I loved "Burial Rites" and snapped this book up without getting too far into the description.

While I liked the first book better, this one was still a good read.

I like how the author really sets me in the scene. You can really tell that she has done a lot of research on this, as well. Especially if you read the author's note at the end. I also just read that the author picked a mysterious disease for Micheal so it would add to the mystery. I know I was having a hard time just picturing what the heck he had wrong with him.

I had to laugh a few times when those ladies would meet up at the well. The superstitions that they had were hilarious. I'm rolling my eyes now at some of the beliefs.

A really great and entertaining read that had me mesmerized for hours.

Thanks to Little, Brown and Company and Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

My first Hannah Kent. Immediately went out to buy Burial Rites by her. Very fast paced and very intriguing. I enjoyed how it kept me hooked and it was an original story. Nowadays so many books read the same. Highly recommend

This was an interesting book but not one that carried me away with the story. Although it centers around "The Good People," another name for fairies, we don't see any actual fairies. Instead of a fantasy novel with fairy characters this is a much more dramatic story filled with the superstitions the Irish farmers believed about the fairies and their influence on their day-to-day lives. These people lived far from cities, most did not read or write, and these superstitions were handed down, shared from hamlet to hamlet & stories embellished for effect. Any bad luck, poor crops, poor milking, deaths, etc could be laid at the door of the fairies or people the locals thought were in league with the fairies, casting the evil eye or bad luck spells, or "charms."
The book felt very realistic. The characters & the descriptions of the way they lived & worked rang true. It was easy to see how a group of superstitious people could let events snowball into actually harming each other based on their beliefs about the world and each other. After all, we have many real examples in history with witch hunts & witch trials.
Despite how well researched & well written the book was, something about it made it difficult for me to fully engage in. I think I was just filled with so much dread during the whole story. I knew it couldn't end well & there weren't any rays of hope or goodness to cling too.

Reminiscent of Thomas Hardy's novels, Hannah Kent's "The Good People" is steeped in the atmosphere of the rural countryside and its traditional ways. Nora, a widow grieving the sudden death of her husband, is forced to assume responsibility for the care of her handicapped grandchild. The child's strange cries and paralysis increase her despair, and so she hires Mary, a young live-in maid, and turns for help to Nance, the traditional wise woman healer. Events quickly spiral out of control, as local rumors begin to circulate claiming that the child is a "changeling," a creature that the fairies have left to curse the area when they stole the real child.

Slowly and inexorably, events build to a climactic conclusion; Kent's writing simply and beautifully allows readers to both see and appreciate the nuanced perspectives that lead to the final conflict. Much in the style of her first novel, "Burial Rites," "The Good People" is a quietly compelling historical novel that examines the lives of people caught up in events they do not fully understand.

The Good People was an intense and unsettling story! Beautiful writing!

This is Hannah Kent’s second book, after her superb Burial Rites, which was about an 1829 true crime in Iceland.  Like Burial Rites, this one is based on a true story occurring in Ireland in the late 1800s.  And in the broader sense, it’s very much about the culture and folklore of rural Ireland at this time.

This book reminded me of two excellent books I read this year: The Bear and The Nightingale and The Wonder, although I’ll admit I enjoyed it slightly less than those two books.  Like those books, The Good People straddles the line between belief and disbelief in the fairy world, and the intersection of those beliefs with Catholicism.

The book begins with the widow Nora, whose husband has just fallen dead while working in the fields.  Nora recently lost her only daughter as well, and she takes care of her grandson Michael, who suffers from a disabling affliction, one that has no medical diagnosis.  He was a healthy boy and now he can't walk or speak.  The superstitious villagers fear Nora’s run of bad luck and they call Michael a “changeling” – an evil spirit that’s left behind when a child is taken by the fairies.

This is also the story of Nance, an elderly healer who has “the Knowledge” of the fairies.  She uses her cures to treat physical ailments as well as fairy curses. For the villagers, she’s the only kind of doctor they have.  Some believe, some aren’t so sure, but most of them can point to a time when Nance has helped them. Until a new priest moves in who sees the villagers’ beliefs as a threat to the teachings of Catholicism.

Kent, who is Australian, makes the reader feel thoroughly immersed in the life of this rural Irish town.  But it’s not a positive view; her villagers are Hardy-esque in their vicious gossip and their need to turn on each other in times of difficulty. Although in the beginning we see Nora surrounded by well-wishers, the town is largely driven by ritual and superstition rather than kind feelings towards their fellow men and women, as evidenced by the woman who is being savagely beaten by her husband yet no one takes any action.  When Nora becomes overwhelmed by grief, rather than turn to her neighbors she feels more alone than ever.

Kent is a vivid storyteller and this is a moving story.  I found myself constantly wanting to believe that the fairy lore was true.  And, as in The Bear and The Nightingale, I found Christianity’s “war” on pagan beliefs absolutely tragic.  I also love stories about small town dynamics.

However, The Good People suffers somewhat from the dreariness of its tone and the constant suffering of its characters.  I was also frustrated by the characters in this novel.  It was clear where this story was going yet they seemed powerless to make any changes.  In the first half, Kent really explores the thoughts and motivations of Nora, but as the book goes on the perspective shifts to Mary, Nora’s servant. Mary is sympathetic, but her passivity is frustrating (though I recognize how few options she has, being completely dependent on Nora).

Note: I received a complimentary advance copy of this novel from NetGalley and publisher Little, Brown & Co. in exchange for an honest review.  The book was published September 19, 2017.

I decided to read this based on its content. I liked the idea of the mixture of a fantastical elements with 19th century Ireland. I dove right in and was enjoying the every day life of the Irish countryside and the different cast of characters. Once the maid, Mary, came into the picture, things seemed to start to go downhill. She added in a layer of contention, which while needed, also added a layer of tension. It made the story difficult to continue. We were already deep into the widow's depression and grief, now we also had the tension of a young girl who was upset and homesick. It may have been realistic, but it also was very difficult to get through. There were elements of suspense that kept the story going, but not much else did.

I loved Hannah Ken'ts first book, "Burial Rites" and her second does not disappoint. Taking place in early Ireland when the country is still caught up in the fairy magic of the past but coming into control of the Catholic Church, three women struggle to care for an ailing child.

What I love about the book is the tremendous emotion the setting gives. The land is a character in itself and it is not a forgiving character. It is a somber book and there is little relief from the harshness of the daily life that all encounter. The book drew me in from the beginning and I cheered, wept and agonized with the characters as they lived their lives torn between the world where they wanted to be and the world they existed in.

Thank you Net Galley for the book - I wish there was a third Hannah Kent book available - I would start it immediately!

In a 19th century Irish town, the people want answers if a baby is stillborn, a cow gives less milk, a wife runs away, someone is burned in a fire or a child becomes ill. They find their answers in superstition and blame. They believe in omens, devils and the Good People (fairies) and they ward off evil with salt, ashes, herbs and holy water. Blame falls at various times on a 4 year old boy with a mysterious ailment, a barren woman and an elderly healer who is also the midwife.

While I can appreciate the quality of the writing and the amount of research done by the author, I didn't enjoy reading this. It was painful to read about the torments to which a small child was subjected after it was decided that he was a changeling. I also found the book to be repetitive and depressing. Not what I'm looking for in a book.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read and review this book.

The story revolves around 3 women - Nora has just lost her husband. They were trying to take care of their grandson, whom Nora remembers as a happy baby. After their daughter died, their son-in-law couldn't care for the boy and dropped him off with his grandparents. Dealing with her grief over her husband, Nora hires Mary, a young teenager from a nearby town to help her with the boy and the farm duties. The young boy can neither talk nor walk and spends most of its time screaming and crying. The two are beside themselves and turn to an old woman who is believed to have magical curing abilities. They believe the boy has been taken by fairies and they have to do various treatments to get the boy returned.

I remain a bit conflicted on this book. It's beautifully written and I enjoyed learning more about Irish folklore as well as how difficult lives were back in the 1800s in rural Ireland.

However, the story dragged for me as well as became repetitive. I found myself just wanting to get to the part with some answers and didn't enjoy the journey too much.

Kent has tried desperately to re-create the traumatic magic (my new band name, don’t steal it!) of her debut novel Burial Rites and she’s failed so so so miserably. Why did she—why did she even write this book? Whaaaaat was the point?

Granted, it’s gotta be hard to follow up Burial Rites. That book was haunting, every aspect of it. It’s been years since I read it yet sometimes I still find myself in 1820s Iceland. If Kent was attempting to mimic the cold beauty of Burial Rites, she’s failed. If her goal was to upset and utterly bore me: success!

The plot was unbearably predictable and the book was far too long. The non-stop violence and torture gave me nightmares. The repetitive conversations—oh god, the same conversations occurred over and over again and for pages at a time, I just wanted to rip the pages of the book out but I was reading on my Kindle and that was the true terror of this novel. The very last section of the book literally spends chapters re-hashing everything that had happened up to the end. WHY! WHY WHY WHY!!! We just read it! We just read all of it! It was horrible enough the first time, why must we be bored to death a second time?

I can’t even give The Good People enough credit to wonder if it could have been a decent novel with a sharp pair of trimming scissors. Compared to Burial Rites, I found Kent’s writing lacking. She can write a hell of a description, but I expected to feel alive in Ireland, not distant and detached. Her dialogue sucked. And I hated the ending. I spent all this time on this mess of a story… FOR THAT ENDING. COOL. THANKS. TOTALLY NOT A WASTE OF MY TIME. THERE’S A NEW SQUIRREL GIRL COMIC I COULD BE READING, DID YOU KNOW?

I received this ARC from netgalley.com in exchange for a review.

Set in Ireland 1825, Nora is grieving for her husband and daughter. She must rear her young grandson who can neither talk or walk. Nora remembers when he could do both and thinks the fairies, The Good People, caught him and made him into a changeling. This story is based on real events, it is deeply seeped in Irish folklore, myths and superstitions.

This book fell flat for me, I just couldn't get interested in or care about the characters. The 'prose' felt over done, hard to read and understand, ultimately I just lost interest.

2.5 stars rounded up to 3☆

{My Thoughts}

What Worked For Me
A World of Superstitions – In 1825 Ireland, living in a small rural community meant living and dying surrounded by superstition. From birth to death, and everything in between, there were superstitions to guide you. Women had it especially hard. Should a woman with child cross paths with a hare in the woods, her child would be born with a harelip. Being around death could cause her to lose her baby. Pity the woman who could not conceive, for she could be blamed for everything from crop failures to a cow’s milk drying up. And, should a child be anything less than perfect, it could only be that his or her mother had failed in some simple way.

“What had happened? What had her daughter done to lose her son? Had she not crossed his face with ashes? Not bit his fingernails until he was nine weeks old? Not sprinkled his mouth with salt, or barred his cradle with iron? All women knew how to protect their children from abduction.”

The Good People – Similar to the world of superstitions was the huge role a belief in fairies played in The Good People. In fact, that’s where the name of the book comes from because fairies were collectively known as the “Good People.” Both respected and feared, these beings were real to almost everyone in Kent’s novel, but to no one more than Nóra. Who besides fairies could explain the sudden deaths of both her daughter and husband? And, it could only be the fairies who were responsible for “sweeping” her once healthy grandson and leaving instead one of their own: a weak, crippled changeling child.

“Nóra, listen now. That boy is not Johanna’s son. ‘Tis not your grandson. ‘Tis fairy. You know that! The look of him, the wasting on him. I tell you now that the cratur is nothing more than an old, withered fairy, changed for Micheál.”

Nóra’s fight to win back her grandson from the “Good People” was at the heart of this unusual historical fiction.

The Catholic Church vs. Its Faithful – The Catholic Church often fails to fare well in literature and The Good People was no exception. In a Catholic country dominated by folklore, people easily lived with both the myths they’d grown up with and their faith. The Church sought to be the voice of reason, seeking to end practices of spells, magic and belief in changelings and fairies. Unfortunately, the local priest used a heavy hand, demanding rather than teaching. He offered no other solutions and certainly no support to Nóra, or those trying to help her. Instead, the Church threatened to banish those who couldn’t bring themselves to abandon the beliefs they’d held for generations. The Catholic Church proved to be a nice little villain here.

What Didn’t
Use of Old Irish – Kent used quite a bit of old Irish phrasing/words in her story. Most of the time I was clear on meanings, but still would have liked for a glossary to be included.

A Hole in the Story – Micheál, Nóra’s grandson, was central to this story, and yet we knew very little about him. I understand that the reader knew as much as the characters in the book did, but still I wanted more. I found myself constantly wondering what had happened to him and what his actual diagnosis might be. Knowing more would have better filled out the story for me.

A Harsh Climax – I don’t want to include any spoilers, so I’ll simply say that I had a hard time with both the climax of The Good People, and the events that followed. It left me sympathetic to (but caring for few) characters in this novel.

{The Final Assessment}

While I found many parts of Hannah Kent’s sophomore effort interesting, I cannot say that I truly liked the book. Too often the flow of her story got bogged down in an abundance of detail, some of which became repetitive. A tighter story would have been more to my liking. This would be a great book for those who have a fondness for Irish lore, or who would like to know more about the Church’s role in Ireland’s colorful history. Grade: C+

Note: I received a copy of this book from the publisher (via NetGalley) in exchange for my honest review.

I am not going to review this book on any websites as I did not finish it. It was just so dark, twisted and sad. I'm not sure if the ending would have made it any better for me but I tried several times to finish it and I couldn't. This just wasn't for me and I know I couldn't recommend it.

I know there is wonderful writing here and it will find it's audience. Thank you for the opportunity. I must give you my honest opinion.

I love when an author can make a place a character and Kent's descriptions of Ireland do just that. Beautiful story, beautiful prose, beautiful characters.

Nóra and her husband, Martin, are raising their dead daughter’s son because his father can’t. Four-year-old Micheál has some kind of sickness that has taken away his ability to walk or talk, even though he used to do both as a toddler. Now, he squawks and shrieks, flapping arms without control, with eyes that don’t focus on anything in the world around him. As The Good People begins, Nóra is caring for Micheál while Martin is out working. Until he is brought home to her, dead. Now she has no way of supporting herself and a child who needs fulltime care. A child with special needs who is not likely to be understood by any of their neighbors or family in their small Irish village. It is the 1800s and the gap between science and superstition is a wide one, almost as large as the desperation that leads Nóra to a decision that goes horribly wrong.

Nóra takes what little money she has and hires a girl from another village to help. Though she’s only fifteen, Mary has nine siblings and so isn’t put off by Micheál. As Nóra’s grappling with all this, fall turns into winter and more things start going wrong, both at her home and in the village. A young pregnant woman miscarries. The hens stop laying and cows stop giving milk. Does this have something to do with Nance, the old woman who lives outside the village and is known as a midwife and a healer? A woman who is known to have Knowledge and to connect with the good people, who, in The Good People, are fairies and are not good at all. Rather they are mischievous and sometimes cruel. Nance supposedly knows how to deal with them, which is fine until people need someone to blame. And there’s no one better than an elderly, impoverished, but independent woman—even if she has been helping the community for twenty years. To make matters worse, Nance is pressured by Nóra, who is certain she can help her grandson, who, she is now convinced, is not her grandson at all.

Author Hannah Kent adroitly maneuvers the characters and the mindsets of the times throughout the novel. Superstition is frowned on by the Catholic priests, but they are not on the side of science or medicine, preferring that parishioners look to God for answers. Regarding Micheál, Nóra gets no help whatsoever from either priest or doctor. Acceptance of one’s lot in life with no hope of improvement seems to be big theme in rural Ireland at the time. That or a miracle cure. Either of which leaves the inhabitants of 19th century rural Ireland as a backwards people living in a grim bog of deprivation and folklore. Kent presses this home with the title The Good People. Yes, it is the name of the supernatural beings the villagers believe in, but it is also an allusion to the villagers themselves, who can be more malicious and dangerous than the fairies. If all of this sounds bleak, it is, but Kent’s atmospheric prose charges the story of Nóra and Nance with a current that makes their story electrifying.

This is a beautifully written story about a rural community in Ireland in the early 1800's where there is still a strong belief in the fairies (the good people). Although the rigid Catholic priest is doing his best to eradicate this, the people cling to their superstitions and have a local herbalist/professional funeral keener, Nance Roche. Frankly, the priest is so awful that I don't even know why people go to his church.

Nora has seen her share of misfortune. The opening pages start with her husband dropping dead working in the fields. Not only does she miss him but it leaves her in a very precarious position. Nora had one daughter who mysteriously died and has her grandson, Michael, to tend. Although he could speak and walk when born, after his mother's death he does neither. His legs are crippled, he appears starved and cries non-stop. His care took up all her and her husband's time. What is she going to do alone.

She hires a maid, Mary, who is one of eight children hired out by her parents to earn money to support the family. They support themselves on the sale of butter and eggs and the cow is running out of milk. What will happen in the summer when there is no one to work the fields? She will certainly be evicted.

This is the dilemma of the book. How do women take care of themselves? There are only a few accepted ways to make money and most end up living with relatives. Nora's problem is Michael. Most people believe he is a changeling and hold him responsible for the area's run of bad luck. Nora must protect and care for him and also support them. She is between a rock and a hard place. She relies on Nance Roche. It is the relationship of the three women, Nora, Nance and Mary, that make this book so evocative.

It is a lovely book that really captures a time and place. It is based on a true story. There is just something missing. I can't put my finger on it but it stopped me from giving it a five star review. I don't know what it is but maybe it's because it's a little creepy. Still it's a good read.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the GOOD PEOPLE by Hannah Kent.
In the 1820's, Ireland's landscape offers a bleak outlook to their native sons. Nora lives an empty life when her husband and daughter pass away and she now must care for her daughter's son, Michael. A four year old boy who is unable to speak or walk is a challenge for Nora. She gets help from a young girl. Soon the rumors begin the Nora's grandson isn't quite right. Soon the townspeople believe he is not of this world and Nora fears for the safety of those close to her because fear drives those around her to do terrible things.
The author's description of the locale is amazing. You can picture Ireland in your mind as you read.
This is a good book but it did take me a while to read. Well written.

Hannah Kent’s writing transports the reader into rural Ireland in the early 1800s. The Good People is the story of a loving grandmother who turns to superstitious, and often cruel, torturous, rituals to conjure the return of her perfect grandson, in exchange for, what she believes, is the changeling that has been left in his place. It is the fear of the unknown and a culture of blame and guilt that drive the characters in the book to engage in extreme practices, in an attempt to make sense of what is happening.

The novel brings to light the age old stigma attached to disability or difference, and the mistaken human tendency to try to explain and ‘cure’ that which is out of the ordinary. The novel explores the dichotomy between accepted religious beliefs and superstition as well as between conventional medicine and the ancient tradition of herbal and other natural cures.

This is an engrossing read and is highly recommended. Thanks to Little, Brown and Company and Netgalley for the ARC.

Having absolutely loved Kent's debut novel, Burial Rites, I expected the same from her newest book, The Good People. And while it had the beautiful writing style of her first book, The Good People, for me, wasn't as well paced or engaging as Burial Rites. Perhaps it was that the characters weren't as intriguing in The Good People- I wasn't terribly interested or invested in the characters. The setting was described incredibly well- you can almost believe that Hannah Kent somehow has first hand experience with nineteenth century small-town Ireland from her vivid depiction of place. About 2/3 to 3/4 of the way through the story, when the stakes suddenly became much higher, the pacing of the book picked up quite a bit. This book is definitely best for those who are passionate historical fiction lovers (especially if they have particular interest in Irish history and folklore).