Let me start with, I am finally adding a new book to my favorites shelf!
This book has the power to make you fall in love, break you heart and then sew you right back up as 84-year old Maurice sits at a bar in his home town retelling the story of his life. From heartbreak to love and back again we journey with him through the painful losses of people he loves the most to the victories over others who stood in his way.

"Did he ever lay his hand on the earth to steady his body that heaved at the injustice of it all?"

I came to the end of this book feeling such a sense of sweetness and sadness. This may have been a work of fiction but I can honestly say it impacted my real world. Anne Griffin deserves every award coming her way for this book, I am sure they will be plentiful.

"I never dreamt the day I met her that there would come a time when I'd find it hard to breathe because her toothbrush no longer sat beside mine in the green, sorry - avocado, I always got that wrong apparently - tumbler on the bathroom sink or because I can no longer hear her giving out when I set the fire wrong in the grate or that there is nothing - no breath, no heartbeat when I stretch my hand to her side of the bed in the morning. But I can't. I can't"

I wish I could sit next to Maurice at that bar and listen to more of his stories.

This is such a beautiful book, that I would expect to see it being a film in the near future. It is so tender, moving and full of love, regrets and the pride of an old man, who has lost his wife and finds that his life is pointless without her presence, and therefore, death holds no fears for him.
Maurice Hannigan is 84years old and he is surrounded by his memories of his wife, Sadie, who died 2 years ago. He is having a toast for the 5 most significant people in his life, each has their own specific tipple. Through this device, we learn about Tony, his deceased brother ,who died of TB, Noreen, his mentally ill sister- in- law, Molly, his daughter, who only lived for 15mins, Kevin, his son, who lives in America and Sadie, his world, his darling wife,who died and has left him heartbroken and so bereft,that in his longing for her, he finds that death is a most welcome desire, he wants them both to be together again.
It is a story of reflection and regrets, pride and pleasure, but most of all, it is a love story. It is magical, heart rending, full of pathos, and so moving! I had a lump in my throat and cried several times, thank heavens for a few flashes of humour and dry wit!!
I can hardly believe that this accomplished read is a debut novel, it flows so smoothly, and you really get inside the mindset of Maurice, and his pain. I heartedly recommend this as a 5 star read. It is perfect.

I had to read this new Irish novel after loving John Boyne’s The Hearts Invisible Furies. It did not disappoint!

Maurice Hannigan is 84 years old and taking stock of his life. This novel spans from the time he was small and following his big brother, Tony, around to the sunset of his life. Five people have had significant impacts on his life and he is having a toast with the appropriate beverage for each of them.

Maurice is narrating this story in his mind to his son and after each toast he describes how each person is interwoven into the person he became. I had a hard time putting the book down when he told these stories. In addition, there is another story about a coin that had a big importance to his life that Maurice tells throughout the book that is fascinating.

This was a poignant gripping heartwarming story that reminded me a little of The Man Called Ove. Maurice is a strong and interesting character.

I received this ARC from NetGalley for my honest opinion.

When All Is Said my Anne Griffin is a lovely story of a man, Maurice, who married Sadie (the love of his life) and their adult married son, Kevin. The story is told by Maurice to Kevin, in a five point letter; a letter Maurice writes in a bar about five people, as he toasts each of the five.Maruice tells of horrible things he had done, family secrets, his undying love for Sadie and about Kevin himself. Maurice is an old man, 84, and is ready to go and be with Sadie who passed two years before the letter. He tells Kevin about his life as a child, as a young man, a husband and then a father. He tells of his small and rather pour beginnings to the wealth he has amased - and how it all came together. The book is written so vividly and beautiful you can just hold all the characters in your heart. By the end its tru, When All Is Said. I absolutely loved this book. Thanks to #WhenAllisSaid #NetGalley #ThomasDunneBooks #AnneGriffin

At the start of the book, Maurice is at a hotel bar, doing what we don't know, but it sounds ominous. As the story progresses, we learn how the hotel and the family who own it have played such a huge role in his life, not to mention his family.

He raises 5 toasts this evening and the story is told through his reminiscing of these 5 people. A nice story well told. Thank you NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest opinion.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Loved it! Poignant novel about a man, his struggles, sins, and victories.

A heart-rendering story of family and friends both lost and found. Excellent storyline and exceptionally well character development. Recommend

4+ stars

I am becoming a huge fan of Irish stories and authors!

I loved 84 year old Maurice, who has lost his beloved wife 2 yrs ago, and isn’t doing well without her.
He plans a memorable night at a hotel bar that holds a personal history...and through the course of the night makes narrative toasts with a fine whiskey to five people, this followed by a stay in the honeymoon suite at the same hotel.
At each toast during this night, we find out the history of Maurice and the significance of each of these five people in his life.
I so enjoyed his story! Recommended!

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC!

When All is Said is a book filled with reflection and regret. The life we lead isn’t always the one we had planned, yet we make the most of it. Maurice is an octogenarian who spends what is determined to be his final night toasting the loves of his life, including his brother, children, sister-in-law, and wife. His sense of loss over his wife is profound and he no longer wants to live without her.

Maurice is what you would deem a cantankerous old man. As such, he was hard to relate to and have empathy for. The realization that he is from a different era in a different country helped but I had a hard time with his character.

Maurice Hannigan is sitting alone at the bar of The Rainsford House Hotel. He has a plan to raise five toasts to five special people in his life, and through them, we get to eavesdrop on the story of Maurice’s life. What is his connection to the hotel? And why has he booked the honeymoon suite? This is a story about Ireland, a story about being a man of a certain generation, a story of loss, of revenge, of family, but mostly, as all the best stories are, it’s a story about love. Anne Griffin has written a little gem of a debut novel and I predict huge international success!😊 Thanks to #netgally for the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an honest opinion. #iamreading #lovereadingbooks #whiskey
#whenallissaid #annegriffin

Very engaging book. I found Maurice's story to be totally engrossing. I could relate to it myself. Overall , it's a great afternoon read, pour a cup of coffee or tea, and leisurely read it over a weeks time. It's a good one to savor!

This is one of those books that I really, really wanted to like, but I found myself struggling to be drawn into the story. The plot sounded so lovely and touching (84 year old Maurice gives a toast to the 5 people who meant the most to him in his life), but I just couldn't fall into the story. I will try again because it does sound like a magical piece. Thanks to St Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC!

I am still thinking about this book. It is powerful, poignant and beautifully written. One man's life writ large, told through the toasts he makes to the five people who have meant the most to him. It is thoughtful, confessional and heart-breaking. I could not put this down.

A somewhat slow start, but glad I stayed with it. The protagonist, Maurice, is an Irish elderly gentleman who imagines describing the highlights of his life to his son by way of "toasts" in a bar. Through the reminiscing we learn about the events and people who shaped Maurice's life, including an older brother deceased from TB as a teenager, an emotionally handicapped sister in law, his son, Kevin, and 2 other equally poignant influences. A quote from the book sums it all when Maurice suggests he spent much of his life "distracted by what was outside--my deals, my empire...often forgetting to see what lay inside and how precious it was."

When All Is Said is a beautifully written book by Ann Griffin. She has taken a rather mundane story line and spun it into gold! Her protagonist, Maurice, is an aged widow who is spending the evening in the bar of the local hotel quietly toasting the five people who have been the most important to him during his life. As he reflects calmly, yet thoroughly on the importance each of his favourite people the tales begin to overlap and the story of Maurice's life is revealed – from his hard scrabble upbringing on an Irish farm to his eventual comfort spent at the hotel's bar.
Griffin paints a lovely picture not only of Maurice's life, but also of the Irish people and environs. He grew up in a simpler time when class distinction was strictly adhered to, a cultural phenomenon which led to a childhood event that eventually influenced everyone who he eventually spends his ultimate evening toasting. Griffin heavily foreshadows the ending, making it easier for the reader to bear. A quick read that ends all too soon.
I received a free copy of a pdf of this ebook via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

When All is Said is a poignant and heartfelt novel. It is slow, flawed, and beautiful and I got emotional many times while reading it. Maurice sits at a bar alone looking back over his life and makes a toast to five people who influenced and changed his life: his brother, his daughter, his sister-in-law, his son, and his wife.

He’s a cantankerous old man, in some ways reminiscent of Ove (A Man Called Ove), but where that book had dry humor this one is steeped in nostalgia. Early on you can see where it’s heading but when you get there, you’re still gutted.

The writing is that of a seasoned author, yet I believe this is Griffin's debut book. I'm eagerly awaiting her next novel where I hope she can mend the broken heart she left me with.

An absolute gem of a book. Beautifully written and emotionally involving, with vivid characters and a palpable sense of place, this belongs on the shelf next to Angela's Ashes. I loved this lyrical book.

What a delightful and thought provoking premise. Could you choose just 5 people who made you, who you are today? And more importantly have you shared with them how important they are to you? The main character, an Irish elderly man, did the former (not the latter) and it was engaging and witty and filled with wisdom. Some of the reviewers compared it to A Man Called Ove, which is a fair comparison but in some ways it was very different and I enjoyed this book more. It is well written as the author's words often paint a picture or trigger a reflection for which I was forced to pause and think through before continuing with my reading. Her depiction of love is so pure...so raw...the scrapes, bruises and breaks amidst the nurturing, growth and affection.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an early release in exchange for an honest and fair review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an ARC. I liked that the main character was a male talking about his family in this way. Usually you would expect this type of book to be female driven.

I’ve seen this book on a few lists, When All Is Said by Anne Griffin promises to deliver a wonderful story that you won’t want to end. This appealed to me from the description:

If you had to pick five people to sum up your life, who would they be? If you were to raise a glass to each of them, what would you say? And what would you learn about yourself, when all is said and done?

This is the story of Maurice Hannigan, who, over the course of a Saturday night in June, orders five different drinks at the Rainford House Hotel. With each he toasts a person vital to him: his doomed older brother, his troubled sister-in-law, his daughter of fifteen minutes, his son far off in America, and his late, lamented wife. And through these people, the ones who left him behind, he tells the story of his own life, with all its regrets and feuds, loves and triumphs.

Like I have mentioned many times, I love a book with quirky characters and an unusual plot. I really enjoy books that make me think, get me a little teary eyed. From the early reviews and the fact that I have seen this novel on several lists, I know Im not only going to love it but will be watching for future works from Anne Griffin.