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Where the Edge Is
As a sleepy town in rural Ireland starts to wake, a road subsides, trapping an early-morning bus and five passengers inside. Rescue teams struggle and as two are eventually saved, the bus falls deeper into the hole.Under the watchful eyes of the media, the lives of three people are teetering on the edge. And for those on the outside, from Nina, the reporter covering the story, to rescue liaison, Tim, and Richie, the driver pulled from the wreckage, each are made to look at themselves under the glare of the spotlight.
When their world crumbles beneath their feet, they are forced to choose between what they cling to and what they must let go of.
When their world crumbles beneath their feet, they are forced to choose between what they cling to and what they must let go of.
266 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 15, 2020
33 people are currently reading
283 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 - 30 of 107 reviews
January 23, 2022
4.5 "honest, painful, unassuming" stars !!!
2021 Honorable Mention Read
Thank you to Netgalley, the author and Legend Press for an e-copy. This has already been nominated for Irish literary prizes and was released there in September 2020. I am providing my honest review.
This is a domestic Irish village drama that straddles the line between literary and popular fiction. As I was reading I found it difficult to believe that this was a debut novel as it was infused with such carefully constructed and deep character studies as to how small village inhabitants react to a bus accident while still making sense and integrating previous griefs, events and losses.
Ms. Murphy is very adept at fully inhabiting and expressing the thoughts and emotions of her characters so that you feel that you are so painfully close to them. You can reach out and touch them, listen to them and comfort them. These are not larger than life characters that keep you at a distance but people that you might pass and smile at each day on your walk to the bank or grocery store.
I am most impressed with your debut Ms. Murphy and am very much looking forward to seeing what you come up with next.
A must read for those that like their domestic dramas realistic and emotionally resonant !
2021 Honorable Mention Read
Thank you to Netgalley, the author and Legend Press for an e-copy. This has already been nominated for Irish literary prizes and was released there in September 2020. I am providing my honest review.
This is a domestic Irish village drama that straddles the line between literary and popular fiction. As I was reading I found it difficult to believe that this was a debut novel as it was infused with such carefully constructed and deep character studies as to how small village inhabitants react to a bus accident while still making sense and integrating previous griefs, events and losses.
Ms. Murphy is very adept at fully inhabiting and expressing the thoughts and emotions of her characters so that you feel that you are so painfully close to them. You can reach out and touch them, listen to them and comfort them. These are not larger than life characters that keep you at a distance but people that you might pass and smile at each day on your walk to the bank or grocery store.
I am most impressed with your debut Ms. Murphy and am very much looking forward to seeing what you come up with next.
A must read for those that like their domestic dramas realistic and emotionally resonant !
September 15, 2020
I am going to start by saying that the synopsis for this book does it no favours. It appears on the surface to be a book based on the tension surrounding a bus being swallowed by a sinkhole, trapping most of the passengers inside and the consequential evacuation of a nearby school and hospital. However, this is not actually what this book is about at all; in fact, the bus crash features rather lightly in the grand scheme of things. It mainly follows former married couple Nina, a journalist, and her firefighter ex-husband, Tim, whose grief over the loss of their 11-month-old daughter, Aisling, is compounded by their involvement in the bus accident.
I feel the bus incident is used as a clever metaphor to comment on the precarious nature of grief and suffering, much like the bus being in a precarious position, and the twenty-four-hour period in which the authorities attempt different methods of freeing the passengers could be representative of the long and tortuous path grief, pain and bereavement take you down with no means of possible escape. Where the Edge Is is a poignant and heart-rending meditation on the nature of trauma, and in particular grief, that one feels after an unexpected and devastating loss. Gráinne’s stories are about family and identity, about staring life down and choosing the kind of person you want to be.
The author explores an array of vastly different themes, including life and death, friendships, relationships, irredeemable loss, identity, religion and our innate desire to search for that one perfect place we can call home. The book, perhaps accidentally, although most likely intentional, crosses into philosophical territory examining namely the nature of suffering, existence and whether humans have a purpose here on Earth. It is a debut that marks the beginning of what I can only imagine will be a fruitful career and makes me excited about future books. Thankfully, amongst Murphy's lyrical prose there are sprinklings of much-needed humour which break-up the dark tone of the story and there are hopeful moments throughout which also lift the spirits. Rich with understanding only those who have suffered the grief and trauma of a horrific loss can convey, this is an engrossing and quietly thought-provoking read. Many thanks to Legend Press for an ARC.
I feel the bus incident is used as a clever metaphor to comment on the precarious nature of grief and suffering, much like the bus being in a precarious position, and the twenty-four-hour period in which the authorities attempt different methods of freeing the passengers could be representative of the long and tortuous path grief, pain and bereavement take you down with no means of possible escape. Where the Edge Is is a poignant and heart-rending meditation on the nature of trauma, and in particular grief, that one feels after an unexpected and devastating loss. Gráinne’s stories are about family and identity, about staring life down and choosing the kind of person you want to be.
The author explores an array of vastly different themes, including life and death, friendships, relationships, irredeemable loss, identity, religion and our innate desire to search for that one perfect place we can call home. The book, perhaps accidentally, although most likely intentional, crosses into philosophical territory examining namely the nature of suffering, existence and whether humans have a purpose here on Earth. It is a debut that marks the beginning of what I can only imagine will be a fruitful career and makes me excited about future books. Thankfully, amongst Murphy's lyrical prose there are sprinklings of much-needed humour which break-up the dark tone of the story and there are hopeful moments throughout which also lift the spirits. Rich with understanding only those who have suffered the grief and trauma of a horrific loss can convey, this is an engrossing and quietly thought-provoking read. Many thanks to Legend Press for an ARC.
September 3, 2020
Nina the journalist is mostly at the centre of this story.
After a bus accident where a bus holding passengers is travelling along this rural area the road collapses taking it into a huge crevice trapping the bus and its passengers including the driver.
After managing to get two people out, they are worried it’s advanced any impact that might follow.
This is a story that had me gripped and invested in. It’s like a two edged sword.
On first vision it seems like it’s based around this tragic accident and it’s rescue. However, it goes much deeper than that.
Just like the bus has met a tragic edge of life crisis, as it goes deeper not knowing it’s outcome for its future, so we get to learn about the people on board.
There’s also Nina, the journalist. She had a tragedy in her life, the loss of a baby.
Is she ready to be covering this story?
The individuals on the bus have all kinds of dilemmas that run from everything imaginable.
Does the bus hold on?
Just like the passengers, do they, should they hold on to what’s happening in their individual life?
Nina covers “people” not the incident. It makes for such a unique story much different from a lot of books I’ve read lately.
A debut novel from an Irish author.
So much in here.
If you’re looking for fast paced, it’s not.
It flows along at its own pace, but the story hits you in the face.
After a bus accident where a bus holding passengers is travelling along this rural area the road collapses taking it into a huge crevice trapping the bus and its passengers including the driver.
After managing to get two people out, they are worried it’s advanced any impact that might follow.
This is a story that had me gripped and invested in. It’s like a two edged sword.
On first vision it seems like it’s based around this tragic accident and it’s rescue. However, it goes much deeper than that.
Just like the bus has met a tragic edge of life crisis, as it goes deeper not knowing it’s outcome for its future, so we get to learn about the people on board.
There’s also Nina, the journalist. She had a tragedy in her life, the loss of a baby.
Is she ready to be covering this story?
The individuals on the bus have all kinds of dilemmas that run from everything imaginable.
Does the bus hold on?
Just like the passengers, do they, should they hold on to what’s happening in their individual life?
Nina covers “people” not the incident. It makes for such a unique story much different from a lot of books I’ve read lately.
A debut novel from an Irish author.
So much in here.
If you’re looking for fast paced, it’s not.
It flows along at its own pace, but the story hits you in the face.
October 5, 2020
All of the characters in this book are on the edge of their own personal abyss. The title is symbolic of private tragedies and emotions, coupled with the literal bus trapped under the road. Consequently, I found this a heavy-going narrative that is charged with emotion from all of the characters.
I can’t say that I had a preferred character; all resonated with me based on their different stories. Murphy has a range of characters in this cast and they all have private tragedies. I think because the narrative switched to these different perspectives, I found I could not completely connect to each one. However, all of their stories are interesting but I think I was desiring more background information from some, such as Richie, the bus driver.
Murphy covers many sensitive topics in this novel. Racism, social attitudes to those who are different, parenting, relationships and even a child’s death. Nina’s story was particularly profound and the grief that is mirrored in Tim’s character was poignant and heart-breaking. It is a parent’s worst nightmare and I think their narratives really influenced my mood whilst reading this book.
At completion, I felt rather sad and depressed. It’s not the most jolliest of narratives. I could predict some of the outcomes, but the way that Murphy portrays the plot development was especially powerful and resonated with me for a while. The foundation of the story, the actual bus crash, was not the central idea of the narrative. I found this surprising, but it made sense because it opened up the reflections of the other characters.
I think I would have liked to see the story focus a bit more on the bus and the characters inside. It is left to the reader’s imagination a bit which, for me, I found a little frustrating. This is certainly not an action plot, but more of a story of emotion and reflection. It felt different to recent novels I have read, which I appreciated, and think that Murphy’s style of writing forces readers to focus more on character, rather than the events taking place.
Overall, I found this an interesting, unusual read. The gradual development of plot leads to intense emotions and, although I found it heavy-going, I enjoyed how different this was to my initial expectations.
I received a free copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. With thanks to everyone at Legend Press and Grainne Murphy for allowing me to participate in this blog tour.
I can’t say that I had a preferred character; all resonated with me based on their different stories. Murphy has a range of characters in this cast and they all have private tragedies. I think because the narrative switched to these different perspectives, I found I could not completely connect to each one. However, all of their stories are interesting but I think I was desiring more background information from some, such as Richie, the bus driver.
Murphy covers many sensitive topics in this novel. Racism, social attitudes to those who are different, parenting, relationships and even a child’s death. Nina’s story was particularly profound and the grief that is mirrored in Tim’s character was poignant and heart-breaking. It is a parent’s worst nightmare and I think their narratives really influenced my mood whilst reading this book.
At completion, I felt rather sad and depressed. It’s not the most jolliest of narratives. I could predict some of the outcomes, but the way that Murphy portrays the plot development was especially powerful and resonated with me for a while. The foundation of the story, the actual bus crash, was not the central idea of the narrative. I found this surprising, but it made sense because it opened up the reflections of the other characters.
I think I would have liked to see the story focus a bit more on the bus and the characters inside. It is left to the reader’s imagination a bit which, for me, I found a little frustrating. This is certainly not an action plot, but more of a story of emotion and reflection. It felt different to recent novels I have read, which I appreciated, and think that Murphy’s style of writing forces readers to focus more on character, rather than the events taking place.
Overall, I found this an interesting, unusual read. The gradual development of plot leads to intense emotions and, although I found it heavy-going, I enjoyed how different this was to my initial expectations.
I received a free copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. With thanks to everyone at Legend Press and Grainne Murphy for allowing me to participate in this blog tour.
September 16, 2020
Genre: Literary Fiction
Publisher: Legend Press
Pub. Date: Sept. 15, 2020
The book’s title refers to the edge of a sinkhole, where most of its characters find themselves trapped. It may also be a metaphor for those who, through no fault of their own, live on the edge of their emotions. A town in rural Ireland wakes up to the news that a road has collapsed, swallowing up a bus with eight people stuck inside. As the vehicle slowly falls deeper into the earth, the media is all over the story interfering with the rescue team’s attempt to get them out before it is too late. Doesn’t this sound like an action-packed, plot-driven novel? It is actually a character-driven tale that explores trauma, loss, grief, and survival. Each chapter portrays the lives of the passengers and their families. As well as a news reporter and her ex-husband who is the fire department liaison. No, this does not morph into a cheap romance novel. Their reconnection, though a bit contrived, helps explore the novel's broader themes.
Racial and identity issues are examined when the white male bus driver pulls out a brown-skinned female passenger. The author has such control over her characters’ voices that the reader can hear them speak. He is a regular sort of guy who just wants to please his beloved aging mom and win back his ex-wife. A sweetheart of a man, yet months before the incident he was suspended for saying a racial slur. The woman who he saves has lived in Ireland since she was a small child, married to an Irish man, can sing all the Irish songs, and has adapted to the Irish way of life including going to Sunday Mass, but still, the press refers to her as a Pakistani. Murphy nails her frustration.
While never feeling forced, the author will tug at your heart describing the underground conversations of those trapped in the bus, and the panic of their families above the ground. The author’s ability to go back and forth in time, to reflect on her characters’ multiple points of view, while never losing the feeling of their desperation is admirable. Her talent makes the characters stick with you, haunting you, well after you have read the last page and know the outcome of their ordeal. I was so impressed with the storytelling in this debut novel that I googled the author. I was not surprised to learn that many of her short stories were shortlisted and longlisted for literary awards. Without a doubt, I will be on the lookout for her next novel.
I received this Advance Review Copy (ARC) novel from the publisher at no cost in exchange for an honest review
Find all my book reviews at:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...
https://books6259.wordpress.com/
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/review...
https://www.facebook.com/martie.neesr...
https://www.instagram.com/martie6947/
https://www.pinterest.com/martienreco...\
https://www.amazon.com/
https://twitter.com/NeesRecord
Publisher: Legend Press
Pub. Date: Sept. 15, 2020
The book’s title refers to the edge of a sinkhole, where most of its characters find themselves trapped. It may also be a metaphor for those who, through no fault of their own, live on the edge of their emotions. A town in rural Ireland wakes up to the news that a road has collapsed, swallowing up a bus with eight people stuck inside. As the vehicle slowly falls deeper into the earth, the media is all over the story interfering with the rescue team’s attempt to get them out before it is too late. Doesn’t this sound like an action-packed, plot-driven novel? It is actually a character-driven tale that explores trauma, loss, grief, and survival. Each chapter portrays the lives of the passengers and their families. As well as a news reporter and her ex-husband who is the fire department liaison. No, this does not morph into a cheap romance novel. Their reconnection, though a bit contrived, helps explore the novel's broader themes.
Racial and identity issues are examined when the white male bus driver pulls out a brown-skinned female passenger. The author has such control over her characters’ voices that the reader can hear them speak. He is a regular sort of guy who just wants to please his beloved aging mom and win back his ex-wife. A sweetheart of a man, yet months before the incident he was suspended for saying a racial slur. The woman who he saves has lived in Ireland since she was a small child, married to an Irish man, can sing all the Irish songs, and has adapted to the Irish way of life including going to Sunday Mass, but still, the press refers to her as a Pakistani. Murphy nails her frustration.
While never feeling forced, the author will tug at your heart describing the underground conversations of those trapped in the bus, and the panic of their families above the ground. The author’s ability to go back and forth in time, to reflect on her characters’ multiple points of view, while never losing the feeling of their desperation is admirable. Her talent makes the characters stick with you, haunting you, well after you have read the last page and know the outcome of their ordeal. I was so impressed with the storytelling in this debut novel that I googled the author. I was not surprised to learn that many of her short stories were shortlisted and longlisted for literary awards. Without a doubt, I will be on the lookout for her next novel.
I received this Advance Review Copy (ARC) novel from the publisher at no cost in exchange for an honest review
Find all my book reviews at:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...
https://books6259.wordpress.com/
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/review...
https://www.facebook.com/martie.neesr...
https://www.instagram.com/martie6947/
https://www.pinterest.com/martienreco...\
https://www.amazon.com/
https://twitter.com/NeesRecord
September 23, 2020
My review is on my website www.bookread2day.wordpress.com
Twitter @bookpage5
Where the edge is by Grainne Murphy is an unique tragedy that happens, and what tops it all for me personally I just couldn’t believe it’s the authors first novel. It is heart- wrenching story about loss and survival.
The story is set in rural Ireland.
A woman named May hunts the bins at the bus yard for someone else’s out of date bus pass, the drivers always turn a blind eye and let her on, she never stays on the bus for more than two or three stops, just long enough to warm her body after the cold night.
This book really takes you to the devastating believeable scene. I could easily imagine this whole rescue team decide what’s the best way to rescue every one trapped.
The road collapsed and has been closed off with a bus has gone down the hole where the road has collapsed. The driver and a woman remarkable got out but the response team and the Fire Cheif is not entirely sure how many are trapped on the bus. The fire Cheif is evaluating whether to evacuate part of the hospital and a school.
The bus passengers that are stranded into a deep hole unground, start to talk to each other, until help arrives.
The story is remarkable, it’s easy to relate too , with the speech as it follows just like in real- life how a rescue team would speak to people trapped.
This is a gripping character-driven story about family and identity.
I can’t wait to read this author’s next book The Ghostlights that will follow in 2020.
I am amazed that is Grainne Murphy’s debut novel who has numberous award shortlistings and longlistings.
I would recommend readers to put this book Where the edge is firmly on your next reading list as is absolutely brilliant.
Twitter @bookpage5
Where the edge is by Grainne Murphy is an unique tragedy that happens, and what tops it all for me personally I just couldn’t believe it’s the authors first novel. It is heart- wrenching story about loss and survival.
The story is set in rural Ireland.
A woman named May hunts the bins at the bus yard for someone else’s out of date bus pass, the drivers always turn a blind eye and let her on, she never stays on the bus for more than two or three stops, just long enough to warm her body after the cold night.
This book really takes you to the devastating believeable scene. I could easily imagine this whole rescue team decide what’s the best way to rescue every one trapped.
The road collapsed and has been closed off with a bus has gone down the hole where the road has collapsed. The driver and a woman remarkable got out but the response team and the Fire Cheif is not entirely sure how many are trapped on the bus. The fire Cheif is evaluating whether to evacuate part of the hospital and a school.
The bus passengers that are stranded into a deep hole unground, start to talk to each other, until help arrives.
The story is remarkable, it’s easy to relate too , with the speech as it follows just like in real- life how a rescue team would speak to people trapped.
This is a gripping character-driven story about family and identity.
I can’t wait to read this author’s next book The Ghostlights that will follow in 2020.
I am amazed that is Grainne Murphy’s debut novel who has numberous award shortlistings and longlistings.
I would recommend readers to put this book Where the edge is firmly on your next reading list as is absolutely brilliant.
October 8, 2020
More a humane human study but still a page turner. The small town, Irish setting really worked, and the characters beautifully fleshed out.
September 11, 2020
I've been chewing on this one for a while, and I was just horribly unsure of where to place it. Ultimately, I feel like the story concept is really strong, and the idea of discovering and uncovering grief (especially in the course of work) is a difficult topic to broach. The disconnect with this book for me is more a matter of the subject matter and the narrative not quite linking up as well as I would appreciate. There's a certain beauty in microanalysis of humanity, however, this book seemed to meander off into the microcosm and forget about the rest of the story. I thought it had so much potential, but what I anticipated being the main crux of the book seemed to just vanish and become more ancillary.
The bus crash became more a means to an end rather than an actual narrative, and I didn't connect well to the character. I feel like it's an attempt at that minutiae form of literature, where the ins and outs of people's lives are explained, but it just seemed to fall short. I really wanted a book that took the very serious events in this less as a device and more as the focus. However, the writing does give a good, realistic image of a small town in the wake of a tragedy- I just wish it had taken it further.
The bus crash became more a means to an end rather than an actual narrative, and I didn't connect well to the character. I feel like it's an attempt at that minutiae form of literature, where the ins and outs of people's lives are explained, but it just seemed to fall short. I really wanted a book that took the very serious events in this less as a device and more as the focus. However, the writing does give a good, realistic image of a small town in the wake of a tragedy- I just wish it had taken it further.
June 4, 2020
When a road collapses in rural Ireland, an early morning bus tumbles deep into its centre and becomes trapped by fallen debris. As the water rises and a successful rescue attempt seems more and more unlikely, a cast of characters are forced to confront the most pressing matters of their lives. From the reporter Nina mourning the loss of her baby girl to escaped passenger Alina who feels like a prisoner in her home with a mother-in-law who keeps clucking about her having children soon, Murphy explores prejudice in its many forms as well as the fractures than run through families. There may be great sadness contained within the pages of this lyrical, poignant novel, but there is humour too - I particularly liked Richie. With sentences that you will want to cut out and keep, this is an intelligent, exquisitely crafted debut.
August 17, 2020
Although this book explored the lives of each character involved in great depth, I did not find these individual stories to be particularly engaging. For a story which hinges on the tension around whether the bus passengers will survive their ordeal, very little attention was given to their fates or what they actually experienced, and more of the focus seemed to be on the personal histories of people barely involved. Almost all of the storytelling regarding the accident itself was through the eyes of observers, with updates from TV reports rather than telling what was actually going on. It was jarring to constantly be switching between the characters' own histories and the current day story with only tenuous links.
September 13, 2020
"They had been here before, like many broken couples before them. Loving each other most at the moment of parting. A tempting hole to fall into, but a hole no less. If they were both in it, who would be there to pull them out? The job of a partner was to make the other better, not worse."
There are so many layers in this book. On the surface, it's about an accident that puts the passengers' lives at risk and the people involved in the rescue operation. If you peel a layer below, it's about survivor's guilt, it's about revisiting the decisions you've made that got you to a particular moment, it's about choosing to live your life differently as a result of a moment that altered it, it's about working with your ex. It's about pressures with your boss. And if you peel it once more, you see it's about grief, loss, connection, family, sorrow, anger and quiet desperation.
"That I’m with a wonderful woman I don’t love enough simply because she’s everything that I’m not. Everything you’re not. That her children will never accept me fully and my second chance at fatherhood will vanish into dust. I’m afraid that I’ve given up the job I love and taken a lesser version because I feel it’s all I deserve. I’m afraid I’m only moving misery from point a to point b. I’m afraid that when Aisling died, my best life died with her."
It's about things we don't let ourselves feel. It's about putting one foot in front of another and living life but not really "living" life. About settling and then not settling. About owning who we are. About what it takes to own who we are.
"For a sudden, savage minute, he admired Jason’s angry bluster, his refusal to parent silently."
There are so many beautiful sentences in this story. Short but powerful and gets right to the heart of exactly what drives each character. How what we notice about others says a lot about us. How the way we react in a situation says a lot about us.
"‘When my father died,’ Alina said, ‘I didn’t cry for a long time. My husband and his mother didn’t understand. I could see them watching me, as if they were not satisfied until I wept.’ She shrugged. ‘Tears are a crude measurement of grief.’"
This is a quiet but beautiful book about the lives we live, the things that happen to us, the choices we make as a result, and how, in the end we get to choose.
thank you to netgalley and Legend Press to an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
There are so many layers in this book. On the surface, it's about an accident that puts the passengers' lives at risk and the people involved in the rescue operation. If you peel a layer below, it's about survivor's guilt, it's about revisiting the decisions you've made that got you to a particular moment, it's about choosing to live your life differently as a result of a moment that altered it, it's about working with your ex. It's about pressures with your boss. And if you peel it once more, you see it's about grief, loss, connection, family, sorrow, anger and quiet desperation.
"That I’m with a wonderful woman I don’t love enough simply because she’s everything that I’m not. Everything you’re not. That her children will never accept me fully and my second chance at fatherhood will vanish into dust. I’m afraid that I’ve given up the job I love and taken a lesser version because I feel it’s all I deserve. I’m afraid I’m only moving misery from point a to point b. I’m afraid that when Aisling died, my best life died with her."
It's about things we don't let ourselves feel. It's about putting one foot in front of another and living life but not really "living" life. About settling and then not settling. About owning who we are. About what it takes to own who we are.
"For a sudden, savage minute, he admired Jason’s angry bluster, his refusal to parent silently."
There are so many beautiful sentences in this story. Short but powerful and gets right to the heart of exactly what drives each character. How what we notice about others says a lot about us. How the way we react in a situation says a lot about us.
"‘When my father died,’ Alina said, ‘I didn’t cry for a long time. My husband and his mother didn’t understand. I could see them watching me, as if they were not satisfied until I wept.’ She shrugged. ‘Tears are a crude measurement of grief.’"
This is a quiet but beautiful book about the lives we live, the things that happen to us, the choices we make as a result, and how, in the end we get to choose.
thank you to netgalley and Legend Press to an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
January 25, 2024
The lives of all the key characters in this novel are teetering on the edge of issues within their lives, when the bus many of them are travelling in, falls into a sink hole in the road. In the rescue attempt the bus sinks further into the abyss before escape for all is possible.
The novel explores the issues engulfing each person and allows them to confront and address their problems.
This is not a cheerful novel nor is it dramatically dynamic. Instead each character is allowed to speak out, with an internal monologue that allows them to reveal and resolve their issues. Because there is no obvious hero, saving the day, this feels realistic and human, more believable and much more satisfying for the reader. Realistically drawn, flawed humans struggle to find a way out, literally and metaphorically, from turmoil to calmer waters.
The novel explores the issues engulfing each person and allows them to confront and address their problems.
This is not a cheerful novel nor is it dramatically dynamic. Instead each character is allowed to speak out, with an internal monologue that allows them to reveal and resolve their issues. Because there is no obvious hero, saving the day, this feels realistic and human, more believable and much more satisfying for the reader. Realistically drawn, flawed humans struggle to find a way out, literally and metaphorically, from turmoil to calmer waters.
March 19, 2021
In Where the Edge Is, disaster befalls a small town in Cork when a bus falls into a sinkhole in the road. The bus is trapped at an angle. Two people at the front of the bus are brought to safety quite soon, but a handful of passengers are at the back and rescuing them will be dangerous and difficult — if they are even alive.
This sounds like a textbook disaster thriller, however Where the Edge Is is actually a quiet, character-driven story told in taut, understated prose from the perspectives of a number of characters. These include Nina, a journalist reporting on the story, Tim, the liaison for the fire service and Richie, the driver of the bus, each already struggling with issues of their own.
As we learn more about the people on the bus, their desperate families, and the professionals gathered at the scene, the layers build to tell a story about individual grief and trauma, about community loss, and about the wider social and political culture that led to the accident – and colours its response.
There is a poignant sense of what might have been, beginning with the decision of the passengers that morning to sit at the back of the bus because a homeless woman – who gained entry with a fake bus pass – was occupying the front and they wanted to avoid her. Each person has a different reason to be there — and a reason why they might easily have been somewhere else.
I loved the voice of this Where the Edge Is, the observation, the sensitive insights. However, I did feel like the novel needed more pace and drama. There was some repetition in the thoughts of the characters, and similarities in their backstories (rather than contrasting experiences that resonate thematically). Some scenes were actually narrated twice from different points of view, but without offering any fresh insights.
One of the reflections of the characters is that people become bored of hearing about grief, that after a certain amount of time they don’t want to hear it again. I felt guilty for having the same thought myself while reading! That’s the trick with fiction, though, isn’t it? To convey unpleasant or uncomfortable sensations while making the experience of reading somehow transcend them.
I did, though, enjoy the observations about public grief, how it becomes somehow packaged and homogenised in everything from radio phone-ins to social media, how people who react differently to loss are viewed with suspicion or resentment.
Where the Edge Is may not hold your attention if you’re looking for an action thriller, but the lovely writing and subtle examination of grief will appeal if you enjoy a more literary approach.
*
I received a copy of Where the Edge Is from the publisher via Netgalley.
This sounds like a textbook disaster thriller, however Where the Edge Is is actually a quiet, character-driven story told in taut, understated prose from the perspectives of a number of characters. These include Nina, a journalist reporting on the story, Tim, the liaison for the fire service and Richie, the driver of the bus, each already struggling with issues of their own.
As we learn more about the people on the bus, their desperate families, and the professionals gathered at the scene, the layers build to tell a story about individual grief and trauma, about community loss, and about the wider social and political culture that led to the accident – and colours its response.
There is a poignant sense of what might have been, beginning with the decision of the passengers that morning to sit at the back of the bus because a homeless woman – who gained entry with a fake bus pass – was occupying the front and they wanted to avoid her. Each person has a different reason to be there — and a reason why they might easily have been somewhere else.
I loved the voice of this Where the Edge Is, the observation, the sensitive insights. However, I did feel like the novel needed more pace and drama. There was some repetition in the thoughts of the characters, and similarities in their backstories (rather than contrasting experiences that resonate thematically). Some scenes were actually narrated twice from different points of view, but without offering any fresh insights.
One of the reflections of the characters is that people become bored of hearing about grief, that after a certain amount of time they don’t want to hear it again. I felt guilty for having the same thought myself while reading! That’s the trick with fiction, though, isn’t it? To convey unpleasant or uncomfortable sensations while making the experience of reading somehow transcend them.
I did, though, enjoy the observations about public grief, how it becomes somehow packaged and homogenised in everything from radio phone-ins to social media, how people who react differently to loss are viewed with suspicion or resentment.
Where the Edge Is may not hold your attention if you’re looking for an action thriller, but the lovely writing and subtle examination of grief will appeal if you enjoy a more literary approach.
*
I received a copy of Where the Edge Is from the publisher via Netgalley.
December 15, 2020
I want to thank Netgalley and Legend Press for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
What I found really surprising about this book is that I expected it to revolve around the tragedy, but it actually encompassed so much more. This book perfectly described different kinds of grief in different kinds of people, with everyone dealing with that grief in their own unique way. Even two people whose grief has the same source approach it so differently. The characters were definitely the strong point of this novel because each time while reading their perspectives the narration felt utterly unique. Chapeau, Murphy!
Even though I did not mind the focus on more than the accident, the accident itself sometimes became a little bit too much on the background in my opinion. I would have liked to read more narratives from the people inside the bus, but that was, unfortunately, a rather small aspect compared to the people on the outside. Sometimes I was even wondering how the people on the bus were faring, even though the book revolved around the rescue.
I would have given this book 4 stars if more attention was paid to other characters in the book than Tim and Nina. For example, I would have liked to have a direct perspective of one of the parents (maybe from Orla). In my opinion, too much attention was given to Nina and Tim. Their story was definitely intriguing but became a bit repetitive at some point.
To sum up, I enjoyed this book with its great prose on characters with different kinds of grief and beautiful sentences and observations. Despite this, I would have liked it better with some more updates in the crash and a better division of narratives.
What I found really surprising about this book is that I expected it to revolve around the tragedy, but it actually encompassed so much more. This book perfectly described different kinds of grief in different kinds of people, with everyone dealing with that grief in their own unique way. Even two people whose grief has the same source approach it so differently. The characters were definitely the strong point of this novel because each time while reading their perspectives the narration felt utterly unique. Chapeau, Murphy!
Even though I did not mind the focus on more than the accident, the accident itself sometimes became a little bit too much on the background in my opinion. I would have liked to read more narratives from the people inside the bus, but that was, unfortunately, a rather small aspect compared to the people on the outside. Sometimes I was even wondering how the people on the bus were faring, even though the book revolved around the rescue.
I would have given this book 4 stars if more attention was paid to other characters in the book than Tim and Nina. For example, I would have liked to have a direct perspective of one of the parents (maybe from Orla). In my opinion, too much attention was given to Nina and Tim. Their story was definitely intriguing but became a bit repetitive at some point.
To sum up, I enjoyed this book with its great prose on characters with different kinds of grief and beautiful sentences and observations. Despite this, I would have liked it better with some more updates in the crash and a better division of narratives.
September 8, 2020
When a road subsides to leave a bus and passengers trapped beneath, Gráinne Murphy takes the reader on a journey to tell the story of how one random event can cause not only the physical, but the metaphorical crumbling of foundations beneath the surface of the characters involved.
The novel explores themes of trauma, faith, strength and resilience, and identity. It explores how shared fear and trauma can unite and divide, and can bring to the surface old wounds that have not fully healed.
Murphy creates a character focussed novel...portraying honest, believable, flawed but endearing characters. Taking it in turn to tell the story from the perspective of five different individuals, sometimes with overlapping chronologies, Murphy elegantly reflects the same sequence of events or conversations from alternate viewpoints.
I did feel that there was not a strong enough voice from those trapped within the bus, or their families, which in my opinion should have taken on a far bigger aspect of the novel. The opportunity here was missed to build a greater level of suspense, fear and anticipation in the reader, with Lucy’s narrative (representative of this group of individuals) included only from part 2 onwards and the choice of storyline creating an alternate focal point.
I could draw parallels with this, and After the End by Clare Mackintosh...if you enjoyed After the End I would strongly recommend this novel.
I would like to thank Legend Press and Netgalley for providing me with this e-book in exchange for an honest review, and congratulate Gráinne Murphy on a wonderful debut novel.
The novel explores themes of trauma, faith, strength and resilience, and identity. It explores how shared fear and trauma can unite and divide, and can bring to the surface old wounds that have not fully healed.
Murphy creates a character focussed novel...portraying honest, believable, flawed but endearing characters. Taking it in turn to tell the story from the perspective of five different individuals, sometimes with overlapping chronologies, Murphy elegantly reflects the same sequence of events or conversations from alternate viewpoints.
I did feel that there was not a strong enough voice from those trapped within the bus, or their families, which in my opinion should have taken on a far bigger aspect of the novel. The opportunity here was missed to build a greater level of suspense, fear and anticipation in the reader, with Lucy’s narrative (representative of this group of individuals) included only from part 2 onwards and the choice of storyline creating an alternate focal point.
I could draw parallels with this, and After the End by Clare Mackintosh...if you enjoyed After the End I would strongly recommend this novel.
I would like to thank Legend Press and Netgalley for providing me with this e-book in exchange for an honest review, and congratulate Gráinne Murphy on a wonderful debut novel.
June 3, 2024
A mature and sobering book about loss and grieving. The writer's comprehension and exegesis of the subject is almost surgical.
The disappearance of a bus down a sink hole brings a divorced couple back into each other orbits, one as a fire and rescue chief and one as a journalist tasked with telling the stories of the families who wait for news of their loved ones. The couple's unresolved grief following a bereavement brings a personal and poignant angle to the crisis and its aftermath.
This is the second book I've read by this author, but it won't be the last. I admire her prose, so poised and perfectly apt, her dry, sometimes dark humour, and the way she is able to get beneath the skins of several characters.
The disappearance of a bus down a sink hole brings a divorced couple back into each other orbits, one as a fire and rescue chief and one as a journalist tasked with telling the stories of the families who wait for news of their loved ones. The couple's unresolved grief following a bereavement brings a personal and poignant angle to the crisis and its aftermath.
This is the second book I've read by this author, but it won't be the last. I admire her prose, so poised and perfectly apt, her dry, sometimes dark humour, and the way she is able to get beneath the skins of several characters.
September 22, 2020
This is a fantastic debut from Gráinne Murphy. The book centers around an accident. A bus is unexpectedly engulfed by a sink hole, trapping five passengers inside. Now, you’d expect a novel like this to be an action-packed story of heroism & people defying all odds to rescue and be rescued. It is in parts, however the main premise of the story follows the very human stories of those surrounding the accident - namely Nina, a journalist at the scene, and her ex-husband Tim, Fire Department Liaison Officer - as well as the stories of those stuck inside the ever-sinking bus wreckage.
This is a thoroughly character-driven novel which covers such a vast array of human tragedies, human emotions and societal issues. Tim and Nina are at the forefront of the story, both of whom are struggling to grieve the loss of their 11-month old daughter, Aisling. This disaster brings these two characters directly into contact with each others lives, and in turn causes them to evaluate what happened, where they’re currently at in their grief, and attempt to formulate a future for themselves. Now, to my relief there is no sordid romance - that would definitely act to take away from the raw human emotion of the story.
Our experiences of Nina and Tim, are interspersed with the stories of those trapped within the wreckage - and of course, the stories of their families. We meet characters from a whole host of backgrounds, who have very varied experiences of life thus far, and also have very different attitudes towards their current scenario. We, the readers, are taken on a journey which deals with issues of race, mental illness, disability, grief, love, loss, hope and death. In no particular order! It is such a thought-provoking read, that has so many different dimensions to its story - each of which did not take from our experience of the other. I certainly recommend this one!
This is a thoroughly character-driven novel which covers such a vast array of human tragedies, human emotions and societal issues. Tim and Nina are at the forefront of the story, both of whom are struggling to grieve the loss of their 11-month old daughter, Aisling. This disaster brings these two characters directly into contact with each others lives, and in turn causes them to evaluate what happened, where they’re currently at in their grief, and attempt to formulate a future for themselves. Now, to my relief there is no sordid romance - that would definitely act to take away from the raw human emotion of the story.
Our experiences of Nina and Tim, are interspersed with the stories of those trapped within the wreckage - and of course, the stories of their families. We meet characters from a whole host of backgrounds, who have very varied experiences of life thus far, and also have very different attitudes towards their current scenario. We, the readers, are taken on a journey which deals with issues of race, mental illness, disability, grief, love, loss, hope and death. In no particular order! It is such a thought-provoking read, that has so many different dimensions to its story - each of which did not take from our experience of the other. I certainly recommend this one!
January 29, 2021
This novel is about much more than a harrowing bus crash and its victims. It is much more about grief and guilt...and finding a path forward in survival. I loved this exploration of the damage that people carry in all its forms. Thank you NetGalley and publishers for providing a digital ARC for review.
September 2, 2020
An extraordinary debut.A small Irish town a horrible bus accident ,passengers trapped.As we watch we are introduced to the passengers the victims .We meet the towns people the people covering the accident.We read about the town the lives of the victims.This novel is so involving so haunting a book I read late into the night an author a novel I will be highly recommending.
August 12, 2020
Packs an emotional punch from all angles.
A small village,and a disaster that impacts all involved.
Beautiful writing,it left me a little emotional at times.
A small village,and a disaster that impacts all involved.
Beautiful writing,it left me a little emotional at times.
August 22, 2020
This is a hard book to read, not because of the writing but because of the subject matter. Major themes are grief and loss and how people deal with what is arguably the worst loss of all - the death of a child.
Nina is a journalist and she and Tim had a child Aisling who died around eleven months old. It broke up their marriage and Tim is now with another partner, Deb. Nina has recently returned to work and covers a bus accident which has fallen into a sink hole trapping most of the passengers inside. Retrieving the passengers safely is incredibly difficult after managing to get out two - the bus driver and a Muslim woman, both of whom Nina interviews. Using a crane proves to be fruitless because of its weight and so much time is wasted while trying to find an effective strategy. Tim is with emergency services and now works in a more public relations role rather than at the coal face and so he and Nina need to work together at times during the assignment which leads them to reflect on the death of their daughter and how each has managed their grief.
The story could easily be lifted off the nightly news and so the humanity is expressed through the characters who take turns in telling the story from their own position as part of the bus tragedy. It's well written and structured but for me there seemed to be something missing. I found it hard to really visualise the characters and although the story gripped enough to keep reading, it didn't stay with me when I took a break. Perhaps this was my own doing in subconsciously distancing myself from the gruelling subject matter or perhaps the author intentionally structured it so that some distance was built in because who can bear being immersed in loss and grief?
Ultimately it's a successful story exploring these difficult themes from multiple points of view. But from a personal perspective the subject matter was tough to read in these Covid-19 times.
Nina is a journalist and she and Tim had a child Aisling who died around eleven months old. It broke up their marriage and Tim is now with another partner, Deb. Nina has recently returned to work and covers a bus accident which has fallen into a sink hole trapping most of the passengers inside. Retrieving the passengers safely is incredibly difficult after managing to get out two - the bus driver and a Muslim woman, both of whom Nina interviews. Using a crane proves to be fruitless because of its weight and so much time is wasted while trying to find an effective strategy. Tim is with emergency services and now works in a more public relations role rather than at the coal face and so he and Nina need to work together at times during the assignment which leads them to reflect on the death of their daughter and how each has managed their grief.
The story could easily be lifted off the nightly news and so the humanity is expressed through the characters who take turns in telling the story from their own position as part of the bus tragedy. It's well written and structured but for me there seemed to be something missing. I found it hard to really visualise the characters and although the story gripped enough to keep reading, it didn't stay with me when I took a break. Perhaps this was my own doing in subconsciously distancing myself from the gruelling subject matter or perhaps the author intentionally structured it so that some distance was built in because who can bear being immersed in loss and grief?
Ultimately it's a successful story exploring these difficult themes from multiple points of view. But from a personal perspective the subject matter was tough to read in these Covid-19 times.
September 5, 2020
Well, this was a book with a difference and a refreshing read that I really enjoyed. Totally unexpected in so much as the different emotions it stirred in me. This is a brilliant plot and if you like a book to kick off with a bang this is one for you. The pace is then fast all the way to the end. I read this in one enjoyable sitting.
As a sleepy town in rural Ireland starts to wake, a road subsides, trapping an early-morning bus and five passengers inside. Rescue teams struggle and as two are eventually saved, the bus falls deeper into the hole.
Under the watchful eyes of the media, the lives of three people are teetering on the edge. And for those on the outside, from Nina, the reporter covering the story, to rescue liaison, Tim, and Richie, the driver pulled from the wreckage, each are made to look at themselves under the glare of the spotlight.
Do you save yourself before others? A split-second decision opens up one heck of a can of worms in this story.
Imagine, you are trapped in a bus that has sunk into the ground as the road gives way on a perfectly normal day. Horrendous. This book really portrays how the media can influence and misdirect public opinion. Everybody seems to have their view on this disaster and those involved.
We here from many voices. The most harrowing being the voices of those trapped in the bus. Oh my. I could really feel the terror and there are some very moving parts in the book that will no doubt touch your heart. It's both a novel with excitement, pace tightly intertwined with characters with flaws, emotions and both hope and grief.
A really great read, highly recommended if you love a page-turner!
As a sleepy town in rural Ireland starts to wake, a road subsides, trapping an early-morning bus and five passengers inside. Rescue teams struggle and as two are eventually saved, the bus falls deeper into the hole.
Under the watchful eyes of the media, the lives of three people are teetering on the edge. And for those on the outside, from Nina, the reporter covering the story, to rescue liaison, Tim, and Richie, the driver pulled from the wreckage, each are made to look at themselves under the glare of the spotlight.
Do you save yourself before others? A split-second decision opens up one heck of a can of worms in this story.
Imagine, you are trapped in a bus that has sunk into the ground as the road gives way on a perfectly normal day. Horrendous. This book really portrays how the media can influence and misdirect public opinion. Everybody seems to have their view on this disaster and those involved.
We here from many voices. The most harrowing being the voices of those trapped in the bus. Oh my. I could really feel the terror and there are some very moving parts in the book that will no doubt touch your heart. It's both a novel with excitement, pace tightly intertwined with characters with flaws, emotions and both hope and grief.
A really great read, highly recommended if you love a page-turner!
September 6, 2020
This is certainly a well-written, intelligent and insightful novel about a bus accident in rural Ireland and its aftermath, and an enjoyable and entertaining read, but I didn’t feel it amounted to much more than that in spite of the exaggerated claims that have been made for it. The accident itself is well-handled but it’s the aftermath that is the core of the book and Murphy approaches this with compassion and understanding. However I didn’t feel that she brought anything new to the table and for that reason I found the book disappointing overall. One of the survivors is Muslim so inevitably there are conspiracy theories, rumours and murmurings about terrorism. The road collapses thus causing the accident and predictably there are murmurings about corruption and inadequate planning controls. Politicians are wheeled out to murmur the usual platitudes then scurry away again. The media behaves with its usual lack of conscience. “Lessons will be learnt” is the inevitable cry. So far so good, but not so new. I think it would have been better to concentrate on fewer characters as Murphy spreads her net wide making for a fractured narrative and leaving no time to really get to know or identify with any single person. However, I did enjoy it on the whole and it mostly kept me engaged, so that’s a big plus.
October 12, 2020
This debut novel from Grainne Murphy details the events surrounding a bus toppling into a sink hole in a rural Irish town. The book features individual chapters from the point of view of 5 main characters; Nina (a journalist covering the event) Tim (firefighter and Nina's ex husband), Richie (the bus driver) Alina (one of the rescued passengers) and Lucy (a passenger awaiting rescue). Each one of these characters is shown to be suffering their own type of personal tragedy, in particular that of Nina and Tim, whose only child Aisling died as a baby. The author also explores universal themes such as loneliness, grief, racism, family and prejudice. The characters were credible and drawn from real life. It is also praiseworthy for some beautiful descriptive language which reveals the challenges, humanity and sadness of the everyday life
While there was great potential for this plot device, I felt there was something missing from this novel, which I am finding it hard to put my finger on. There was a disassociation between the characters and the drama of the event itself which was not fully developed. Overall this novel left me cold, and I really wanted to like it. Perhaps this has a lot to do with the times we live in, where it seems harder than normal to read stories of grief? I wish the author well with her novel. 2 stars from me.
While there was great potential for this plot device, I felt there was something missing from this novel, which I am finding it hard to put my finger on. There was a disassociation between the characters and the drama of the event itself which was not fully developed. Overall this novel left me cold, and I really wanted to like it. Perhaps this has a lot to do with the times we live in, where it seems harder than normal to read stories of grief? I wish the author well with her novel. 2 stars from me.
October 8, 2020
This was an excellently written story, with some beautiful prose and descriptions, however for me I just wanted a little more action given the plot. A road crumbles in Ireland causing a bus to crash with 5 passengers trapped inside. The story is then told from a variety of perspectives both outside and inside the bus, and there is also a focus on the media reporting on the crash.
I thought that the concept of the story was so interesting and unique and it was definitely a moving read. There is a strong focus on grief and loss in the story, as well as themes of racism and family which were explored in a highly thought-provoking manner. Murphy has mastered the art of intricate descriptions and her analysis of people's emotions and actions was highly detailed. However, for me sometimes the descriptions and analysis were slightly overpowering and made the narrative a little slow given that there was not much action. I think that had the beautiful writing been intertwined with a little more action and impact I would have absolutely loved this book and had it down as one of my faves. As it is, it was a good read, but not totally for me this time.
I thought that the concept of the story was so interesting and unique and it was definitely a moving read. There is a strong focus on grief and loss in the story, as well as themes of racism and family which were explored in a highly thought-provoking manner. Murphy has mastered the art of intricate descriptions and her analysis of people's emotions and actions was highly detailed. However, for me sometimes the descriptions and analysis were slightly overpowering and made the narrative a little slow given that there was not much action. I think that had the beautiful writing been intertwined with a little more action and impact I would have absolutely loved this book and had it down as one of my faves. As it is, it was a good read, but not totally for me this time.
September 1, 2020
This book wasn't quite what I expected. It appeared to be an interesting story about a bus that disappears down a sinkhole, with people trapped inside. Two escape immediately, the rest are still trapped.
The story doesn't touch on this much however, instead focusing on the main characters of a female journalist and her ex, a fireman, both who are present at the scene. They've experienced misfortune and sorrow in their lives - their only child dies as a baby - and the focus of the book is around their grief surrounding this event.
I managed to get 60% through before deciding that I wasn't really invested in any of the characters, on or off the bus , and couldn't really care what happened.- so I gave up on it and stopped reading.
If this book appeals to you because of the story about a bus ending up in a sinkhole, be aware that that plays a very minor role in this story.
If you like books examining the grief of others in detail, then this might be a good book for you.
The story doesn't touch on this much however, instead focusing on the main characters of a female journalist and her ex, a fireman, both who are present at the scene. They've experienced misfortune and sorrow in their lives - their only child dies as a baby - and the focus of the book is around their grief surrounding this event.
I managed to get 60% through before deciding that I wasn't really invested in any of the characters, on or off the bus , and couldn't really care what happened.- so I gave up on it and stopped reading.
If this book appeals to you because of the story about a bus ending up in a sinkhole, be aware that that plays a very minor role in this story.
If you like books examining the grief of others in detail, then this might be a good book for you.
March 9, 2021
Maybe I'm missing something, looking at the glowing reviews, but for me this was a dull read.
It had so much potential, a bus crash, 2 grieving parents, a son losing his mother to alzheimer's, racial aspects. Yet none of these issues really got going and subsequently I got bored.
If you read the synopsis expecting a thrilling read about a bus crash, you'll be disappointed as that really is just a fraction of this book, it mainly focuses on the reporter, the fire service rep & the 2 passengers who escape.
It had so much potential, a bus crash, 2 grieving parents, a son losing his mother to alzheimer's, racial aspects. Yet none of these issues really got going and subsequently I got bored.
If you read the synopsis expecting a thrilling read about a bus crash, you'll be disappointed as that really is just a fraction of this book, it mainly focuses on the reporter, the fire service rep & the 2 passengers who escape.
September 16, 2020
Firstly, this book is written beautifully and looks tastefully at the sensitive issue of grief. However, for me I wanted to know more about the characters in the bus rather than Nina and Tim. Overall, I think this book is more of a character study of Nina and Time and their grief that uses the bus accident as a vehicle to portray that story.
For me it just felt a little drawn out and I would have loved more about Lucy, Paul and Orla.
For me it just felt a little drawn out and I would have loved more about Lucy, Paul and Orla.
October 10, 2020
In rural Ireland, a bus falls into a sinkhole; aboard are eight people. The driver and one passenger are quickly extricated, leaving six others trapped. Rescue teams work frantically to determine the best way to pull them to safety while the media reports on the operation. The perspective of five people is given: Tim (the liaison between the family of the trapped passengers and the rescue team), Nina (a reporter covering the story and Tim’s ex-wife), Richie (the bus driver), Alina (the first passenger rescued), and Lucy (one of the people still in the bus).
Though the bus crash and the rescue efforts bring together the main characters, the novel does not actually focus on these events. Instead, we are given the individual backstories of the five characters. Tim and Nina lost their daughter Aisling just before her first birthday and their marriage fell apart afterwards. Richie has just placed his mother who is suffering from Alzheimer’s in a care facility. Alina, a Muslim immigrant from Lebanon, has to contend with an overbearing, Catholic mother-in-law. Lucy, drifting through life and between unsatisfactory relationships, has just moved back in with her difficult mother. Each person seems to be on the edge, trying to get free from an unhappy life and move on.
The novel examines a number of issues. One theme is the loss of a child: Nina and Tim are grieving the death of their daughter but are trying to cope in very different ways. Another theme is religious intolerance. When Alina, a Muslim, is freed from the bus, rumours begin that she may in fact have been responsible for the accident. One of the parents of a trapped victim tells Nina, “’That woman that got out? That Muslim and her so-called miraculous escape? That’s what you should be looking into . . . Terrorism in your own back yard . . . ‘” The topic of immigration is explored: Alina thinks that “Ireland’s welcome no longer the great warmth [her father] remembered, but a thin thing, with the air of having its patience tried by overuse.” The reasons for homelessness are mentioned: “What differentiated the person led straight off the edge of the cliff from the person who veered harmlessly along the grassy verge?” The plight of those suffering mental illness is addressed, “the poor souls released to the community when the old psychiatric hospital in the city closed down. They were given six months’ warning before being sent out into the world with neither skills nor motivation for anything but the rhythm of walking. For putting their lives down one step at a time.” These people are avoided and ignored; “There was a whole layer of people living in a parallel world, invisibility the tax they paid on whatever circumstances had led them out of their lives.”
A problem with the book is that it tries to touch on too many subjects. Besides what I’ve already mentioned, identity and belonging, parent-child relationships, relationships post-divorce, and racism are themes explored. I kept thinking there should be more focus on one or two main ideas. Maybe having fewer perspectives would have helped to add cohesiveness.
The language is wonderful. As most of the above quotations indicate, the style is lyrical. And there are some wonderful images; I especially loved a man’s actions being described as having “all the intensity of his mam when she was waiting on the last bingo number for a full house.” Life after giving birth to a child is described as the mother being both consumed and renewed: “Your old life, your old self, pushed out with the afterbirth, like being in a witness protection programme, your old identity no longer available, a new one all ready and waiting for you to step into. Relearning the world together.”
Sadness pervades. At times it was almost overwhelming. A mother’s grief after the death of a child is exquisitely described: “In labour, with each contraction your heart expanded to accommodate your daughter. Shed like excess weight, your heart was left with folds that hang empty, too big for the little that was left behind.” Reading was almost painful, perhaps exacerbated by the fact that I recently read another novel, coincidently by another Irish female writer, which also explored grief at the loss of a child.
Readers looking for an action-packed read should look elsewhere. This is a slow-paced novel where the conflicts are interior ones. Though a bit unfocused and in need of tightening, this debut book suggests Gráinne Murphy is a promising writer. I will certainly be looking out for her future work.
Note: I received a digital galley from the publisher.
Please check out my reader's blog (https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/) and follow me on Twitter (@DCYakabuski).
Though the bus crash and the rescue efforts bring together the main characters, the novel does not actually focus on these events. Instead, we are given the individual backstories of the five characters. Tim and Nina lost their daughter Aisling just before her first birthday and their marriage fell apart afterwards. Richie has just placed his mother who is suffering from Alzheimer’s in a care facility. Alina, a Muslim immigrant from Lebanon, has to contend with an overbearing, Catholic mother-in-law. Lucy, drifting through life and between unsatisfactory relationships, has just moved back in with her difficult mother. Each person seems to be on the edge, trying to get free from an unhappy life and move on.
The novel examines a number of issues. One theme is the loss of a child: Nina and Tim are grieving the death of their daughter but are trying to cope in very different ways. Another theme is religious intolerance. When Alina, a Muslim, is freed from the bus, rumours begin that she may in fact have been responsible for the accident. One of the parents of a trapped victim tells Nina, “’That woman that got out? That Muslim and her so-called miraculous escape? That’s what you should be looking into . . . Terrorism in your own back yard . . . ‘” The topic of immigration is explored: Alina thinks that “Ireland’s welcome no longer the great warmth [her father] remembered, but a thin thing, with the air of having its patience tried by overuse.” The reasons for homelessness are mentioned: “What differentiated the person led straight off the edge of the cliff from the person who veered harmlessly along the grassy verge?” The plight of those suffering mental illness is addressed, “the poor souls released to the community when the old psychiatric hospital in the city closed down. They were given six months’ warning before being sent out into the world with neither skills nor motivation for anything but the rhythm of walking. For putting their lives down one step at a time.” These people are avoided and ignored; “There was a whole layer of people living in a parallel world, invisibility the tax they paid on whatever circumstances had led them out of their lives.”
A problem with the book is that it tries to touch on too many subjects. Besides what I’ve already mentioned, identity and belonging, parent-child relationships, relationships post-divorce, and racism are themes explored. I kept thinking there should be more focus on one or two main ideas. Maybe having fewer perspectives would have helped to add cohesiveness.
The language is wonderful. As most of the above quotations indicate, the style is lyrical. And there are some wonderful images; I especially loved a man’s actions being described as having “all the intensity of his mam when she was waiting on the last bingo number for a full house.” Life after giving birth to a child is described as the mother being both consumed and renewed: “Your old life, your old self, pushed out with the afterbirth, like being in a witness protection programme, your old identity no longer available, a new one all ready and waiting for you to step into. Relearning the world together.”
Sadness pervades. At times it was almost overwhelming. A mother’s grief after the death of a child is exquisitely described: “In labour, with each contraction your heart expanded to accommodate your daughter. Shed like excess weight, your heart was left with folds that hang empty, too big for the little that was left behind.” Reading was almost painful, perhaps exacerbated by the fact that I recently read another novel, coincidently by another Irish female writer, which also explored grief at the loss of a child.
Readers looking for an action-packed read should look elsewhere. This is a slow-paced novel where the conflicts are interior ones. Though a bit unfocused and in need of tightening, this debut book suggests Gráinne Murphy is a promising writer. I will certainly be looking out for her future work.
Note: I received a digital galley from the publisher.
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