A beautifully written debut to end 2018 on a high. A man in his 80's sits at a bar and raises his glass to the 5 people in his life who have a difference. A heartwarming and heartbreaking look at the life of Maurice, narrated by himself he is not always a likeable character, he is grumpy and moody yet clearly loved in his life by the people around him. There are no surprises, no twist and turns just a sold story of love, life truth and secrets.

A man at a bar raises his glass and toasts memories of his lifetime. A gentle, easily read book that inspires me to look at my life and enjoy past memories. A great book that I would recommend to anyone. Just read and enjoy the love.

This was a brilliant story of love, family history and the secrets we keep and of loneliness. The whole book builds up to a sad climax however that is not the most important story of this tale.

Each chapter is written as a toast to important characters and each of these was told with warmth, compassion and the small details that made all the individuals come alive on the page.

The writing is beautiful and I could literally imagine myself sat in that Irish bar hearing the story as if it was being told just to me.

There are echoes of the wonderful The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom and I hope the author is proud of this comparison because that was a brilliant book. When All is Said is equally as gifted in relaying it’s story alongside the quiet lessons in life that we sometimes need a reminder of.

Maurice Hannigan tells his story through making a toast to the most important people in his life whilst "speaking" to his absent son, who had emigrated. I got so caught up in his tale that in one instance it was a shock to be brought back to the present. He speaks of how he was treated as a child and any regrets he has now when it's too late to make amends. A fascinating tale.

Maurice Hannigan has the evening planned out. He is alone, drinking whisky at a hotel which holds a lot of memories, good and bad, for him.
During the evening he drinks five toasts to the five people who have been in his life. These are stories of brotherhood, hardship, love,tragedy and hope.
This is a beautifully written book which will leave a lasting impression.

In its own solitary way this book is a thing of beauty and I hope it gets a nod next year when it’s time for handing out awards and being listed on distinguished and best books lists. It’s a story of sorrow, vengeance, loneliness, abuse and loss.

The story is narrated by the main character, Maurice Hannigan, as he tells the tale of his life and how he became the man he is and the people who helped him become that man. Now as an old man he looks back upon mistakes, the events that formed his character and some of his regrets. Five people, five toasts and his entire life in one evening.

The natural inclination of man or woman is to look back upon their lives as they grow older, especially if they are nearing the end of their time. The author really captures this nostalgic mood and how conflicted Hannigan feels about certain situations and people in his life.

One of the more poignant moments is when Hannigan has no choice but to put himself in the shoes of the man he has hated his whole life. Not that it makes that man less of a muppet, but it does give Hannigan a different perspective on certain behaviour and events he had to endure. Sometimes we only see one side of the story, which is often coloured by our own frame of reference and emotional involvement.

Griffin has a natural flair for writing and telling a story. With the most basic of recipes, one man and his drink of choice, just his voice and his memories – the author gives us a deep well of emotions, caustic commentary and breathtaking honesty. The reader lifts their drink and toasts alongside Hannigan, as he contemplates and reminisces the many decades of calculated moves. It’s a subtle and spectacular read.

Lovely story about Maurice Hannigan’s life. This story is written as though he is sitting with you telling the story. Very emotional in places. Very good

This is a story about Maurice Hannibal, who over the course of a Saturday night orders five different drinks at The Rainford House Hotel. With each drink he toasts a person vital to him, his older brother, his sister-in-law, his daughter of fifteen minutes, his son who lives in America and his late wife Sadie. Through these people, the ones who left him behind he tells us the story of his own life, his regrets, loves and triumphs.

I picked up this book about a week ago and couldn’t get into it. I saw it again this morning and decided to give it another go. I’m so glad I did because I couldn’t stop reading it!
I liked the way it was written, Maurice’s life story told through toasting people who have left him. I loved Maurice and was moved by his story. I felt like I was sitting in that hotel bar with him and feel sad now Maurice’s story has been told.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Some characters’ lives live on in your heart and mind. It’s what all writers hope for as they carefully craft their words. This beautiful memoir style novel has a truly memorable character in the shape of 84 year old Maurice Hannigan, an Irish farmer-cum-businessman, who has lived and loved with endurance and grit.

As he sits in the bar of a grand hotel, nursing his various drinks and making a series of toasts to the five most important people in his life, Maurice’s reflections begin with boyhood battles and extend to the dilemmas of the present day. Ostensibly sharing previously unrevealed information and private thoughts with his son, he mulls on things he wishes he had said or done differently. Because life dealt him a hard hand and he didn’t always make wise choices.

There is joy to toast, mingled with regrets, personal tragedy and dashed hopes. Maurice’s account brims with a tenderness previously unexpressed, as well as bitterness at the way he has been perceived and treated by others. His revelations make him emerge as a lovable, fully believable, easy to relate to character as he mourns some of the choices he has made.

A dark undercurrent accompanies the conversations we are privy to as Maurice pours out his heart - in his head, if not on paper. As his story unfolds, we sense something fresh and painful about to happen that is hinted at more than expounded on. This is a beautifully written, engrossing, heartwarming tearjerker of a novel that lingers with the reader once the ending has been reached. Grateful thanks to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for the ARC.

What a totally awesome read. Maurice takes you on the journey of his life in only a broad character such as his could. His Irish lilt was a thing to behold and only added to the story. His story about the special people in his life and what impact they had on his life was very richly told. I could not put this book down and did not want it to end. I found myself getting upset because I was so grossly involved in his story. A definite masterpiece that will stay with me for a long time.

This was a very emotive story and really touched my core. The ups and downs of life, good times and bad but always as a family. Suddenly you are the only one left, the children have grown up and leading their own lives, your partner of many, many years has gone. Nobody needs you anymore. No matter how you try to fill yours days, the house is always empty at the end of the day. Old age for the widow or widower is a very lonely time. This was an unforgettable story.

Great read and a story that resonates with so many people these days. Lesson learned is to go with your gut, keep no secrets and to talk to your family. Poignant read.

This is an exceptional, undeniably Irish, debut from Anne Griffin, the prose is effortlessly engaging and it is simultaneously heartbreaking and life affirming as we get intimately acquainted with the life and times of 84 year old Maurice Hannigan. Hannigan has packed up his life, leaving no loose threads prior to booking the most exclusive suite at the Rainsford House Hotel. Early on, we cotton on to how the night will end, but before that, Maurice settles in for an evening at the hotel bar to raise a toast for the five most important loves of his life. They are Tony, his brother, Molly, his daughter, Noreen or Auntie No-no, his son, Kevin, who emigrated to New Jersey, USA, becoming a notable journalist, and lastly, but of the most vital importance, his wife, Sadie.

As Maurice reminisces, we become aware of just how close his bond with Tony is, of how school became a tortuous experience as he became convinced of just how stupid he is. He leaves at 10 years old to work, like his mother, for the local rich family, the Dollards, where he undergoes a plethora of the most unhappiest of experiences that are to leave him scarred for life and shape him to be the most unforgiving of men. The scales shift as through the years the Dollard fortunes drop substantially whilst Maurice becomes a astute entrepreneurial farmer, buying up the land around his farm, becoming financially secure and wealthy. He falls for Sadie hook, line and sinker, and to his surprise and joy, she returns his love. Sadie's sister, Noreen, is fiercely drawn to the sparkle, and she will go to any lengths to acquire it when she sees it, not afraid of making a fuss in public. Kevin makes a ritual of providing his father with rare whiskies. To Maurice's eternal regret, he has not been an expressive man, he has never been able to articulate the depth of his love to those nearest and dearest. It becomes transparently clear that loneliness has seeped into Maurice's heart and soul.

Anne Griffin has written a touchingly profound and moving novel, of the oh so very human Maurice, his joys and tragedies, the ghosts who have been there in his life, and his concerns that the one ghost he really wants to see has proved to be elusive. Maurice is a character you cannot help but get emotionally invested in, despite his obsession for business and making money, which, of course, left him open to missing the opportunities to be with his loved ones when they may have needed him. This novel hones in what is important in life, family, friends and love. Maurice is not infallible, he had a drive for vengeance, not always aware of the consequences of his actions but I loved and adored him. This is a brilliantly enthralling story of Maurice, of his dyslexia, his family, heartbreak, and the Ireland he lives through. Hugely recommended. Many thanks to Hodder and Stoughton for an ARC.

84-year-old Maurice Hannigan is sitting at the bar in the Rainsford House Hotel, Rainsford Co Meath Ireland. Toasting five people that over the years has been the most important and influential people in his life. With each toast it tells the story of each person. Starting from when he was a little boy on a farm in rural Ireland, to present day. From the tragedy of his brother dying to regretting some of the things he has done in his life and also the joy of some of the events that has happened.
This is a heart-warming tale set in Ireland, that most of you will love. At first I didn’t warm to the character of Maurice. I thought he was quite selfish in his actions but, as the story went on you get to realise what a lonely individual he is and all he wants to do is correct the wrongs he has done in his life. This is a beautifully written novel for those that loves stories in an Irish setting.
Thank you NetGalley and Hodder and Stoughton for a copy of this book.

I totally fell in love with Maurice and I just didn’t want his story to end.

Maurice Hannigan is 84 yrs old and the time has come for him to say goodbye. He has organised everything, from sorting out a new home for this dog to selling his property, he’s got everything in order and is ready for the next journey.
So in a hotel bar in an Irish town, he toasts and remembers the people who are important to him and reflects on the life that he has lived and how he has spent his 84 yrs.

A beautifully written, heartwarming and heartbreaking story that I just didn’t want to end.

I think I will always remember Maurice and his story.

A heartwarming book. The story of a man's life, told by himself when he's in his eighties. He's a hard man, always been crotchety and too fond of money, but a man who loves and is loved for all of that. To the Egyptians when your soul is measured against Maat's feather if you're loved you carry one. This man's soul will go forward with family and friends.

Loved it. Gentle. Heartwarming. Real

A hugely emotional and touching story set in rural Ireland. I’ve just finished it now with a tear in my eye. I really like this debut novel, the writing is accomplished and the characters come together well. I’d recommend it.

A good story which encompasses all the attributes of a novel set in Ireland , despite hardships there was a deep and lasting love of family , Growing up in a small village the dynamics of the landowners and those who worked for them changed over time but the old rentments stiill fuelled Maurice's actions. It was a reflective Maurice who questioned hisprevious attitudes and behaviour on his bereavement and then tried to make amends. The sort of story that has you nodding in understanding even if you don't always agree . There is humour and sadness. A good read.

Really loved this book. Such an in-depth characterisation and I don't know how I turned the pages to see how it will all come together in the end. Was beautifully done and I won't be surprised to see this one on the big prize lists.
Definite must read for lovers of literary fiction.

This book is beautiful and Anne Griffin's storytelling is something else... Read it if you can! I adored the well-written characters and sobbed for most of the way through, especially the ending. A heartbreaking book!