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Listening Still
From the bestselling author of When All is Said comes a delicious new novel about a young woman who can hear the dead - a talent which is both a gift and a curse.
Jeanie Masterson has a gift: she can hear the last words of the dead.
Passed down from generation to generation, this gift means she is able to make wrongs right, to give voice to unspoken love and dying regrets. She and her father have worked happily alongside each other for years, but now he's unexpectedly announced that he wants to retire early and leave the business to her and her life is called into question.
Does she really want to be married to the embalmer, or does she want to be with her childhood sweetheart, off in London? Does she want to have children, and pass this gift on to them? And does she want to be stuck in this small town, or is there more of the world she wants to see - like the South of France, where she's discovered a woman who shares her gift?
Tied to her home by this unusual talent, she begins to question: what if what she's always thought of as a gift is a curse?
Jeanie Masterson has a gift: she can hear the last words of the dead.
Passed down from generation to generation, this gift means she is able to make wrongs right, to give voice to unspoken love and dying regrets. She and her father have worked happily alongside each other for years, but now he's unexpectedly announced that he wants to retire early and leave the business to her and her life is called into question.
Does she really want to be married to the embalmer, or does she want to be with her childhood sweetheart, off in London? Does she want to have children, and pass this gift on to them? And does she want to be stuck in this small town, or is there more of the world she wants to see - like the South of France, where she's discovered a woman who shares her gift?
Tied to her home by this unusual talent, she begins to question: what if what she's always thought of as a gift is a curse?
353 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 27, 2021
About the author
Anne Griffin
3 books1,001 followersAnne Griffin is an Irish novelist.
Anne's third book 'The Island of Longing' will be published on May 4th, 2023
Anne was awarded the Newcomer of the year at the Irish Book awards 2019 for her debut novel 'When All Is Said'.
'Listening Still' and 'When All Is Said' are available worldwide, in hard format, e-book and audio.
Anne's third book 'The Island of Longing' will be published on May 4th, 2023
Anne was awarded the Newcomer of the year at the Irish Book awards 2019 for her debut novel 'When All Is Said'.
'Listening Still' and 'When All Is Said' are available worldwide, in hard format, e-book and audio.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 556 reviews
September 11, 2021
Listening Still by Anne Griffin (Author) Nicola Coughlan (Narrator)
Jeanie Masterson can hear the last words of the dead and they can hear her. It's a gift and a curse because she feels this obligation to listen to the dead, to pass on their messages to the living. The only other person who can do this is her father and he doesn't always pass on what the dead want to pass on. He'll sugar coat the message or change it entirely because he doesn't want to hurt anyone's feelings. Jeanie feels conflicted about what her father does but then she feels conflicted about everything.
Coming from a family where it always feels like everyone is holding back from saying what they really think and feel, Jeanie has adapted to this way of not communicating. She is such a frustrating person to me. She spends years not answering the questions of people who love her, leaving herself and them hanging, with no end in sight. It's as if she craves this hanging on of her never to be reached hopes and wishes and of men whose lives are put on hold waiting for her to give answers to questions. What is most frustrating is when she knows the answer but still won't say it out loud, It's a cruel way of living and a cruel way to treat the people in her life.
But family is where she learned a lot of what she does. Not that it's spoken about or addressed. This family doesn't address anything important and seems to revolve around not dealing with the most important issues of their lives. So I felt sad while reading this story, for this woman who is so removed from life that she is really only living it in her head. She communicates better with the dead than she does with the living. I will say though, that I still enjoyed the book and the narration of the story. I could tell, early on, not to get invested in Jeanie's actions or inactions because nothing much was going to happen if she had her way.
Publication: March 1, 2022
Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for this ARC
Jeanie Masterson can hear the last words of the dead and they can hear her. It's a gift and a curse because she feels this obligation to listen to the dead, to pass on their messages to the living. The only other person who can do this is her father and he doesn't always pass on what the dead want to pass on. He'll sugar coat the message or change it entirely because he doesn't want to hurt anyone's feelings. Jeanie feels conflicted about what her father does but then she feels conflicted about everything.
Coming from a family where it always feels like everyone is holding back from saying what they really think and feel, Jeanie has adapted to this way of not communicating. She is such a frustrating person to me. She spends years not answering the questions of people who love her, leaving herself and them hanging, with no end in sight. It's as if she craves this hanging on of her never to be reached hopes and wishes and of men whose lives are put on hold waiting for her to give answers to questions. What is most frustrating is when she knows the answer but still won't say it out loud, It's a cruel way of living and a cruel way to treat the people in her life.
But family is where she learned a lot of what she does. Not that it's spoken about or addressed. This family doesn't address anything important and seems to revolve around not dealing with the most important issues of their lives. So I felt sad while reading this story, for this woman who is so removed from life that she is really only living it in her head. She communicates better with the dead than she does with the living. I will say though, that I still enjoyed the book and the narration of the story. I could tell, early on, not to get invested in Jeanie's actions or inactions because nothing much was going to happen if she had her way.
Publication: March 1, 2022
Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for this ARC
March 29, 2021
Anne Griffin follows her stunning debut When All is Said with this novel that focuses on 32 year old Jeanie Masterson working at Masterson Funeral Directors with her parents, her Aunt Harry, an embalmer just like her husband, Niall Longley, whom she has known since she was a toddler, and her autistic brother, Mikey, set in his ways, unsettled by change, and obsessed with military history and gaming. It is set in a small Irish town, Kilross, where everyone knows everyone. Jeanie has inherited an unusual family gift from her father, she can hear the dead for a small period after their death. This was apparent when as a small child she sought the company of the dead, perfectly at home with them, listening to what they had to say.
This gift has been a curse and a blessing, she was bullied at school, but she treasures it as well, it allows the dead to say what they left unsaid, including expressing love and other more practical matters, bringing comfort and closure to the bereaved, although sometimes what the dead have to say can be unpalatable and hurtful. This raises the issue of how truthful to be when relaying messages from the dead to the living, Jeanie's father decides to be kind and lie, which makes her uncomfortable. Her father has now decided to retire, leaving the business for Jeanie to run, a act that brings to the surface issues she has buried deep, whether this is what she wants to do, and raising the precarious state of her marriage as Niall makes clear that he is no longer willing to put up with her prevarications. He wants children, a dog, and a home by the coast, not wanting to put up with second best as he leaves to stay with a friend. Whether she likes it or not, Jeanie must face issues of love, family secrets, the grief of an unbearable loss, as she goes in search of who she is.
There is much to enjoy about this novel as it shifts from past to present to give us insights into Jeanie's life, her best friend, Sarah Byrne aka Peanut, the pivotal entry at school of new boy, Fionn, from Dublin, a photographer, and her relationship with Niall through the years. Perhaps because my expectations were so high, my response to the book includes a level of disappointment too, I found the character of Jeanie frustrating and I didn't warm to her, her emotional absence from critical areas of life, her gift didn't have the heft I would have expected in the story and the family secret felt inconsequential at best. Nevertheless, this is an entertaining, well written, and engaging read and I know many other readers will love the novel. Many thanks to Hodder and Stoughton for an ARC.
This gift has been a curse and a blessing, she was bullied at school, but she treasures it as well, it allows the dead to say what they left unsaid, including expressing love and other more practical matters, bringing comfort and closure to the bereaved, although sometimes what the dead have to say can be unpalatable and hurtful. This raises the issue of how truthful to be when relaying messages from the dead to the living, Jeanie's father decides to be kind and lie, which makes her uncomfortable. Her father has now decided to retire, leaving the business for Jeanie to run, a act that brings to the surface issues she has buried deep, whether this is what she wants to do, and raising the precarious state of her marriage as Niall makes clear that he is no longer willing to put up with her prevarications. He wants children, a dog, and a home by the coast, not wanting to put up with second best as he leaves to stay with a friend. Whether she likes it or not, Jeanie must face issues of love, family secrets, the grief of an unbearable loss, as she goes in search of who she is.
There is much to enjoy about this novel as it shifts from past to present to give us insights into Jeanie's life, her best friend, Sarah Byrne aka Peanut, the pivotal entry at school of new boy, Fionn, from Dublin, a photographer, and her relationship with Niall through the years. Perhaps because my expectations were so high, my response to the book includes a level of disappointment too, I found the character of Jeanie frustrating and I didn't warm to her, her emotional absence from critical areas of life, her gift didn't have the heft I would have expected in the story and the family secret felt inconsequential at best. Nevertheless, this is an entertaining, well written, and engaging read and I know many other readers will love the novel. Many thanks to Hodder and Stoughton for an ARC.
July 30, 2021
2.5 Stars
Having read and loved When All Is Said
, I was really looking forward to Listening Still and while it was an ok read it is not one for my favorites list
Set in a small Irish time, where a family of undertakers have a unique gift in that father and daughter can communicate with the dead. The family business has flourished over the years and now the father is ready to had the business and all that entails over to his daughter while he retires.
I wasn’t bowled over by this one, the characters didn't make any impact on me and while the story was readable it just seemed to plod along and didn't intrigue or interest me. There are a couple of twists and turns that readers might appreciate. To sum it up…… a nice summer read to while away the hours on holiday but not not one that will make my favorites list this year.
Having read and loved When All Is Said
, I was really looking forward to Listening Still and while it was an ok read it is not one for my favorites list Set in a small Irish time, where a family of undertakers have a unique gift in that father and daughter can communicate with the dead. The family business has flourished over the years and now the father is ready to had the business and all that entails over to his daughter while he retires.
I wasn’t bowled over by this one, the characters didn't make any impact on me and while the story was readable it just seemed to plod along and didn't intrigue or interest me. There are a couple of twists and turns that readers might appreciate. To sum it up…… a nice summer read to while away the hours on holiday but not not one that will make my favorites list this year.
August 14, 2021
I started listening to this two days ago, and as much as I would have loved to have a kindle copy to highlight sections while reading it, this lovely story is so beautifully narrated by Nicola Coughlan that I consider it an unexpected blessing to receive a copy of the audiobook, instead.
If I’d remembered what the topic of this story was, I likely would have postponed listening to it. As it was, it turned out to be the perfect book for me to immerse myself in.
Jeanie has the ability to hear, and speak to the dead in their last moments, an ability that her father David also has. In a gentle gesture of love, they pass along any messages left with them from those who have shared various thoughts upon their passing. Some messages offers comfort, or instructions on where they may find some important item or information. Others, in their final moments, share regrets, trying to unburden their soul of some deed their guilt insists they share.
And then Jeanie is told that her father wants to retire, and wants her, expects her, to take over the family business. While she loves what she does, the responsibility of it weighs on her, and the idea of being in charge of the family business feels overwhelming, her reaction feels claustrophobic in nature. Trapped by something she isn’t sure she wants, she never asked for, while at the same time recognizing that she will never be able to escape this gift.
This story shares her early years, as well, the teasing she is forced to endure from schoolmates, calling her Morticia, knowing that she is surrounded by the dead. This intensifies once her schoolmates learn that she talks to the dead, and that they talk to her. She is taunted, mocked and teased. Over time, it takes a toll on her, and she longs to leave this gift behind.
’I wanted to run… run to the edges of this world, to teeter on its sheer cliff tops, to lift my head skyward, to breathe in the air that demanded nothing of me.’
There is much introspection as she examines her relationship with Niall, a man she was friends with from childhood, until their relationship turned to love. She finds herself debating if it is a relationship she wants to hold onto, or one to let go of in order to open herself to new possibilities. She struggles to accept that what she wants is also important, and tries to leave behind her need to please others.
‘Everything inside of me was falling, splitting, rivers of cracks making their way to every corner of me.’
I loved every minute, every second of listening to this story and the lovely, tender moments and the tangled, disheveled truth of living day to day. Life is never perfect, but the imperfections of life in this story are what make it relatable.
A story of family, of love, and finding a life that speaks to our heart, one that fulfills our hopes and dreams for the future.
Published: 01 Mar 2022
Many thanks for the ARC provided by Macmillan Audio / St. Martin’s Press
February 2, 2022
There are gifts our families pass on to us through the years, ones that are often fond reminders of our childhood, or specific moments we treasure as the years pass. Some that are touchstones for those moments, or the people that they once belonged to. I have several things which were passed down to me, several that are surely now antiques - a Double Square Face hammer that belonged to my grandfather on my father’s side and likely his father before him which I use fairly often. A small glass cowboy-ish hat made by my grandfather when he worked for one of the two places where they made chimney lamps. A quilt made by my grandmother. A massive antique copper cauldron made by my gr-gr-grandfather. An antique Irish lace tablecloth that was my grandmother’s on my mother’s side of the family. Photographs of my father’s early days as a pilot. Touchstones for me. Reminders of those who were here before me.
For Jeanie, the gift that was passed on to her was less tangible. In their fragile last moments, she could hear, and speak to the dead, a gift her father has as well. In those moments, she listens to their thoughts, the messages or confessions they wish for her to share, or even relieve themselves of before it is too late, hoping it will relieve them of some burden. Some are practical, where to find important papers, apologies, or just wishing they had had more time to say everything they wished they’d said, but never did.
Jeanie has had this gift since she was a toddler following her aunt Harry around in the embalming room, so it was a natural part of her life from before she could remember or even speak. Once she could speak, though, it became apparent to her aunt one day, as Harry was enjoying listening to music when young Jeanie shared that the person she was working on wanted to hear a different song. After a few questions, Harry realizes that this isn’t the first time that Jeanie has heard them speak, it’s just the first time she’s been asked. It was a normal event to her, as her father had always treated it as a normal part of the cycle of life.
’By allowing me to stay, he taught me that the dead and their needs were ours to bear. They were with us everywhere in every sentence we spoke, in every dream we dreamed - not to be hidden or shied away from; they were to be embraced and talked about even by a four year old.’
As years passed, and she attended school, other children who heard about her father’s business would tease her, which escalates even more when they realize that she not only talks to the dead, but they talk to her. Fortunately, she has a few friends that stand by her, and believe her. And as more years pass, she works for her father and she loves what she does, and her childhood friend Niall works for her father, as well, and becomes more than a friend. He views her ability to hear the dead as a special gift.
’And isn’t that the fascination of being human - not believing one thing that seems curious while another, almost as bizarre, is perfectly acceptable. A simple case of evidence, that’s all it came down to for me. Where the dead went to after they spoke, I did not know.’
When the time comes for her father to retire, Jeanie is torn between wanting to continue the family business and wanting to let go of what she’s always known and finding a new life with new prospects. Her father wants her to take over the business, but she isn’t quite as sure that it is what she wants. This is all that she’s known, so is no longer sure what she wants. She begins to question everything, including her relationship with Niall and her gift. Struggling with the balance between her needs and desires, and the desire to please her parents, as well as others.
...no matter how I struggled with the burden of the dead and my family, I knew who I was here and that my gift mattered to me, to the wider community, to the dead. Right here in Kilcross, I was special… I was too scared to lose that which defined me…’
I loved this, reading this story that I’d listened to many months ago. The struggle to make sense of life and death, and the confusions that come with everyday decisions in the course of living, of a life. The struggle to find balance in a life, and to listen to our hearts, to our truths and follow our own paths. I loved how this shared the struggle and confusion of indecision, alongside the tender moments of living, and those imperfect ones, as well. Life rarely follows an easy path, and living is a journey filled with unexpected twists and turns.
A story of family, of love, creating a life that speaks to our heart, and learning to speak to others - as well as listen to them - from our heart.
Published: 01 Mar 2022
Many thanks for the ARC provided by St. Martin’s Press
January 22, 2022
Three Stars
I was alerted of this book by a publisher marketing email, perhaps because I had read this author's previous book When All Is Said. This is a book about a family owned funeral home in Kilcross, Ireland. There is one service, though, that is uniquely special to them: the father and daughter working here can hear the dead's last words. The main character is Jeanie, the daughter who elected to join forces with the family working at the funeral home- rather than running off on an adventure to London with her great love Fionn, the burgeoning photographer. She grapples with this dilemma throughout the book, tracing back the origins of meeting Fionn in school where their attraction was immediate. At the same time, she met another young man named Niall, who in turn crushed on her...only to suffer being cast into the friend zone. As the book begins, Jeanie has been married to Niall for several years, and they live at the funeral home along with the rest of Jeanie's family. Niall wants kids and a dog, but Jeanie isn't ready.
My favorite parts of the book were Jeanie's encounters talking to the dead. These mainly occurred in the room where washing of the body and embalming took place. Jeanie's Aunt Harry would massage the limbs to promote even flow of the embalming solution, and only Jeanie would hear the body giggle as if tickled. Funny. There was only a set amount of time a few days after death that this communication would be possible, so this scenario would be the critical first chance to establish communication. The dead would tell Jeanie many things their loved ones needed to know such as paternity matters, where important papers or money was located, confessions, and what they preferred to wear while laid to rest. People in the area knew of this talent that Jeanie and her father provided and utilized them, even if another funeral service was closer. Many times Jeanie and her father would struggle with having to tell the dead's family/survivors unpleasant or explosive information.
Aside from the riveting communication with the dead, the other facets of this book did not hold as much interest for me. Jeanie had an older brother Mikey who lived in a separate structure on the property. He seemed to be "special" and had an obsession with collecting/shelving military magazines and dvds. At the start of the book Jeanie's parents had decided to retire, leaving Jeanie and Niall to live at the funeral home by themselves and run it. This exposed the uncertainty in Jeanie's marriage- her reticence to have children, get a dog and add a permanence to the whole situation. While Niall was enthusiastic to make the place totally their own, Jeanie got nervous. This prompted the flashbacks of her former romance with Fionn and questioning whether she took the right road in life.
This book had just enough to keep me interested thanks to the quirky conversations with the dead, but I just wasn't as drawn into the rest of Jeanie's drama.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press who provided an advance reader copy via NetGalley.
I was alerted of this book by a publisher marketing email, perhaps because I had read this author's previous book When All Is Said. This is a book about a family owned funeral home in Kilcross, Ireland. There is one service, though, that is uniquely special to them: the father and daughter working here can hear the dead's last words. The main character is Jeanie, the daughter who elected to join forces with the family working at the funeral home- rather than running off on an adventure to London with her great love Fionn, the burgeoning photographer. She grapples with this dilemma throughout the book, tracing back the origins of meeting Fionn in school where their attraction was immediate. At the same time, she met another young man named Niall, who in turn crushed on her...only to suffer being cast into the friend zone. As the book begins, Jeanie has been married to Niall for several years, and they live at the funeral home along with the rest of Jeanie's family. Niall wants kids and a dog, but Jeanie isn't ready.
My favorite parts of the book were Jeanie's encounters talking to the dead. These mainly occurred in the room where washing of the body and embalming took place. Jeanie's Aunt Harry would massage the limbs to promote even flow of the embalming solution, and only Jeanie would hear the body giggle as if tickled. Funny. There was only a set amount of time a few days after death that this communication would be possible, so this scenario would be the critical first chance to establish communication. The dead would tell Jeanie many things their loved ones needed to know such as paternity matters, where important papers or money was located, confessions, and what they preferred to wear while laid to rest. People in the area knew of this talent that Jeanie and her father provided and utilized them, even if another funeral service was closer. Many times Jeanie and her father would struggle with having to tell the dead's family/survivors unpleasant or explosive information.
Aside from the riveting communication with the dead, the other facets of this book did not hold as much interest for me. Jeanie had an older brother Mikey who lived in a separate structure on the property. He seemed to be "special" and had an obsession with collecting/shelving military magazines and dvds. At the start of the book Jeanie's parents had decided to retire, leaving Jeanie and Niall to live at the funeral home by themselves and run it. This exposed the uncertainty in Jeanie's marriage- her reticence to have children, get a dog and add a permanence to the whole situation. While Niall was enthusiastic to make the place totally their own, Jeanie got nervous. This prompted the flashbacks of her former romance with Fionn and questioning whether she took the right road in life.
This book had just enough to keep me interested thanks to the quirky conversations with the dead, but I just wasn't as drawn into the rest of Jeanie's drama.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press who provided an advance reader copy via NetGalley.
February 7, 2021
Jeanie speaks to the dead. The concept is that when you die, you are able to communicate telepathically with a living person with the gift to hear you but only for a short while after your death. You might want to pass on messages of love or important information about your belongings, or take revenge on someone by getting your feelings off your no longer breathing chest. Jeanie’s family runs an undertakers’ business and so she is ideally placed for these conversations.
No, I don’t believe in this concept but it’s just one layer of the book. Essentially it’s the story of Jeanie’s life so far. At 32, she has come to a crossroads in her marriage and in her life and the story we’re told is the background of how she met the loves of her life and the course of events that followed. I really enjoyed it for perhaps 80% of the whole but I then found myself not caring a hoot what decisions Jeanie made or what the consequences would be. I was underwhelmed by the family secret too when it was revealed.
There are parts of the book that are very touching but Griffin’s first book, When All Is Said, moved me far more. I thought it was a lovely touch to have Maurice appear briefly in this book. The story of Jeanie’s marriage read like chick lit towards the end which is not to demean chick lit but it’s really not my thing. On the whole, I enjoyed reading this and I’ll look forward to Griffin’s next book as I like her writing style but it left me glad to have finished it which is not what I was expecting.
With thanks to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for a review copy.
No, I don’t believe in this concept but it’s just one layer of the book. Essentially it’s the story of Jeanie’s life so far. At 32, she has come to a crossroads in her marriage and in her life and the story we’re told is the background of how she met the loves of her life and the course of events that followed. I really enjoyed it for perhaps 80% of the whole but I then found myself not caring a hoot what decisions Jeanie made or what the consequences would be. I was underwhelmed by the family secret too when it was revealed.
There are parts of the book that are very touching but Griffin’s first book, When All Is Said, moved me far more. I thought it was a lovely touch to have Maurice appear briefly in this book. The story of Jeanie’s marriage read like chick lit towards the end which is not to demean chick lit but it’s really not my thing. On the whole, I enjoyed reading this and I’ll look forward to Griffin’s next book as I like her writing style but it left me glad to have finished it which is not what I was expecting.
With thanks to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for a review copy.
January 17, 2022
Jeanie Masterson is thirty-two (32), she is married to her lifelong friend, Niall & they work alongside Jeanie’s parents as Undertakers in Kilcross, Ireland. This book follows Jeanie as she wades her way through adult situations without ever investing any ounce of truth, honesty or bits of herself; lest it is the wrong decision. Though the main character is surrounded by family & friends who have doted on her for the entirety of her life, Jeanie continues to evade sincerity in all her actions & reactions; choosing instead to lean on the words ‘duty’ & ‘obligation’ in a hope to validate her inability to be the person that she is.
At face value, you might approach my review feeling a bit confused as to why I rated this book so highly if I spent the entirety of my reading experience riddled with annoyance towards the main character. I myself wondered how I might be able to express my reasoning; finding myself working through the pages curious as to why I was enjoying a book that featured a character so polar opposite to myself & truly, a person with whom I felt very frustrated. I suppose I found my way to this rating as I asked myself what it was that I was enjoying; what aspect of a book renders us to fully invest? Does it matter to us if the characters are unlikeable if a story is realistic? In this instance, I found myself invested in the story because I felt that Griffin has successfully created a plot, characters & an environment that made me feel like a fly on the wall. I was peering into the lives of a family who held secrets close to their heart, closer still than the people they loved more than anything in life.
I found myself enjoying the aspects which sprinkled sentiments of reality in this story. Though the plot highlights Jeanie as having a supernatural ability to communicate with those who are deceased, this was not a huge part of the plot & I felt as though it was utilized in an appropriate fashion. By this I mean, it didn’t really matter if I believed that Jeanie could communicate with dead people. It didn’t change the fact that the conversations that were shared held more value than the requirement for me to believe in something outside of my immediate understanding of reality.
The feelings & emotions that Jeanie explored when sitting beside a deceased person evoked more motion in the advancement of the plot than the simple act of her sitting in a mortuary. Therefore, it didn’t matter whether I believed that a dead person would choose to wait before transitioning into the ether. What mattered was that I read about sentiments we often feel, evoked in a time of high stress & turmoil, from the lips of an imaginary character, into my very real conscious state.
Before delving further into other topics of the plot, I want to acknowledge the representation of neurodivergence in Mikey, Jeanie’s older brother. I am not someone who is personally or professionally in a position to make remarks on the authentic representation of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) (regarding it wholeheartedly as the spectrum that it is) & therefore, my comments should be recognized as coming from someone who read through this book without personal or educational weight to back my impressions & opinions.
I wish we had explored this character a little further, I wish there had been more to him than his deep adoration for all things ‘war history’. However, when I regard any other character, I cannot say for certain that they had thoroughly been developed either. Everyone was second fiddle to Jeanie & her antics. Though I didn’t feel any longing for any further details from any of the other characters, I was left feeling rather sad about Mikey & his circumstances.
Having a younger sibling like Jeanie could not have been easy. For the entirety of their lives, she put herself at the forefront of his well-being without ever being able to take care of herself. Are we meant to believe that everyone who is on the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) requires a member of their family to abandon all their hopes & dreams to take care of them?
I think I felt so poorly about Mikey because his character was constantly utilized as an excuse; a reason to stay behind, someone to hold others back. Based on the little we know of this person, I can’t imagine that he ever wanted anyone to not be who they were. Therefore reading about Jeanie, vapid underachieving Jeanie, constantly placing the blame of her ineptitude on her older brother felt like a huge cop-out; though, maybe that was the point.
My most favoured line of the book is spoken in passing after the horribly lost main character evades responsibilities & lives in the rural countryside of France in the hopes of learning who she really is. When Marianne tells Jeanie that (in different words), places do not matter, the people in them do; I found myself at the core of the story.
Though I admit that Jeanie as the main character was hugely flawed I couldn’t help but accept that so many, many, people are indeed wandering through life just as she was. I couldn’t shame Jeanie for not knowing who she was when I very clearly read about her having always been evasive when it mattered to be straightforward. One might even argue that her parents & the lies that they fostered, encouraged her to be less than honest, even with herself. However, I think it was more than that. Jeanie never had to question anything, she never had to wonder ‘what if’ because there were always ample people around her protecting her from a failure that might scare her into making a solid decision.
While she was a child on the playground, Peanut defended her honour. All throughout their lives, Jeanie had someone defending her, helping her choose, & leading her by the hand through any confusing moment in time. I suppose one might say that she was luckier than some of us who have had to do it on our own. However, on the other hand, Jeanie was never so alone as she was when it came time to speak on her desires; who was she but the flimsy leaf, grasping for dear life on the bark of a self-sufficient tree.
I found it difficult to find it in myself to think kindly or empathetically towards Jeanie. Every time someone in her life asked her, to be honest, to be present, to be invested; she was elusive & asked for time to think. This time to think was always granted & I couldn’t help but feel envious. How many times, I cannot count, might it have been warmly welcomed for me to have been granted time to reflect; time to organize my thoughts & feelings? Jeanie was granted the freedom of independence & she abused it at every turn.
How can you be so willfully ignorant as to take advantage of the people who are trusting & loving towards you? How can you take their kindness & understanding at your needing time before broaching a subject, only for you to leave them hanging for days, sometimes years? You have no right to turn around & feel betrayed when on their death bed, they speak of the people in their lives whom they loved; people with whom they were able to foster an actual healthy relationship.
Should I leave a low rating because I thought Jeanie was a spoilt privileged vapid individual who never learnt any lessons in all of her life? Or, should I rate this book highly as it made me truly feel as though this person were real, & as though all the turmoil experienced was in fact truly transpiring?
I chose the latter because, though many aspects of this book were annoying, & sometimes frustrating to read about, I appreciated their earnest presentation. It made sense that Niall moved away to finally find himself living sea-side; this was honest & genuine to the complexities of his character. Of course, he loved Jeanie, of course, he adored everything he hoped to build. But, he was also a person who had complex emotions & a deep understanding that though Jeanie had many aspects of her person to love, she was hollow & this does not leave much room for him & his characteristics, to be loved in return.
I wished for better for all the secondary characters. Even after the final twist is revealed, that didn’t alter my opinion of anyone involved. Life is not always straightforward, sometimes very simple matters snowball into complicated situations. Regardless of what is right & wrong, I wanted everyone in this story to feel validated & comforted. I cannot imagine what Jeanie’s parents must have been feeling when their daughter ran off to Norway because she had never learnt to communicate how she feels. Though I appreciate that she felt inclined to stay to support her aging parents (as many children feel), she was not in a situation wherein she was not granted the liberty of being her own person with her own path.
All this to say that I very much enjoyed this book. It was frustrating & aggravating & sometimes very noisome but, it was honest. It genuinely presented the complexities which lie in a single person’s life, however much they lack substance, there is still very much a whole person inside trying to find their way. I think that this book should be read when one is in the frame of mind to appreciate the enormous flaws of the main character without allowing her tantrums to get in the way of the plot. There were so many other people to like, root for, to enjoy. The paranormal aspect of the story plays such a small role so, if you are seeking to have that at the forefront you might be left wanting.
Overall, I am glad that I read this book when I did. Irish novels always remind me of my grandparents & for that, I am left with warm sentiments of home & love.
Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, & Anne Griffin for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
At face value, you might approach my review feeling a bit confused as to why I rated this book so highly if I spent the entirety of my reading experience riddled with annoyance towards the main character. I myself wondered how I might be able to express my reasoning; finding myself working through the pages curious as to why I was enjoying a book that featured a character so polar opposite to myself & truly, a person with whom I felt very frustrated. I suppose I found my way to this rating as I asked myself what it was that I was enjoying; what aspect of a book renders us to fully invest? Does it matter to us if the characters are unlikeable if a story is realistic? In this instance, I found myself invested in the story because I felt that Griffin has successfully created a plot, characters & an environment that made me feel like a fly on the wall. I was peering into the lives of a family who held secrets close to their heart, closer still than the people they loved more than anything in life.
I found myself enjoying the aspects which sprinkled sentiments of reality in this story. Though the plot highlights Jeanie as having a supernatural ability to communicate with those who are deceased, this was not a huge part of the plot & I felt as though it was utilized in an appropriate fashion. By this I mean, it didn’t really matter if I believed that Jeanie could communicate with dead people. It didn’t change the fact that the conversations that were shared held more value than the requirement for me to believe in something outside of my immediate understanding of reality.
The feelings & emotions that Jeanie explored when sitting beside a deceased person evoked more motion in the advancement of the plot than the simple act of her sitting in a mortuary. Therefore, it didn’t matter whether I believed that a dead person would choose to wait before transitioning into the ether. What mattered was that I read about sentiments we often feel, evoked in a time of high stress & turmoil, from the lips of an imaginary character, into my very real conscious state.
Before delving further into other topics of the plot, I want to acknowledge the representation of neurodivergence in Mikey, Jeanie’s older brother. I am not someone who is personally or professionally in a position to make remarks on the authentic representation of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) (regarding it wholeheartedly as the spectrum that it is) & therefore, my comments should be recognized as coming from someone who read through this book without personal or educational weight to back my impressions & opinions.
I wish we had explored this character a little further, I wish there had been more to him than his deep adoration for all things ‘war history’. However, when I regard any other character, I cannot say for certain that they had thoroughly been developed either. Everyone was second fiddle to Jeanie & her antics. Though I didn’t feel any longing for any further details from any of the other characters, I was left feeling rather sad about Mikey & his circumstances.
Having a younger sibling like Jeanie could not have been easy. For the entirety of their lives, she put herself at the forefront of his well-being without ever being able to take care of herself. Are we meant to believe that everyone who is on the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) requires a member of their family to abandon all their hopes & dreams to take care of them?
I think I felt so poorly about Mikey because his character was constantly utilized as an excuse; a reason to stay behind, someone to hold others back. Based on the little we know of this person, I can’t imagine that he ever wanted anyone to not be who they were. Therefore reading about Jeanie, vapid underachieving Jeanie, constantly placing the blame of her ineptitude on her older brother felt like a huge cop-out; though, maybe that was the point.
My most favoured line of the book is spoken in passing after the horribly lost main character evades responsibilities & lives in the rural countryside of France in the hopes of learning who she really is. When Marianne tells Jeanie that (in different words), places do not matter, the people in them do; I found myself at the core of the story.
Though I admit that Jeanie as the main character was hugely flawed I couldn’t help but accept that so many, many, people are indeed wandering through life just as she was. I couldn’t shame Jeanie for not knowing who she was when I very clearly read about her having always been evasive when it mattered to be straightforward. One might even argue that her parents & the lies that they fostered, encouraged her to be less than honest, even with herself. However, I think it was more than that. Jeanie never had to question anything, she never had to wonder ‘what if’ because there were always ample people around her protecting her from a failure that might scare her into making a solid decision.
While she was a child on the playground, Peanut defended her honour. All throughout their lives, Jeanie had someone defending her, helping her choose, & leading her by the hand through any confusing moment in time. I suppose one might say that she was luckier than some of us who have had to do it on our own. However, on the other hand, Jeanie was never so alone as she was when it came time to speak on her desires; who was she but the flimsy leaf, grasping for dear life on the bark of a self-sufficient tree.
I found it difficult to find it in myself to think kindly or empathetically towards Jeanie. Every time someone in her life asked her, to be honest, to be present, to be invested; she was elusive & asked for time to think. This time to think was always granted & I couldn’t help but feel envious. How many times, I cannot count, might it have been warmly welcomed for me to have been granted time to reflect; time to organize my thoughts & feelings? Jeanie was granted the freedom of independence & she abused it at every turn.
How can you be so willfully ignorant as to take advantage of the people who are trusting & loving towards you? How can you take their kindness & understanding at your needing time before broaching a subject, only for you to leave them hanging for days, sometimes years? You have no right to turn around & feel betrayed when on their death bed, they speak of the people in their lives whom they loved; people with whom they were able to foster an actual healthy relationship.
Should I leave a low rating because I thought Jeanie was a spoilt privileged vapid individual who never learnt any lessons in all of her life? Or, should I rate this book highly as it made me truly feel as though this person were real, & as though all the turmoil experienced was in fact truly transpiring?
I chose the latter because, though many aspects of this book were annoying, & sometimes frustrating to read about, I appreciated their earnest presentation. It made sense that Niall moved away to finally find himself living sea-side; this was honest & genuine to the complexities of his character. Of course, he loved Jeanie, of course, he adored everything he hoped to build. But, he was also a person who had complex emotions & a deep understanding that though Jeanie had many aspects of her person to love, she was hollow & this does not leave much room for him & his characteristics, to be loved in return.
I wished for better for all the secondary characters. Even after the final twist is revealed, that didn’t alter my opinion of anyone involved. Life is not always straightforward, sometimes very simple matters snowball into complicated situations. Regardless of what is right & wrong, I wanted everyone in this story to feel validated & comforted. I cannot imagine what Jeanie’s parents must have been feeling when their daughter ran off to Norway because she had never learnt to communicate how she feels. Though I appreciate that she felt inclined to stay to support her aging parents (as many children feel), she was not in a situation wherein she was not granted the liberty of being her own person with her own path.
All this to say that I very much enjoyed this book. It was frustrating & aggravating & sometimes very noisome but, it was honest. It genuinely presented the complexities which lie in a single person’s life, however much they lack substance, there is still very much a whole person inside trying to find their way. I think that this book should be read when one is in the frame of mind to appreciate the enormous flaws of the main character without allowing her tantrums to get in the way of the plot. There were so many other people to like, root for, to enjoy. The paranormal aspect of the story plays such a small role so, if you are seeking to have that at the forefront you might be left wanting.
Overall, I am glad that I read this book when I did. Irish novels always remind me of my grandparents & for that, I am left with warm sentiments of home & love.
Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, & Anne Griffin for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 19, 2021
I was so intrigued by the premise of this book. I love the thought that some people are blessed to communicate with the dead. While this was the main part of the story, I wished that there were more instances of our main character's conversations with her deceased customers.
What I was surprised about is that much of this book is about Jeannie's relationships. Her relationship with her husband Niall, her relationship with her ex-boyfriend Fionn, her relationship with her parents and her Aunt, and her relationship with her autistic brother Mikey. I think the summary of this book leads the reader to believe the story is different from what it is. It was a slow burn about questioning past choices, moving past your fears, listening to your heart and also about the pull of your family.
"We stayed in each other's arms for the rest of the night and the following day, not admitting that, of course, we were lying to ourselves, that making it work had already proved too difficult and heartbreaking. What we were actually doing in those precious hours was saying our goodbyes, setting ourselves free to live our lives unburdened by this love."
Jeanie comes from a family in the mortuary business. Her grandfather started a funeral home, her father currently runs it, her Aunt is the head embalmer and her husband is also an embalmer. Jeanie has been obsessed with the business since childhood. Even when her mother tried to get her to come to her hairdresser business, Jeannie would cry to get back to the funeral home. Jeanie and her father can both hear and talk to the dead within a small timeframe - between 1-3 days after their death. Their funeral home has become well-known for this, and their ability to help the family with closure. Jeanie questions wether her ability is a gift or a curse. Jeannie isn't quite sure which one it is. She was mercilessly mocked throughout school for her and her father's abilities and told they were liars. She meets her best friend Sarah a/k/a Peanut, along with friends Ruth and Niall and they band together to support each other through school. During their final year, Fionn moves to town and becomes part of their little group.
While her friends dream of moving away and experiencing all life has to offer, Jeanie feels a sense of duty to stay with her parents at the funeral home. She is afraid of change, afraid of dreaming too big, and afraid of disappointing her family. The story follows her life as she moves through school and into marriage. As her father announces his retirement, she feels frozen. She has always had him beside her to discuss her "gift" with, since they are the only two who share the gift. How will she cope on her own once he is gone? So begins her feelings of doubt and she second-guesses her major life decisions. Did she make the right choice in the past? Is she making the right choices now?
As I mentioned previously, I wish there were more scenes of her speaking with the dead. It was such an interesting concept. She was never fully comfortable with the way her father taught her that to tell the truth regarding what the dead said was not always the right answer. He thought the family should only be left with happy thoughts about their recently departed. She wrestled with that, but also felt horrible the few times she did try to tell the disappointing truth. This is one of the reasons she feels that her gift also feels like her curse. The responsibility that comes along with passing along the words of the departed.
"Those who chose to speak still had something to say to the world, to those they loved; things they'd never gotten the chance to when they were alive, death taking them quicker than they'd ever imagined possible. Or there were those who liked the idea of an intermediary to finally tell what might have been too hard to say themselves."
Towards the last part of the book, I felt the story really veering off track and taking some turns that seemed out of character. There was a twist at the end that made sense and supported the actions of several of the characters and brought the story back to where it felt like it should be. I liked the ending, even though its not the one I wanted. Overall I really enjoyed this book and the thoughts about my departed family members that it left me thinking about. I will definitely read another book by this author.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advance copy to read and review. Pub date: 3.01.22
What I was surprised about is that much of this book is about Jeannie's relationships. Her relationship with her husband Niall, her relationship with her ex-boyfriend Fionn, her relationship with her parents and her Aunt, and her relationship with her autistic brother Mikey. I think the summary of this book leads the reader to believe the story is different from what it is. It was a slow burn about questioning past choices, moving past your fears, listening to your heart and also about the pull of your family.
"We stayed in each other's arms for the rest of the night and the following day, not admitting that, of course, we were lying to ourselves, that making it work had already proved too difficult and heartbreaking. What we were actually doing in those precious hours was saying our goodbyes, setting ourselves free to live our lives unburdened by this love."
Jeanie comes from a family in the mortuary business. Her grandfather started a funeral home, her father currently runs it, her Aunt is the head embalmer and her husband is also an embalmer. Jeanie has been obsessed with the business since childhood. Even when her mother tried to get her to come to her hairdresser business, Jeannie would cry to get back to the funeral home. Jeanie and her father can both hear and talk to the dead within a small timeframe - between 1-3 days after their death. Their funeral home has become well-known for this, and their ability to help the family with closure. Jeanie questions wether her ability is a gift or a curse. Jeannie isn't quite sure which one it is. She was mercilessly mocked throughout school for her and her father's abilities and told they were liars. She meets her best friend Sarah a/k/a Peanut, along with friends Ruth and Niall and they band together to support each other through school. During their final year, Fionn moves to town and becomes part of their little group.
While her friends dream of moving away and experiencing all life has to offer, Jeanie feels a sense of duty to stay with her parents at the funeral home. She is afraid of change, afraid of dreaming too big, and afraid of disappointing her family. The story follows her life as she moves through school and into marriage. As her father announces his retirement, she feels frozen. She has always had him beside her to discuss her "gift" with, since they are the only two who share the gift. How will she cope on her own once he is gone? So begins her feelings of doubt and she second-guesses her major life decisions. Did she make the right choice in the past? Is she making the right choices now?
As I mentioned previously, I wish there were more scenes of her speaking with the dead. It was such an interesting concept. She was never fully comfortable with the way her father taught her that to tell the truth regarding what the dead said was not always the right answer. He thought the family should only be left with happy thoughts about their recently departed. She wrestled with that, but also felt horrible the few times she did try to tell the disappointing truth. This is one of the reasons she feels that her gift also feels like her curse. The responsibility that comes along with passing along the words of the departed.
"Those who chose to speak still had something to say to the world, to those they loved; things they'd never gotten the chance to when they were alive, death taking them quicker than they'd ever imagined possible. Or there were those who liked the idea of an intermediary to finally tell what might have been too hard to say themselves."
Towards the last part of the book, I felt the story really veering off track and taking some turns that seemed out of character. There was a twist at the end that made sense and supported the actions of several of the characters and brought the story back to where it felt like it should be. I liked the ending, even though its not the one I wanted. Overall I really enjoyed this book and the thoughts about my departed family members that it left me thinking about. I will definitely read another book by this author.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advance copy to read and review. Pub date: 3.01.22
October 31, 2021
This book held my attention and was charming in its way, without really meeting my expectations gleaned from the blurb. I didn’t really take to the main character Jeanie and so found it hard to involve myself in the ups and downs of her life. Many thanks to Netgalley for an arc of this book.
April 29, 2021
Listening Still is a dazzling and utterly beguiling much-anticipated new novel from Anne Griffin. It centres on 32-year-old Jeanie Masterson who has a rare and exceptionally strange gift: the ability to hear the words of the dead for a short period of time after their passing. Inherited from her father this is a unique talent that worked its way through the generations of the Masterson clan. The small Irish town of Kinross, the type of place where everyone is aware of each other's private business, is where they call home and it is also where they own their business - Masterson Funeral Directors - where Jeanie honed her skills lending a listening ear to the recently deceased and in time we are introduced to the rest of the family. There are her parents, her Aunt Harry, who helps embalm the bodies, as does her husband, Niall Longley and last but by no means least her Autistic brother, Mikey, who prefers things to run at a constant without the type of changes that frequently cause anxiety and worry for Autists. Passed down from generation to generation, this gift means she is able to make wrongs right, to give voice to unspoken love and dying regrets. She and her father have worked happily alongside each other for years.
However, now he's unexpectedly announced that he wants to retire early and leave the business to her and her life is called into question. Does she really want to be married to the embalmer, or does she want to be with her childhood sweetheart, off in London? Does she want to have children, and pass this gift on to them? And does she want to be stuck in this small town, or is there more of the world she wants to see - like the South of France, where she's discovered a woman who shares her gift? Tied to her home by this unusual talent, she begins to question: what if what she's always thought of as a gift is a curse? This is a wonderful slow burn novel showcasing Griffin's stunning prowess as a masterful contemporary storyteller. While it doesn't quite have the sheer magic embodied in When All is Said, this remains a captivating, compulsive and charming follow-up. The prose is beautiful yet not too purple, the surprises are many and the heart and soul within the pages is plentiful right from the beginning through to denouement. Following the journey of the Mastersons, but in particular, Jeanie, those who enjoyed Griffin's previous novels will find much to love and a world to escape to here. Highly recommended.
However, now he's unexpectedly announced that he wants to retire early and leave the business to her and her life is called into question. Does she really want to be married to the embalmer, or does she want to be with her childhood sweetheart, off in London? Does she want to have children, and pass this gift on to them? And does she want to be stuck in this small town, or is there more of the world she wants to see - like the South of France, where she's discovered a woman who shares her gift? Tied to her home by this unusual talent, she begins to question: what if what she's always thought of as a gift is a curse? This is a wonderful slow burn novel showcasing Griffin's stunning prowess as a masterful contemporary storyteller. While it doesn't quite have the sheer magic embodied in When All is Said, this remains a captivating, compulsive and charming follow-up. The prose is beautiful yet not too purple, the surprises are many and the heart and soul within the pages is plentiful right from the beginning through to denouement. Following the journey of the Mastersons, but in particular, Jeanie, those who enjoyed Griffin's previous novels will find much to love and a world to escape to here. Highly recommended.
February 11, 2021
As a romance novel, this is OK, but it wasn’t at all the kind of story I was hoping for, having enjoyed Anne Griffin’s first book so much. I guess Jeanie’s special gift of being able to hear and speak to the recently deceased gives us some poignant moments when people reveal things they really should have spoken about when they had time, but it does feel terribly contrived. Jeanie herself is just so annoying. Having been told all her life how special she is, she is torn between following the love of her life to London, the big city where she wouldn’t shine so brightly, or staying in her home town in rural Ireland and feeling indispensable. What is she to do? Who is she going to hurt in the process?
Some good writing, as I expected, but I couldn’t engage with the characters or their situations. Not for me and not a book I’d particularly recommend.
With thanks to Hodder & Stoughton, Sceptre via NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC.
Some good writing, as I expected, but I couldn’t engage with the characters or their situations. Not for me and not a book I’d particularly recommend.
With thanks to Hodder & Stoughton, Sceptre via NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC.
June 14, 2021
This was a fascinating premise, and executed beautifully.
The main character Jeannie was a strong one, she was likeable on the whole, and I cared about her story.
There is much focus in this book on Jeannie and her family of funeral directors, and while this was important, I would have liked more scenes of 'listening to the dead' and the implications of this for the deceased families. Jeannie's story didn't keep me as engaged as those parts.
I did love the ending, a pretty big but unexpected plot twist!
Overall, an enjoyable read.
The main character Jeannie was a strong one, she was likeable on the whole, and I cared about her story.
There is much focus in this book on Jeannie and her family of funeral directors, and while this was important, I would have liked more scenes of 'listening to the dead' and the implications of this for the deceased families. Jeannie's story didn't keep me as engaged as those parts.
I did love the ending, a pretty big but unexpected plot twist!
Overall, an enjoyable read.
May 17, 2022
2.5*
It’s amazing how even super powers couldn’t save Jeanie from being the most annoying/boring person on Earth. Thank god she’s a fictional character
It’s amazing how even super powers couldn’t save Jeanie from being the most annoying/boring person on Earth. Thank god she’s a fictional character
October 21, 2026
Listening Still is a coming of age story of Jeanie Masterton, born into a family of funeral directors with a natural affinity for that work and the added ability of being able to hear messages from the dead, like her father.
Her husband Niall, who has loved her since high school, also works in the family business and they live in the family home, along with her brother Mikey, who has a converted room outside.
While it all seems straightforward, idealistic, happy families, the opening line sets the theme for much of the novel, that of Jeannie's wavering between knowing what she wants and wishing to escape it all.
Highly adept at listening to the dead, the burden of obligation and belief that she should be following in her father's footsteps renders her ability to listen to her own inner knowing defunct.
Whether it's her own life or the messages received from the recently departed, the novel concerns what we're able to admit to those closest to us and what we hold back. Jeannie is a conduit for this, for the dead, but struggles in her own life and family with the same.
The novel takes us back to her high school years, to paths not taken, emotional journeys not quite fully realised and a nagging feeling that she hasn't truly explored all that she could have been, putting her dutifully crafted life at risk, with the knowledge that there really will be no escape when her parents move on.
As with many Irish stories, that left unsaid, the secrets and halftruths are what need to come forth before anyone can find resolution, and so Jeannie first seeks answers in the outside world before coming home to confront the root causes of her unsettled demeanour.
I enjoyed Listening Still, intrigued to find in a novel, the kind of work people like Julie Ryan, author of Angelic Attendants: What Really Happens As We Transition From This Life Into The Next, do. The very real comfort that can be brought to families, when they're open to those able to perceive the different stages of death and what might keep a person from letting go. Gifts, few are aware of, that may exist within those who work closely with the dying.
While we don't know what happens around death, we are able to create meaning or narratives around it and Anne Griffin does this in her fiction, as she did with her character Maurice in When All Is Said. Personally, I find great comfort in this and find it easier now to find that meaning, and imagine those voices, that can bring comfort to the living, who are all "listening still", whether we hear or not. Death is a way of re-examining what it has meant to be human.
Her husband Niall, who has loved her since high school, also works in the family business and they live in the family home, along with her brother Mikey, who has a converted room outside.
While it all seems straightforward, idealistic, happy families, the opening line sets the theme for much of the novel, that of Jeannie's wavering between knowing what she wants and wishing to escape it all.
The minute my father told me he was retiring and handing Masterton Funeral Directors to me, I wanted to run.
Highly adept at listening to the dead, the burden of obligation and belief that she should be following in her father's footsteps renders her ability to listen to her own inner knowing defunct.
Whether it's her own life or the messages received from the recently departed, the novel concerns what we're able to admit to those closest to us and what we hold back. Jeannie is a conduit for this, for the dead, but struggles in her own life and family with the same.
The novel takes us back to her high school years, to paths not taken, emotional journeys not quite fully realised and a nagging feeling that she hasn't truly explored all that she could have been, putting her dutifully crafted life at risk, with the knowledge that there really will be no escape when her parents move on.
As with many Irish stories, that left unsaid, the secrets and halftruths are what need to come forth before anyone can find resolution, and so Jeannie first seeks answers in the outside world before coming home to confront the root causes of her unsettled demeanour.
I enjoyed Listening Still, intrigued to find in a novel, the kind of work people like Julie Ryan, author of Angelic Attendants: What Really Happens As We Transition From This Life Into The Next, do. The very real comfort that can be brought to families, when they're open to those able to perceive the different stages of death and what might keep a person from letting go. Gifts, few are aware of, that may exist within those who work closely with the dying.
While we don't know what happens around death, we are able to create meaning or narratives around it and Anne Griffin does this in her fiction, as she did with her character Maurice in When All Is Said. Personally, I find great comfort in this and find it easier now to find that meaning, and imagine those voices, that can bring comfort to the living, who are all "listening still", whether we hear or not. Death is a way of re-examining what it has meant to be human.
November 14, 2021
Premetto che questo secondo romanzo della Griffin è diverso, come trama, dal primo Quando tutto è detto, anche se il "mio" libraio della libreria Lovat vi ha trovato delle assonanze ; aggiungo che , fino a due terzi, mi è sembrato un romanzo sì scorrevole ed originale ma, tutto sommato , non mi stava prendendo proprio moltissimo, cioè non sentivo l'empatia provata con il primo. Inoltre la sinossi - come spesso accade - non rende merito al libro.
Poi, con una breve interruzione per averlo dovuto riportare e scambiare , per un errore nell'impaginazione ( nessuno è perfetto, neanche Atlantide ), l'ho ripreso e terminato : quindi sto facendo un commento a caldo.
E .....mi ha commosso ( come il primo), mi ha mosso qualcosa, probabilmente mi sono ritrovata - con le dovute distanze - in certe situazioni e frasi dell' autrice, che, probabilmente, prima non avevo colto, forse per la fretta di vedere come andava a finire ( quindi ben venuta la pausa per lo scambio ).
Ne cito solo due - banalissime, niente di originale - ma che oggi mi hanno colpito e sembravano mi mandassero un messaggio ; complice una domenica grigia e un po' di tristezza :
" La paura va bene ed è normale, ma devi guardarla negli occhi e dirle " risolviamo questa cosa perché ho bisogno di andare oltre ". La paura significherebbe troppe porte chiuse..."
" Ora basta con " gli avrei potuto", " avrei voluto", " avrei dovuto " non aiuta nessuno"
Brava la Griffin, e complimenti ad Atlantide per la scelta accurata delle loro pubblicazioni !
Poi, con una breve interruzione per averlo dovuto riportare e scambiare , per un errore nell'impaginazione ( nessuno è perfetto, neanche Atlantide ), l'ho ripreso e terminato : quindi sto facendo un commento a caldo.
E .....mi ha commosso ( come il primo), mi ha mosso qualcosa, probabilmente mi sono ritrovata - con le dovute distanze - in certe situazioni e frasi dell' autrice, che, probabilmente, prima non avevo colto, forse per la fretta di vedere come andava a finire ( quindi ben venuta la pausa per lo scambio ).
Ne cito solo due - banalissime, niente di originale - ma che oggi mi hanno colpito e sembravano mi mandassero un messaggio ; complice una domenica grigia e un po' di tristezza :
" La paura va bene ed è normale, ma devi guardarla negli occhi e dirle " risolviamo questa cosa perché ho bisogno di andare oltre ". La paura significherebbe troppe porte chiuse..."
" Ora basta con " gli avrei potuto", " avrei voluto", " avrei dovuto " non aiuta nessuno"
Brava la Griffin, e complimenti ad Atlantide per la scelta accurata delle loro pubblicazioni !
March 29, 2021
I was delighted to get my hands on Anne Griffin's forthcoming book as I was a huge fan of her debut, When All Is Said, and this didn't disappoint. Listening Still tells the story of Jeanie Masterson who has not only inherited the family undertaking business, but also her father's ability to hear the recently deceased! Blindsided by her father's sudden retirement, Jeanie struggles with the responsibility placed on her shoulders as the new would-be owner, and soon her abilities force her to face up to other issues in her life that she'd long avoided and repressed. The interludes of Jeanie's conversations with the dead offer a nice counterpoint to her day-to-day difficulties, and you get a real sense of how it's possible to feel trapped in a perfectly lovely job with a perfectly lovely spouse. It's got a great core message about bravery and following your heart, and how sometimes being truthful may not always be nice, but it is kind (and knowing the difference). I really enjoyed this lovely heartfelt book! ARC received with thanks from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
February 4, 2023
Ein schönes Buch über Selbstfindung mit einer netten Message. Leider hat mir oft der rote Faden gefehlt und ich fragte mich lange, was die Geschichte von mir will. Am Ende wurde es dann noch ganz gut rund gemacht, aber das dauerte. Auch bin ich durch die Geschichte hindurch mit den meisten Figuren nicht wirklich warm geworden. Mir fehlte alles in allem das Besondere und Herzzerreißende an dieser Geschichte - und das obwohl es einen übersinnlichen Touch gibt. Auf jeden Fall eine eher unaufregende Variante aus dem Kleinstadtunternehmen-Genre, wie ich es bezeichnen würde. Nett zu lesen, aber auch bald wieder vergessen.
June 29, 2022
This was a beautiful book about life, death, and choices.
January 23, 2022
Listening Still
By Anne Griffin
I love it when I read a book with special characters in special situations. In Listening Still by Anne Griffin, we are introduced to a woman Jeanie Masterson, who works in their family's funeral home and like her father possess a gift that allows her to communicate with the dead. This is a story about following your heart or your destiny and yet also tied to family obligations and the possession of a certain gift that could also be a curse or a burden. I enjoyed the slow pace of the novel, with the build up of the character development.
I also listened to the audio and I thought that the narrator Nicola Coughlan really did a great job with capturing the essence of the story and the character. I certainly was immersed and lost in the story. This was fantastic and I highly recommend.
By Anne Griffin
I love it when I read a book with special characters in special situations. In Listening Still by Anne Griffin, we are introduced to a woman Jeanie Masterson, who works in their family's funeral home and like her father possess a gift that allows her to communicate with the dead. This is a story about following your heart or your destiny and yet also tied to family obligations and the possession of a certain gift that could also be a curse or a burden. I enjoyed the slow pace of the novel, with the build up of the character development.
I also listened to the audio and I thought that the narrator Nicola Coughlan really did a great job with capturing the essence of the story and the character. I certainly was immersed and lost in the story. This was fantastic and I highly recommend.
March 18, 2023
A book about choices, obligations, regrets.
July 12, 2024
Me compré este libro hace unos meses, aunque no le di una oportunidad hasta la semana pasada. Me arrepiento tanto de no haberlo hecho antes. "La chica que oía a los muertos" nos presenta la historia de una mujer que vive atrapada desde la adolescencia entre el deber y la libertad. Entre la muerte de otros y su oportunidad de vivir. La familia de Jeanie lleva una funeraria, y ella tiene el don de oír las últimas palabras de los muertos. Pero cuando su padre, que también puede oír a los muertos, se jubila y le cede el negocio, empieza una lucha desesperada contra su pasado para descubrir qué es lo que realmente quiere; sus sentimientos le parecen una mentira, hasta el amor. Qué reflexiones tan profundas y sinceras. Qué fina es la línea entre la verdad y el caos. Y ese final... Acabé este libro con la misma sensación que cuando aprendí a montar en bicicleta. No puedo esperar a seguir descubriendo más historias de la autora.
November 6, 2022
Interesting novel looking at death and life where the major character can talk to the dead and her work in the undertakers and regret and wonders about her life
February 28, 2022
Listening Still is the story of a woman who can speak to the dead. Jeanie Masterson is an undertaker in a small Irish town. Her family has owned a funeral home going back to her father’s father. She and her father have a gift. They are able to hear the last requests or words of those customers who choose to speak. Some of the dead just want their family members to know they loved them, while others need to relay information or secrets they have kept hidden for years. Others just ask for forgiveness.
Although Jeanie wanted to go to college in London and explore different career options, she always knew there was a family obligation for her to stay in their small town and keep the family business going. It was important to her that the gift she was given was used the way it had been intended. She owed that to the people who needed to speak through her.
She even married her childhood friend, Niall who became an embalmer and had loved her since they were very young. He was not the love of her life though. He moved to London for college and even though he begged her to join him, the obligation to her family was too overwhelming. Just another regret.
But Jeanie is now at a crossroads in her life. Her parents have just informed her that they are retiring and moving away leaving the business to her and her husband and her aunt. It is just expected Jeanie will take over. But Jeanie feels the itch of trying something different. Niall has begun to pressure Jeanie to have children, something she was never too keen on for fear she would pass her gift along and have the cycle of feeling trapped continue.
Intertwined through the story are some of the problems of the dead which Jeanie has helped resolve through the years, some good, some shocking and some which helped the living to move on.
But suddenly she begins to see that while everyone else seems to be putting their needs first, she on the other hand has never done that for herself. All through her life she has always done what was expected of her, not what she has really wanted to do. But what is it that she really wants? How on earth could she tell all the people in her life that she wants something more? Something which may not include some of them?
Jeanie needs to not only speak for the dead, but she needs to have the courage to finally speak up for herself in this incredibly unique heartfelt story about love and loss.
Thank you #NetGalley #St.Martin’sPress #ListeningStill #AnneGriffin for the advanced copy.
Although Jeanie wanted to go to college in London and explore different career options, she always knew there was a family obligation for her to stay in their small town and keep the family business going. It was important to her that the gift she was given was used the way it had been intended. She owed that to the people who needed to speak through her.
She even married her childhood friend, Niall who became an embalmer and had loved her since they were very young. He was not the love of her life though. He moved to London for college and even though he begged her to join him, the obligation to her family was too overwhelming. Just another regret.
But Jeanie is now at a crossroads in her life. Her parents have just informed her that they are retiring and moving away leaving the business to her and her husband and her aunt. It is just expected Jeanie will take over. But Jeanie feels the itch of trying something different. Niall has begun to pressure Jeanie to have children, something she was never too keen on for fear she would pass her gift along and have the cycle of feeling trapped continue.
Intertwined through the story are some of the problems of the dead which Jeanie has helped resolve through the years, some good, some shocking and some which helped the living to move on.
But suddenly she begins to see that while everyone else seems to be putting their needs first, she on the other hand has never done that for herself. All through her life she has always done what was expected of her, not what she has really wanted to do. But what is it that she really wants? How on earth could she tell all the people in her life that she wants something more? Something which may not include some of them?
Jeanie needs to not only speak for the dead, but she needs to have the courage to finally speak up for herself in this incredibly unique heartfelt story about love and loss.
Thank you #NetGalley #St.Martin’sPress #ListeningStill #AnneGriffin for the advanced copy.
December 17, 2021
Listening Still by Anne Griffin feautues the most interesting topic I've come
across in books/audiobooks this year!
Jeanie Masterson is a mortician working in a family owned funeral home. Jeanie has inherited the unique ability to communicate with those who have recently passed on. She tries to use her gift to console bereaved loved ones, but sometimes this plan backfires. The dead may or may not have very nice things to say about their living relatives, so Jeanie is put in a precarious moral position. Should she always tell the truth?
I was privileged to read the e-book by Anne Griffin while listening to the audiobook narrated by Nicole Couglan. I fully enjoyed the voices of each character while reading this extraordinary story! It's the best of both worlds!
Thank you to NetGally, St. Martin's Press, and Macmillan Audio.
Listening Still book and audiobook will both be published March 1, 2022.
across in books/audiobooks this year!
Jeanie Masterson is a mortician working in a family owned funeral home. Jeanie has inherited the unique ability to communicate with those who have recently passed on. She tries to use her gift to console bereaved loved ones, but sometimes this plan backfires. The dead may or may not have very nice things to say about their living relatives, so Jeanie is put in a precarious moral position. Should she always tell the truth?
I was privileged to read the e-book by Anne Griffin while listening to the audiobook narrated by Nicole Couglan. I fully enjoyed the voices of each character while reading this extraordinary story! It's the best of both worlds!
Thank you to NetGally, St. Martin's Press, and Macmillan Audio.
Listening Still book and audiobook will both be published March 1, 2022.
October 18, 2021
This was not at all what I thought it would be about. I was really hoping more for something like the "Ghost Whisperer" where Jeanie would interact more with those that have passed and end up with her. Instead, it's bits and pieces of people dying, a few declarations, and a whole lot of hemming and hawing about what she should do. Jeanie is so wishy washy that she becomes unlikeable. Her obsession with the retirement of her parents is annoying and doesn't seem like it should take up more of her life than it does. It was well written but very slow and not at all what it says it will be about. Ultimately, this book just wasn't for me.
The narration was very well done and I love the narrator's accent!
I received a copy from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The narration was very well done and I love the narrator's accent!
I received a copy from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
June 14, 2021
Having just read All is said, I enthusiastically bought and started reading the book... what a delusion! The plot and the characters were somehow inconsistent and ‘the gift’ didn’t play the major role one would expect. A real disappointment.
June 26, 2022
"Chi sa aspettare, può aspettare, e chi non può farlo, dovrà cavarsela da solo. Per una volta, Jeanie Masterson, puoi metterti al primo posto?"
October 27, 2021
It's an entertaining story!
May 11, 2022
A book about an Irish family of undertakers, some of whom can talk to the dead.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 556 reviews