s though uplifting, it feels like it comes full circle and if you haven’t read the first book, then it starts with a massive spoiler for the ending of that one!
Split into various parts, and each part we alternate between the focus of various members of the Hayes family as they come to terms with life after Rabbit. It is really easy to follow with each chapter clearly headed and by the end I felt as though I was part of the bigger wider Hayes family.
I have absolutely no words to describe this book, or how it made me feel. It was beautifully written, tugged my heart strings like nothing else and was a really special book to read.
Realistically I can’t do justice to this book, it’s wonderful, it makes me feel glad to be alive and you will need to have tissues ready. The author has written something so fantastic that all I can say Is read it for yourself, without much prior info and be gripped into this family’s highs and lows. You won’t be disappointed.
Thank you Zaffre and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
February 10, 2020
Below the Big Blue Sky is the continuation of the last days of Rabbit Hayes which I loved so I was interested what happened next. This is another moving and emotional story about the Hayes family who are struggling to comes to terms with Rabbit’s death and each member grieves in their own way. Her mother Molly is doubting her faith doesn’t want to talk with her Husband jack. While jack goes into the attic and reads the old diaries of Rabbit’s life. Whereas Sister Grace has the same gene as her sister Rabbit’s and what she does to not end up like Rabbit. Also, Davey, coming to terms with Rabbit’ s death but also looking after her 12-year-old daughter Juliet and bringing her on tour around America. Taking her away from her family in Ireland.
This is another beautiful written story which is just as good as the previous book, which I also loved. They where sad moments in this book with the family trying to come to terms with everything. But also, funny moments, especially with Rabbit’s mother Molly. I highly recommend.
This is another beautiful written story which is just as good as the previous book, which I also loved. They where sad moments in this book with the family trying to come to terms with everything. But also, funny moments, especially with Rabbit’s mother Molly. I highly recommend.
December 19, 2021
Nunca leo segundas partes innecesarias, pero... "Los últimos días de Rabbit Hayes" fue una novela demasiado especial para mí y, además, me encontré su continuación tirada de precio en una librería inglesa de segunda mano, así que me decidí. La verdad es que se me ha hecho larguísimo, y por eso es un 3,5. Está escrito de forma preciosa, como siempre en esta autora, y ha sido bonito ver la evolución de la familia Hayes después de perder a Rabbit (aunque me ha sobrado alguna trama, como la relacionada con Trevor, por ejemplo), pero sigo pensando que este tipo de secuelas son innecesarias.
April 25, 2021
It's been about 6 years since I read The last days of rabbit Hayes, and I came across this book by chance.
As I went through this book everything flooded back to me from the last book, including the heartbreak and grief.
It rare a book make me cry, but this book destroyed me for days. At times I cried and laughed at the same time as the humour in these pages is so well done.
I loved the Irish "mummy" side of things and found it so true to life.
I listen to this as an audiobook and I'm thrilled I did, with such a big part of it revolving around music It was lovely to be able to hear the song written for the book by the authors husband and sung by her niece.
This is a real feeler of a book and has taken me a few days to process and get over.
I found this well written and a joy to listen to.
As I went through this book everything flooded back to me from the last book, including the heartbreak and grief.
It rare a book make me cry, but this book destroyed me for days. At times I cried and laughed at the same time as the humour in these pages is so well done.
I loved the Irish "mummy" side of things and found it so true to life.
I listen to this as an audiobook and I'm thrilled I did, with such a big part of it revolving around music It was lovely to be able to hear the song written for the book by the authors husband and sung by her niece.
This is a real feeler of a book and has taken me a few days to process and get over.
I found this well written and a joy to listen to.
July 29, 2019
Eine verdiente Fortsetzung, die ich nach dem Ende von Band 1 sehr genossen habe.
April 9, 2022
Loved this so much. 4.5⭐️
It was a pleasure to sink back into the world of the Hayes family. Made me smile, shed a tear and smile again.
It was a pleasure to sink back into the world of the Hayes family. Made me smile, shed a tear and smile again.
July 2, 2019
„Die letzten Tage von Rabbit Hayes“ erschien im Jahr 2015. Mich hat noch nie ein Buch, eine Geschichte so berührt, wie jene von Rabbit. Das Besondere daran war für mich, dass ich die Nebenfiguren, die Familie Hayes so sehr ins Herz geschlossen hatte. Damals hatte ich das Gefühl, eine verloren geglaubte Schwester zu sein. Eben ein Teil der Familie. Bevor ich mit ihnen trauerte, hatte ich eine große Hoffnung auf ein Happyend in mir, das genau so aussichtslos war, wie Sonnenschein in der Nacht. Nun betrat ich erneut die Bühne und traf die Familie Hayes wieder. Und wie.
Ich muss sagen, dass das Buch sehr ruhig ist. Wer auf einen spannungsgeladenen Roman wartet, der sollte sich nicht mit „Für immer Rabbit Hayes“ auseinander setzen, sondern eher zu einem anderen greifen. In dieser Geschichte geht es um die Familie, um Zusammenhalt, Hoffnung, aber auch um Schmerz, Trauer und Hoffnungslosigkeit. Glücklicherweise hat Anna McPartlin eine gute Mischung aus jeglichen Emotionen geschaffen, so dass es niemals zu aussichtslos, aber auch niemals zu hoffnungsvoll gewesen ist. Es passte genau so, wie es geschrieben ist und wirkte für mich wie aus dem Leben gegriffen.
Besonders gut hat mir gefallen, wie die Autorin die Charaktere ihrer Figuren erneut so gut darstellen konnte. Sie haben sich mit dem Tod Rabbits zwar alle verändert, sind aber immer noch sie selbst geblieben. Es kam mir bei keinem von ihnen so vor, als wäre eine Handlung, oder ein Dialog an den Haaren herbeigezogen. Jeder trauert auf seine Weise, was im wirklichen Leben eben auch so ist. Der eine verkriecht sich, während die andere vielleicht raus geht, um zu vergessen, bzw. zu verdrängen, was passiert ist.
„Auf Rabbit Hayes. Du wurdest geliebt, und wir werden dich vermissen, ob du hier bist, woanders oder nirgendwo“, sagte Jay.
So geschieht es auch in „Für immer Rabbit Hayes“. Ich habe den Verlauf der Geschichte verfolgt und musste das Gelesene erst einmal sacken lassen. Zuerst war ich über manche Dinge nicht erfreut und ich muss zugeben, dass mir auch einige Längen nicht gefallen haben. Letztendlich hat das Ende aber alles so schön abgerundet. Es erzählte die Geschichte jedes einzelnen Familienmitgliedes und kam zu einem äußerst schlüssigen Ende. Manche Handlungen kann man nicht nachvollziehen. Allen voran möchte ich da Molly hervorheben. Am Schluss ergaben allerdings auch ihre impulsiven Handlungen einen Sinn.
Besonders mit Juliet konnte ich mich sehr gut identifizieren. Sie ist zerbrochen und schwebt in der Luft. Zu wem sie nun gehört, weiß sie nicht so wirklich. Sie hat sich sogar selbst verloren. Wie sie agiert und wie sie spricht ging mir sehr zu Herzen. Aber auch die anderen Figuren sind authentisch. Mit ihnen konnte ich mich ebenfalls identifizieren und auch mitfühlen.
Die Autorin lässt sie allesamt zu Wort kommen. Sie bedient sich der auktorialen Erzählweise und springt von einem Protagonisten zum nächsten, was mir sehr gut gefallen hat. Die Übergänge geschehen fließend und sind keinesfalls störend für den Lesefluss. Dieser ist sehr angenehm. Man liest und bemerkt gar nicht, wie viele Seiten man schon hinter sich gelassen hat.
Einzig ein paar Längen und auch die ein oder andere Sache haben mir nicht ganz so gut gefallen. Was der wirklich guten Geschichte allerdings keinen Abbruch tut. Wer den ersten Band geliebt hat, wird den zweiten ebenfalls mögen. Ein Muss für den Fan, wenngleich sowohl der erste, als auch der zweite Band auch gut für sich alleine stehen könnte.
Fazit:
„Für immer Rabbit Hayes“ ist ein guter Roman, in dem es um Trauerbewältigung geht. Man sollte keine spannende Geschichte erwarten, denn dieses Buch ist eher ruhig. Die verschiedenen Arten zu trauern sind für mich authentisch. Auch die Entwicklung der Figuren wurde sehr gut ausgearbeitet. Für mich ist dieser Roman sehr lesenswert, muss allerdings erst wirken. Er kann auch gut unabhängig vom ersten Band gelesen werden.
© www.booksandfamily.de
Ich muss sagen, dass das Buch sehr ruhig ist. Wer auf einen spannungsgeladenen Roman wartet, der sollte sich nicht mit „Für immer Rabbit Hayes“ auseinander setzen, sondern eher zu einem anderen greifen. In dieser Geschichte geht es um die Familie, um Zusammenhalt, Hoffnung, aber auch um Schmerz, Trauer und Hoffnungslosigkeit. Glücklicherweise hat Anna McPartlin eine gute Mischung aus jeglichen Emotionen geschaffen, so dass es niemals zu aussichtslos, aber auch niemals zu hoffnungsvoll gewesen ist. Es passte genau so, wie es geschrieben ist und wirkte für mich wie aus dem Leben gegriffen.
Besonders gut hat mir gefallen, wie die Autorin die Charaktere ihrer Figuren erneut so gut darstellen konnte. Sie haben sich mit dem Tod Rabbits zwar alle verändert, sind aber immer noch sie selbst geblieben. Es kam mir bei keinem von ihnen so vor, als wäre eine Handlung, oder ein Dialog an den Haaren herbeigezogen. Jeder trauert auf seine Weise, was im wirklichen Leben eben auch so ist. Der eine verkriecht sich, während die andere vielleicht raus geht, um zu vergessen, bzw. zu verdrängen, was passiert ist.
„Auf Rabbit Hayes. Du wurdest geliebt, und wir werden dich vermissen, ob du hier bist, woanders oder nirgendwo“, sagte Jay.
So geschieht es auch in „Für immer Rabbit Hayes“. Ich habe den Verlauf der Geschichte verfolgt und musste das Gelesene erst einmal sacken lassen. Zuerst war ich über manche Dinge nicht erfreut und ich muss zugeben, dass mir auch einige Längen nicht gefallen haben. Letztendlich hat das Ende aber alles so schön abgerundet. Es erzählte die Geschichte jedes einzelnen Familienmitgliedes und kam zu einem äußerst schlüssigen Ende. Manche Handlungen kann man nicht nachvollziehen. Allen voran möchte ich da Molly hervorheben. Am Schluss ergaben allerdings auch ihre impulsiven Handlungen einen Sinn.
Besonders mit Juliet konnte ich mich sehr gut identifizieren. Sie ist zerbrochen und schwebt in der Luft. Zu wem sie nun gehört, weiß sie nicht so wirklich. Sie hat sich sogar selbst verloren. Wie sie agiert und wie sie spricht ging mir sehr zu Herzen. Aber auch die anderen Figuren sind authentisch. Mit ihnen konnte ich mich ebenfalls identifizieren und auch mitfühlen.
Die Autorin lässt sie allesamt zu Wort kommen. Sie bedient sich der auktorialen Erzählweise und springt von einem Protagonisten zum nächsten, was mir sehr gut gefallen hat. Die Übergänge geschehen fließend und sind keinesfalls störend für den Lesefluss. Dieser ist sehr angenehm. Man liest und bemerkt gar nicht, wie viele Seiten man schon hinter sich gelassen hat.
Einzig ein paar Längen und auch die ein oder andere Sache haben mir nicht ganz so gut gefallen. Was der wirklich guten Geschichte allerdings keinen Abbruch tut. Wer den ersten Band geliebt hat, wird den zweiten ebenfalls mögen. Ein Muss für den Fan, wenngleich sowohl der erste, als auch der zweite Band auch gut für sich alleine stehen könnte.
Fazit:
„Für immer Rabbit Hayes“ ist ein guter Roman, in dem es um Trauerbewältigung geht. Man sollte keine spannende Geschichte erwarten, denn dieses Buch ist eher ruhig. Die verschiedenen Arten zu trauern sind für mich authentisch. Auch die Entwicklung der Figuren wurde sehr gut ausgearbeitet. Für mich ist dieser Roman sehr lesenswert, muss allerdings erst wirken. Er kann auch gut unabhängig vom ersten Band gelesen werden.
© www.booksandfamily.de
January 18, 2025
Sad, funny, beautiful.
March 10, 2020
Well to be honest I don't know where to start, I didn't think anything could top The Last Days of Rabbit Hayes, but my word Below the Big Blue Sky was something else a carry on of one of my most favourite novels ever, I laughed and cried along with the wonderful Hayes family as they tried to come to terms with the loss of the wonderful Rabbit, I've just put this book down and I'm not sure when I will be able to pick up something else, a truly wonderful read, I totally adored, I have read a few of Anna's books now and she never ever disappoints, just loved it
December 22, 2020
4.5 stars
I loved The Last Days of Rabbit Hayes and always recommend it to those looking for a emotional teary read so I jumped at the chance when I saw the follow up released.
Here we see how the death of Rabbit has impacted on the Hayes family and the different way they all deal with the emotion of the illness taking her from them.
My favourite character by far was Jack, Rabbits Father. I love how the author portrayed him as gentle, caring and very emotional, spending hours in his attic pouring over old photo's and memories when often men would be portrayed as the ones holding it all together as head of the family whilst his Wife Molly was the fiery one, hurt, angry and questioning her beliefs. When Grace Rabbits Sister realises she is carrying the same gene it tests the family again to the limits and as the reader we see the different thoughts.
This book is about that unseen unity found it families, the one that binds you close and bonds you even when faced with adversity. Despite the sad subject the Hayes family made me smile & laugh many times, the characterisation was brilliant and I could visualise the scenes. I only didn't give this book a five as I felt the chopping & changing of characters in chapters confusing and sometimes had to backtrack to remember who was who and I felt the ending a bit abrupt. Other than that a very enjoyable book I would recommend.
My thanks go to the publishers, author and Netgalley in providing this arc in return for a honest review.
I loved The Last Days of Rabbit Hayes and always recommend it to those looking for a emotional teary read so I jumped at the chance when I saw the follow up released.
Here we see how the death of Rabbit has impacted on the Hayes family and the different way they all deal with the emotion of the illness taking her from them.
My favourite character by far was Jack, Rabbits Father. I love how the author portrayed him as gentle, caring and very emotional, spending hours in his attic pouring over old photo's and memories when often men would be portrayed as the ones holding it all together as head of the family whilst his Wife Molly was the fiery one, hurt, angry and questioning her beliefs. When Grace Rabbits Sister realises she is carrying the same gene it tests the family again to the limits and as the reader we see the different thoughts.
This book is about that unseen unity found it families, the one that binds you close and bonds you even when faced with adversity. Despite the sad subject the Hayes family made me smile & laugh many times, the characterisation was brilliant and I could visualise the scenes. I only didn't give this book a five as I felt the chopping & changing of characters in chapters confusing and sometimes had to backtrack to remember who was who and I felt the ending a bit abrupt. Other than that a very enjoyable book I would recommend.
My thanks go to the publishers, author and Netgalley in providing this arc in return for a honest review.
November 5, 2021
The sequel was as amazing as the first, The Last Days of Rabbit Hayes!
This book follows the aftermath of Rabbit’s passing and what comfort there is to be in the dynamics of the Hayes’ family. There were so many times I giggled and of course the heartbreaking aftermath of grief.
I can not recommend this book and it’s predecessor more.
“Davey often missed his family, but then he talks to them.” 😉
Thanks Chelsea for borrowing me this gem.
This book follows the aftermath of Rabbit’s passing and what comfort there is to be in the dynamics of the Hayes’ family. There were so many times I giggled and of course the heartbreaking aftermath of grief.
I can not recommend this book and it’s predecessor more.
“Davey often missed his family, but then he talks to them.” 😉
Thanks Chelsea for borrowing me this gem.
September 10, 2022
Wie geht nach dem Tod eines geliebten Menschen mit dem Leben weiter?
Wie unterschiedlich da die Wege sein können zeigt die Autorin mit "Für immer Rabbit Hayes".
Das Cover ist im Vergleich zum ersten Band heller gehalten, danau die Kontraste zu beiden Geschichten, wird so im Cover wiedergespiegelt. Der Schreibstil von Anna McPartlin ist locker leicht.
Die Fortsezung gibt einem Mut und zeigt einem das an aufgeben nicht zu denken ist. Am Ende wird irgendwie alles gut, auch wenn Rabbit natürlich immer noch fehlt. Eine schöne Geschichte über eine liebenswerte Familie.
Wie unterschiedlich da die Wege sein können zeigt die Autorin mit "Für immer Rabbit Hayes".
Das Cover ist im Vergleich zum ersten Band heller gehalten, danau die Kontraste zu beiden Geschichten, wird so im Cover wiedergespiegelt. Der Schreibstil von Anna McPartlin ist locker leicht.
Die Fortsezung gibt einem Mut und zeigt einem das an aufgeben nicht zu denken ist. Am Ende wird irgendwie alles gut, auch wenn Rabbit natürlich immer noch fehlt. Eine schöne Geschichte über eine liebenswerte Familie.
July 23, 2020
I read this book through Pigeonhole, so thanks to them and Anna for the opportunity to read this remarkable book.
I'm not sure I've ever read such real and gritty dialogue spoken by likeable, no loveable, characters.
I have laughed and cried throughout, at the blend of pathos and humour, so beautifully balanced. Difficult moments and situations soothed by one liners from Molly and Ryan made me laugh out loud, and certain things touched a real chord in me, having recently lost my mother.
I am now going to read the first book, and start a petition to the publishers for a whole series of books about the Hayes family.
I'm not sure I've ever read such real and gritty dialogue spoken by likeable, no loveable, characters.
I have laughed and cried throughout, at the blend of pathos and humour, so beautifully balanced. Difficult moments and situations soothed by one liners from Molly and Ryan made me laugh out loud, and certain things touched a real chord in me, having recently lost my mother.
I am now going to read the first book, and start a petition to the publishers for a whole series of books about the Hayes family.
July 29, 2020
It was so lovely to be in the company of the Hayes family once again. I laughed and I cried all the way through it. This can be read as a stand alone but if you can please read “The Last Days of Rabbit Hayes” first. I cannot recommended this book enough and I am really going to miss this family.
Thank you so much Anna and Pigeonhole for the opportunity to read this.
Thank you so much Anna and Pigeonhole for the opportunity to read this.
January 8, 2022
It’s was fine,had some interesting parts and characters. Just got a bit all over the place, wasn’t really a plot. And for a book about grief there was far too many steamy scenes
June 19, 2019
Rabbit Hayes stirbt an Krebs im Kreise ihrer Lieben. Nun beginnt für ihre Familie die Zeit nach dem Tod. Rabbit hinterlässt eine große Lücke für jeden. Vor allem für ihre Mutter Molly, die die Familie während Rabbits Krankheit zusammengehalten hat. Doch nun fehlt Molly der Elan und sie widmet sich anderen Dingen. Dies trifft vor allem ihren Mann Jack, der mit der Trauer alleine nicht klarkommt und sich in die Vergangenheit flüchtet.
Juliet, Rabbits 12jährige Tochter, zieht mit ihrem Onkel Davey nach Amerika. Doch bald merkt sie, dass dieser Schritt doch etwas zu gewagt war. Die Sehnsucht nach der Heimat ist groß, doch sie will ihren Onkel nicht enttäuschen. Davey merkt unterdessen aber, dass er sein altes Leben auch nicht mehr meistern kann. Vor allem, da er mit Gedanken immer wieder bei Marjorie ist; Rabbits bester Freundin.
Und Grace, Rabbits Schwester, bekommt eine folgenschwere Diagnose. Sie hat das Gen, welches bei Rabbit den Krebs ausgelöst hat.
Schon beim ersten Teil "Die letzten Tage von Rabbit Hayes" habe ich viele Taschentücher gebraucht. Zu lesen, wie eine Familie darauf wartet, dass die Tochter/Mutter/Schwester/Freundin stirbt, ist ein tragisches Ereignis. Die Autorin jedoch hat mit einem wunderschönen Schreistil und vielen einfühlsamen Worten eine liebevolle Geschichte geschaffen. Aber auch die Charaktere sind einfach nur herrlich chaotisch.
Im zweiten Teil erzählt die Autorin nun, was nach dem Tod von Rabbit passiert. Die Familie droht auseinanderzubrechen. Juliet geht mit ihrem Onkel Davey nach Amerika. Molly und Jack entfernen sich immer weiter voneinander. Und Grace und ihr Mann Lenny müssen sich einer ungewissen Zukunft stellen, denn Grace hat das Krebs-Gen.
Marjorie, Rabbits beste Freundin, stellt sich die Frage, ob sie je glücklich sein wird. Schließlich ist sie schon über 40, geschieden und lebt in einer kleinen Wohnung.
Wir begleiten nun in abwechselnden Kapiteln jeden Charakter auf seinem Weg. Alle müssen nun lernen, mit dem Verlust der geliebten Person umzugehen und herauszufinden, wie es weitergeht. Dies ist natürlich nicht leicht.
Vor allem Juliet muss nun versuchen, ohne Mutter auszukommen. Ohne jemanden, der ihr sagen kann, wie es ist, erwachsen zu werden und all die Fehler zu machen, die man als Jugendlicher so macht. Juliet zieht sich immer weiter zurück, so dass ihr Onkel Davey immer mehr Probleme hat, zu ihr durchzudringen. Aber dies bringt ihn dazu, über die aktuelle Situation nachzudenken.
Alle müssen nun versuchen, wieder in ihr altes Leben zu finden. Vor allem Marjorie trägt hierzu einen großen Teil bei. Eher ungewollt, aber mit einer wunderbaren Neuigkeit und vor allem mit einer neuen Perspektive für die Zukunft.
Rabbit lebt in aller Herzen weiter und wird von jedem weiterhin geehrt. Und doch müssen sie loslassen. Rabbit wird trotzdem nie vergessen werden.
Ich mag den Schreibstil von Anna McPartlin. Sie schreibt mit wunderschönen Worten über traurige Themen und zeigt mit ihrem Stil auf, wie schön es ist, geliebt zu werden.
Meggies Fussnote:
Für immer Rabbit Hayes.
Juliet, Rabbits 12jährige Tochter, zieht mit ihrem Onkel Davey nach Amerika. Doch bald merkt sie, dass dieser Schritt doch etwas zu gewagt war. Die Sehnsucht nach der Heimat ist groß, doch sie will ihren Onkel nicht enttäuschen. Davey merkt unterdessen aber, dass er sein altes Leben auch nicht mehr meistern kann. Vor allem, da er mit Gedanken immer wieder bei Marjorie ist; Rabbits bester Freundin.
Und Grace, Rabbits Schwester, bekommt eine folgenschwere Diagnose. Sie hat das Gen, welches bei Rabbit den Krebs ausgelöst hat.
Schon beim ersten Teil "Die letzten Tage von Rabbit Hayes" habe ich viele Taschentücher gebraucht. Zu lesen, wie eine Familie darauf wartet, dass die Tochter/Mutter/Schwester/Freundin stirbt, ist ein tragisches Ereignis. Die Autorin jedoch hat mit einem wunderschönen Schreistil und vielen einfühlsamen Worten eine liebevolle Geschichte geschaffen. Aber auch die Charaktere sind einfach nur herrlich chaotisch.
Im zweiten Teil erzählt die Autorin nun, was nach dem Tod von Rabbit passiert. Die Familie droht auseinanderzubrechen. Juliet geht mit ihrem Onkel Davey nach Amerika. Molly und Jack entfernen sich immer weiter voneinander. Und Grace und ihr Mann Lenny müssen sich einer ungewissen Zukunft stellen, denn Grace hat das Krebs-Gen.
Marjorie, Rabbits beste Freundin, stellt sich die Frage, ob sie je glücklich sein wird. Schließlich ist sie schon über 40, geschieden und lebt in einer kleinen Wohnung.
Wir begleiten nun in abwechselnden Kapiteln jeden Charakter auf seinem Weg. Alle müssen nun lernen, mit dem Verlust der geliebten Person umzugehen und herauszufinden, wie es weitergeht. Dies ist natürlich nicht leicht.
Vor allem Juliet muss nun versuchen, ohne Mutter auszukommen. Ohne jemanden, der ihr sagen kann, wie es ist, erwachsen zu werden und all die Fehler zu machen, die man als Jugendlicher so macht. Juliet zieht sich immer weiter zurück, so dass ihr Onkel Davey immer mehr Probleme hat, zu ihr durchzudringen. Aber dies bringt ihn dazu, über die aktuelle Situation nachzudenken.
Alle müssen nun versuchen, wieder in ihr altes Leben zu finden. Vor allem Marjorie trägt hierzu einen großen Teil bei. Eher ungewollt, aber mit einer wunderbaren Neuigkeit und vor allem mit einer neuen Perspektive für die Zukunft.
Rabbit lebt in aller Herzen weiter und wird von jedem weiterhin geehrt. Und doch müssen sie loslassen. Rabbit wird trotzdem nie vergessen werden.
Ich mag den Schreibstil von Anna McPartlin. Sie schreibt mit wunderschönen Worten über traurige Themen und zeigt mit ihrem Stil auf, wie schön es ist, geliebt zu werden.
Meggies Fussnote:
Für immer Rabbit Hayes.
June 5, 2020
Below the Big Blue Sky is the follow up to The Last Days Of Rabbit Hayes. A beautiful, heartbreaking novel about a young woman who loses her fight with cancer while her whole loving but slightly crazy family watch her die during her last days on earth. In this book, we are back with the Hayes family as they each try to come to terms with the death of their beloved Rabbit. Each family member is dealing with their grief but also facing other challenges in their lives. I love the Hayes. They're so delightfully Irish, absolutely stone mad and hilarious even in their darkest grief. Both books will stay with me for a long time and I already miss these beautiful, crazy characters. You will laugh, you will cry and you will laugh while crying. This book is a rollercoaster of emotions. Thank you to Netgalley for the chance to read this book in exchange for my honest review.
August 15, 2020
Although I had already bought the previous book, The Last Days of Rabbit Hayes, ages ago it had sadly languished on the book shelf until recently, so I was able to read the two books close together and spend the maximum amount of time with the Hayes family.
Below the Big Blue Sky takes up from the immediate aftermath of Rabbit’s death from cancer in the hospice. The Hayes family are all grief stricken by the loss of Rabbit and in the early days are just going through the motions. Rabbit’s daughter Juliet, insists that she no longer wants to be called by her nickname ‘Bunny’ as her mother is no longer here. It was Juliet that my heart broke for the most – she may be with her much loved uncle Davey, Rabbit’s brother, who has now taken over as her guardian, but she is taken away from all that she knows and the family’s love and comfort and events later in the book cause her even more anguish.
Rabbit’s father Jack distances himself from everyone and retreats to his loft – ‘gone to lunch’ as the family term it, to lose himself in family photo albums, diaries and memories, whilst Molly, the outspoken and feisty matriarch of the family who used to sort out everyone’s problems is broken. She has lost her faith, and lost her way.
This extremely moving and at times hilariously funny story covers a whole myriad of emotions in the year or so that follow. As well as grieving for Rabbit, family members have their own health problems to deal with which are the cause of so much trauma and heartache.
With each chapter told by one of the main family members, we follow this broken family as they try to find a way to heal and to slowly come together. It’s not easy, there are times when they seem to be at war with each other, particularly Jack and Molly.
It’s not all gloom and tears. There are some fantastic characters, all so beautifully drawn and there are moments of hilarity and tea snorting humour. One of my favourites was Francie – a family friend from Rabbit’s early days in the band and some of the one liners were just brilliantly timed. Likewise, Ryan, Grace’s troublesome son. He may have caused the family some grief with his one man crimewave but underneath he had a heart of gold and somehow knew just the right thing to do at the right time.
The author states at the back of the book that Below the Big Blue Sky was written to stand alone and that it’s not necessary to have read Rabbit Hayes first. I would certainly agree, however you would get so much more from the characters if you do also read Rabbit Hayes.
Written with sensitivity, humour and warmth, this was a fantastic read. I loved my time spent with the Hayes family; even though Rabbit doesn’t have a physical presence, her words and the family’s memories of her bring her back to the page. One to be recommended.
Below the Big Blue Sky takes up from the immediate aftermath of Rabbit’s death from cancer in the hospice. The Hayes family are all grief stricken by the loss of Rabbit and in the early days are just going through the motions. Rabbit’s daughter Juliet, insists that she no longer wants to be called by her nickname ‘Bunny’ as her mother is no longer here. It was Juliet that my heart broke for the most – she may be with her much loved uncle Davey, Rabbit’s brother, who has now taken over as her guardian, but she is taken away from all that she knows and the family’s love and comfort and events later in the book cause her even more anguish.
Rabbit’s father Jack distances himself from everyone and retreats to his loft – ‘gone to lunch’ as the family term it, to lose himself in family photo albums, diaries and memories, whilst Molly, the outspoken and feisty matriarch of the family who used to sort out everyone’s problems is broken. She has lost her faith, and lost her way.
This extremely moving and at times hilariously funny story covers a whole myriad of emotions in the year or so that follow. As well as grieving for Rabbit, family members have their own health problems to deal with which are the cause of so much trauma and heartache.
With each chapter told by one of the main family members, we follow this broken family as they try to find a way to heal and to slowly come together. It’s not easy, there are times when they seem to be at war with each other, particularly Jack and Molly.
It’s not all gloom and tears. There are some fantastic characters, all so beautifully drawn and there are moments of hilarity and tea snorting humour. One of my favourites was Francie – a family friend from Rabbit’s early days in the band and some of the one liners were just brilliantly timed. Likewise, Ryan, Grace’s troublesome son. He may have caused the family some grief with his one man crimewave but underneath he had a heart of gold and somehow knew just the right thing to do at the right time.
The author states at the back of the book that Below the Big Blue Sky was written to stand alone and that it’s not necessary to have read Rabbit Hayes first. I would certainly agree, however you would get so much more from the characters if you do also read Rabbit Hayes.
Written with sensitivity, humour and warmth, this was a fantastic read. I loved my time spent with the Hayes family; even though Rabbit doesn’t have a physical presence, her words and the family’s memories of her bring her back to the page. One to be recommended.
July 24, 2020
I do not know how any review can possibly do this book justice.
Very definitely a stand out book for 2020 for me and an author who quite frankly is a GENIUS!
I read The Last Days of Rabbit Hayes a long time ago and loved Anna McPartlin's beautiful story about a very unusual girl with a very vibrant family and a real zest for life, which she is sadly denied through terminal illness.
Below the Big Blue Sky is a follow up that is even better. Yes, it is heart-breaking, yes it will make you cry and yes there are parts that are unbearably cruel. The opening certainly sets the scene for the emotional roller-coaster ride this book takes you on, as we meet Rabbit and her family in the hospice, just moments before Rabbit dies.
What then follows is a truly remarkable, poetic, compassionate and HILARIOUSLY funny tale of the Hayes family, each one trying to come to terms with their bereavement.
This Irish Catholic family have a different way of doing things. Molly, the matriarch has a bag of oranges as her weapon of choice for keeping unruly family members in line and Jack, her husband, goes out to lunch when things get tough. Not literally, but he takes himself off and cannot be disturbed. Ryan is outspoken in the most inappropriate of ways but also has a heart of gold which would make any mother proud. Grace is tortured by some results she has received and the decisions she needs to make and Juliet, Rabbit's daughter is living on the road with uncle Davey in the USA.
Every single member of the family is vibrant, feisty, unpredictable and mad! I fell in love all over again with these larger than life characters, wanting desperately to live next door to, or live with them. They struggle, things are not easy, there are rifts and arguments and all sorts of comic moments of disaster but overshadowing all that is LOVE, pure and simple, a joy for and of life, beautiful memories and sayings that make you laugh out loud as well as tug hard on the heart strings. There is romance and endings and beginnings and everything associated with coming to terms with the death of a loved one.
The book is quirky, original, superbly written and I felt extremely sad getting to the end of the book as it was then time to say goodbye to characters that had become my fictional friends.
The ending is out-of-this-world tender and touching and I have nothing but praise for the skills of the author in creating a comic, but also very insightful and realistic, portrayal of human needs, emotions and responses.
Never have I laughed so much at a book.
And if I can't live with the Hayes family I want just a millionth of Anna McPartlin's warmth, wit and sensitivity.
Who loves ya Hayes Family? Fay does!
Very definitely a stand out book for 2020 for me and an author who quite frankly is a GENIUS!
I read The Last Days of Rabbit Hayes a long time ago and loved Anna McPartlin's beautiful story about a very unusual girl with a very vibrant family and a real zest for life, which she is sadly denied through terminal illness.
Below the Big Blue Sky is a follow up that is even better. Yes, it is heart-breaking, yes it will make you cry and yes there are parts that are unbearably cruel. The opening certainly sets the scene for the emotional roller-coaster ride this book takes you on, as we meet Rabbit and her family in the hospice, just moments before Rabbit dies.
What then follows is a truly remarkable, poetic, compassionate and HILARIOUSLY funny tale of the Hayes family, each one trying to come to terms with their bereavement.
This Irish Catholic family have a different way of doing things. Molly, the matriarch has a bag of oranges as her weapon of choice for keeping unruly family members in line and Jack, her husband, goes out to lunch when things get tough. Not literally, but he takes himself off and cannot be disturbed. Ryan is outspoken in the most inappropriate of ways but also has a heart of gold which would make any mother proud. Grace is tortured by some results she has received and the decisions she needs to make and Juliet, Rabbit's daughter is living on the road with uncle Davey in the USA.
Every single member of the family is vibrant, feisty, unpredictable and mad! I fell in love all over again with these larger than life characters, wanting desperately to live next door to, or live with them. They struggle, things are not easy, there are rifts and arguments and all sorts of comic moments of disaster but overshadowing all that is LOVE, pure and simple, a joy for and of life, beautiful memories and sayings that make you laugh out loud as well as tug hard on the heart strings. There is romance and endings and beginnings and everything associated with coming to terms with the death of a loved one.
The book is quirky, original, superbly written and I felt extremely sad getting to the end of the book as it was then time to say goodbye to characters that had become my fictional friends.
The ending is out-of-this-world tender and touching and I have nothing but praise for the skills of the author in creating a comic, but also very insightful and realistic, portrayal of human needs, emotions and responses.
Never have I laughed so much at a book.
And if I can't live with the Hayes family I want just a millionth of Anna McPartlin's warmth, wit and sensitivity.
Who loves ya Hayes Family? Fay does!
June 18, 2019
Rabbit ist gestorben und ihre Familie ist so kurz nach ihrem Tod völlig von der Rolle. Jeder einzelne hat damit zu kämpfen, das Rabbit nun nicht mehr da ist.
Grace hat sich testen lassen, und auch sie hat das Gen, dass eine Krebserkrankung deutlich wahrscheinlicher macht. Sie muss sich jetzt entscheiden, ob sie etwas unternimmt, oder ob sie es drauf ankommen lässt. Die Entscheidung selbst und auch die Konsequenzen daraus fallen ihr nicht leicht, löst sie doch auch Kontroversen in der Familie aus.
Juliet geht mit Davey nach Amerika, auch wenn es dort nicht unbedingt das richtige für sie ist und sie mit einer Privatlehrerin lernt, da ein normaler Schulbesuch sich nicht mit Daveys Leben in Einklang bringen lässt.
Und Molly fällt in ein tiefes Loch und weiss sich nicht mehr daraus hervorzuholen. Mit ihrer Art schafft sie es aber beinahe ihre eigene Ehe kaputt zu machen.
Ich muss sagen, das Buch war wirklich hochemotional. Am Anfang bin ich aus dem Heulen gar nicht herausgekommen. Bis Rabbit endlich beerdigt ist leidet der Leser sehr, gemeinsam mit der Familie und des Freunden von Rabbit. Nach der Beerdigung kehrt dann langsam eine Art Normalität in der Familie ein und das erste Jahr nach ihrem Tod verfliegt relativ schnell. Dafür wird im zweiten Jahr noch einmal alles auf den Kopf gestellt und es passieren noch einige unerwartete Dinge.
Ich habe das Buch wieder sehr gerne gelesen. Obwohl es schon eine Weile her ist, dass ich den ersten Band gelesen habe habe ich mich schnell wieder zurechtgefunden. Rabbit ist auch in diesem Buch sehr präsent, jeder in der Familie hält immer wieder Zwiesprache mit ihr.
Das Ende hat mich versöhnlich zurückgelassen, es hat den Eindruck als hätten die Hayes es dann endgültig geschafft wieder ins Leben zurück zu finden.
Von mir gibt es eine Leseempfehlung für alle, die Band eins gelesen haben und für Fans von Gefühlvollen, aufwühlenden Romanen.
Grace hat sich testen lassen, und auch sie hat das Gen, dass eine Krebserkrankung deutlich wahrscheinlicher macht. Sie muss sich jetzt entscheiden, ob sie etwas unternimmt, oder ob sie es drauf ankommen lässt. Die Entscheidung selbst und auch die Konsequenzen daraus fallen ihr nicht leicht, löst sie doch auch Kontroversen in der Familie aus.
Juliet geht mit Davey nach Amerika, auch wenn es dort nicht unbedingt das richtige für sie ist und sie mit einer Privatlehrerin lernt, da ein normaler Schulbesuch sich nicht mit Daveys Leben in Einklang bringen lässt.
Und Molly fällt in ein tiefes Loch und weiss sich nicht mehr daraus hervorzuholen. Mit ihrer Art schafft sie es aber beinahe ihre eigene Ehe kaputt zu machen.
Ich muss sagen, das Buch war wirklich hochemotional. Am Anfang bin ich aus dem Heulen gar nicht herausgekommen. Bis Rabbit endlich beerdigt ist leidet der Leser sehr, gemeinsam mit der Familie und des Freunden von Rabbit. Nach der Beerdigung kehrt dann langsam eine Art Normalität in der Familie ein und das erste Jahr nach ihrem Tod verfliegt relativ schnell. Dafür wird im zweiten Jahr noch einmal alles auf den Kopf gestellt und es passieren noch einige unerwartete Dinge.
Ich habe das Buch wieder sehr gerne gelesen. Obwohl es schon eine Weile her ist, dass ich den ersten Band gelesen habe habe ich mich schnell wieder zurechtgefunden. Rabbit ist auch in diesem Buch sehr präsent, jeder in der Familie hält immer wieder Zwiesprache mit ihr.
Das Ende hat mich versöhnlich zurückgelassen, es hat den Eindruck als hätten die Hayes es dann endgültig geschafft wieder ins Leben zurück zu finden.
Von mir gibt es eine Leseempfehlung für alle, die Band eins gelesen haben und für Fans von Gefühlvollen, aufwühlenden Romanen.
July 16, 2022
Ce livre est un deuxième tome et ne pas lire l’ouvrage précédent ne m’a posé aucune difficulté dans ma lecture.
Dans ce roman on va suivre la famille Hayes qui perd des suites d’un cancer l’un de ses membres les plus chers : Rabbit Hayes. Rabbit était une jeune femme de quarante ans, mais surtout une fille, une mère, une sœur et amie très appréciée !
A travers les yeux des proches de Rabbit, on va vivre deux années de résilience. Les grands thèmes de l’histoire sont le deuil, la maladie et la famille. Ceux sont des sujets très durs qui touchent chacun de nous. J’ai été émue à plusieurs reprises au cours de ma lecture.
J’ai apprécié avancer dans le l’histoire à travers le regard des différents personnages qui vivent chacun ce deuil à leur manière. J’ai été emportée et ne me suis pas ennuyée une seconde.
Concernant les personnages, j’ai eu davantage d’affinités avec celui de Molly qui jure comme un charrtier et qui fait tout son possible pour sa famille. J’ai trouvé intéressant les questionnements des personnages autour de leur croyance au Divin suite au décès d’un de leur proche. J’ai vraiment apprécié suivre cette famille soudée tout au long des pages.
J’ai tout aimé dans ce livre. Je lui donne la note de 5/5 !
Dans ce roman on va suivre la famille Hayes qui perd des suites d’un cancer l’un de ses membres les plus chers : Rabbit Hayes. Rabbit était une jeune femme de quarante ans, mais surtout une fille, une mère, une sœur et amie très appréciée !
A travers les yeux des proches de Rabbit, on va vivre deux années de résilience. Les grands thèmes de l’histoire sont le deuil, la maladie et la famille. Ceux sont des sujets très durs qui touchent chacun de nous. J’ai été émue à plusieurs reprises au cours de ma lecture.
J’ai apprécié avancer dans le l’histoire à travers le regard des différents personnages qui vivent chacun ce deuil à leur manière. J’ai été emportée et ne me suis pas ennuyée une seconde.
Concernant les personnages, j’ai eu davantage d’affinités avec celui de Molly qui jure comme un charrtier et qui fait tout son possible pour sa famille. J’ai trouvé intéressant les questionnements des personnages autour de leur croyance au Divin suite au décès d’un de leur proche. J’ai vraiment apprécié suivre cette famille soudée tout au long des pages.
J’ai tout aimé dans ce livre. Je lui donne la note de 5/5 !
February 21, 2020
na McPartlin
How wonderful I found it to be back in the Hayes lives, it’s like meeting up with old friends again. This story follows on from the wonderful novel The Last Days of Rabbit Hayes and we are treated to the thoughts and lives of Rabbit’s family members and her friends after her death. The novel tells of how each of them are coping and moving on with their life without the person who was always central to them. The topic of this book suggests that it will be a sad, depressing read but that is not the case, yes there are some heart wrenching moments, but even these are lifted with funny words often spoken by Molly, the matriarch of the Hayes family.
Below The Big Blue Sky is about moving on and building relationships that have somehow broken in the struggle after losing someone who was so prominent in their lives.
An inspiring read that I was so absorbed and mesmerised by from page one.
My thanks to Net Galley for the digital ARC. These are my own thoughts of this wonderful book
How wonderful I found it to be back in the Hayes lives, it’s like meeting up with old friends again. This story follows on from the wonderful novel The Last Days of Rabbit Hayes and we are treated to the thoughts and lives of Rabbit’s family members and her friends after her death. The novel tells of how each of them are coping and moving on with their life without the person who was always central to them. The topic of this book suggests that it will be a sad, depressing read but that is not the case, yes there are some heart wrenching moments, but even these are lifted with funny words often spoken by Molly, the matriarch of the Hayes family.
Below The Big Blue Sky is about moving on and building relationships that have somehow broken in the struggle after losing someone who was so prominent in their lives.
An inspiring read that I was so absorbed and mesmerised by from page one.
My thanks to Net Galley for the digital ARC. These are my own thoughts of this wonderful book
March 26, 2020
This book picks up in the immediate aftermath and heartbreak of Rabbit's death it is heartbreaking from the very first page and there is a balance of extreme sadness and happiness as the family tries to figure it's way forward without the glue that was Rabbit.
I absolutely loved this book, I loved reading The Last Days of Rabbit Hayes and loved how this book just followed straight on and the story of this wonderful family continued. This story confronts the many different ways that grief manifests itself as you follow the journey of the Hayes family over the year that follows immediately and beyond.
At times this book made me laugh but the grief with tangible throughout you could almost reach out and touch it and I cried at many stages during this wonderful book.
A truly brilliant book that is one of those rare gems that will stay with me as these characters remain firmly imprinted in my imagination
I absolutely loved this book, I loved reading The Last Days of Rabbit Hayes and loved how this book just followed straight on and the story of this wonderful family continued. This story confronts the many different ways that grief manifests itself as you follow the journey of the Hayes family over the year that follows immediately and beyond.
At times this book made me laugh but the grief with tangible throughout you could almost reach out and touch it and I cried at many stages during this wonderful book.
A truly brilliant book that is one of those rare gems that will stay with me as these characters remain firmly imprinted in my imagination
September 11, 2019
Die Geschichte spielt nach dem Tod von Rabbit Hayes und zeigt auf, wie Familie und Freunde ohne sie weiterleben, wie sie ihr Erbe annehmen und ihre Wünsche auch über den Tod hinaus noch respektieren.
Es war sehr aufschlussreich mit zu erleben, wie unterschiedlich die Familienangehörigen bzw Freunde mit dem Tod des geliebten Menschen umgehen.
Auch wieder sehr bewegend und sehr traurig.
Nicht ganz so gut wie Band 1, aber dennoch lesens- bzw hörenswert.
Es war sehr aufschlussreich mit zu erleben, wie unterschiedlich die Familienangehörigen bzw Freunde mit dem Tod des geliebten Menschen umgehen.
Auch wieder sehr bewegend und sehr traurig.
Nicht ganz so gut wie Band 1, aber dennoch lesens- bzw hörenswert.
September 19, 2020
Wow, just wow! I only discovered Anna Mcpartlin a few weeks ago when I was lucky enough to pick up Rabbit Hayes from a charity shop. I feel so honoured that I had the opportunity to read this follow up book and if I could give both books more than 5 stars I so would. Anna Mcpartlin is now on my favourite ever authors list and I'm definitely going to read all her other books!
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