If you are looking for a captivating and emotional read that explores the power of words, secrets and family, you might want to check out Listening Still by Anne Griffin. This is her second novel, after the acclaimed When All is Said, and it follows the journey of Jeanie Masterson, a young woman who inherits her father's funeral home and his unusual ability to hear the last words of the dead.

Jeanie has always helped her family with the business, listening to the final confessions, regrets and wishes of the departed and passing them on to their loved ones. But when her parents retired unexpectedly, she finds herself alone with this burden and a business to run. She also must deal with her own life, dreams, and regrets.

LISTENING STILL is a beautifully written and engaging novel that transports the reader to the rural Ireland. It is not only a compelling story of one woman's quest for happiness and fulfillment, but also a celebration of the Irish culture, history and tradition. The setting is richly described and full of life.

Anne Griffin has a gift for creating vivid and authentic characters that you care about and root for. She also tackles some of life’s big questions, while blending humor and heartache, realism and magic, in a way that makes you feel both enchanted and enlightened.

Listening Still is a novel that will make you laugh, cry, think and feel. It is a novel that will stay with you long after you finish reading it. It is a novel that will make you want to listen more closely to the voices around you, and to your own voice within.

i love this twist. Being able to communicate with people who have passed away would be a daunting circumstance. The juxtaposition of the family not dealing with any of their own trouble is a beautiful contrast.

you’ll find yourself rooting for the main character to get out of her head and into the real world!

I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really liked this book. It was an interesting family dynamic. The characters were all very well developed. I was sort of surprised by the ending. I didn’t expect it. The artist really painted a good picture and it flowed well.

When I read the synopsis, I just had to make sure I was able to rest this one. Unfortunately, it fell a little flat for me. It was still enjoyable, but not outstanding like I was hoping.

*Thank you @stmartinspress for the copy in exchange for an honest review. Review not posted to Amazon/Goodreads because less than 4 stars or DNF.*

This is a beautiful story of family set in Ireland with just a lovely touch of magical realism. Although so sad in many parts, I really enjoyed this tale of Jeannie who at 32 is experiencing a coming-of-age story.

Jeannie can speak with the dead, just for a little while after they have just passed. I enjoyed that paranormal aspect of this novel and all the things that she learns. I also enjoyed the love story although not traditional and certainly not wrapped up in a nice little bow.

I will look into other books by this author for sure!

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced reader's copy of this book for my honest review.

Jeanie, not only works with the dead, but can hear their last words, an ability she inherited from her Dad, along with the business. This is an interesting premise, were her ability can be seen as a gift but also a heavy burden with the moral decisions that surround it.

After reading Listening Still by Anne Griffin, I am interested in reading her other works.

This book is about a woman, Jeanie Masterson, who has the ability to speak with the dead. It also happens that she is married to an embalmer, so she cannot really escape hearing the last wishes of the recently departed. What she's left to wrestle with is if it's a blessing or a curse.

A fascinating look at obligation and grief.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me. All thoughts are my own.

I really wanted to like this book because I loved “When All is Said” but i didn’t. I couldn’t even finish it.

This book was everything I wanted it to be. It had me turned pages without even realizing. It was so good!

Gifted with the ability to express the last wishes of the recently departed Jeanie finds herself at a cross roads. It takes a trip away from her home country to have her real dreams and desires come to the forefront. In Oslo Jeanie reflects on her life as she try’s to move forward in a life full of whispers.

Great premise, different take on the topic. Enjoyable, easy read that many will enjoy. Most enjoyable were the amazing conversations with those that have past.

I’m sure I’m not the only one who reads this and thinks how wonderful it would be if someone could actually hear the final thoughts of the recently deceased. Jeanie is such a sweet character who has come to a crossroads in her life. Family secrets, past loves and a supernatural gift make this an enjoyable and entertaining read!

Sometimes a gift can be a curse as well. Well written and a clever plot.
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Looking for a lovely reading experience coupled with a wonderfully complementary movie to match it? Listening Still by Anne Griffin coupled with the Academy Award winning movie Coda should do the trick! Listening Still also cements the knowledge that I will read anything Griffin publishes.

Listening Still is a moving story about a woman, Jeanie, who finds herself living a life she's not sure she chose.

Jeanie has a gift, she is able to hear and talk to the dead making her an asset in the family's undertaker business. Tracing her path to the now through flashbacks from her childhood and young adulthood, Jeanie's life at times appears to be driven more by the needs of others than herself. She remains close with the few friends she had growing up, ostracized for her family's profession and her own gift, watching them go away to college as she remains to help her family. A woman comfortable with the status quo, Jeanie eventually realizes her complacency serves no one and it's time to evaluate her path. A sensitive and emotional story about knowing when it's time to evaluate one's life with a sharper lens.

This book had a great premise—-hearing the last words of the dead! But it was oddly plodding. I felt like I was reading in real time. Loved the setting and the characters were fine but it wasn’t as good as the idea and cover had me expecting it to be.

I have mixed emotions about this book where Jeanie Masterson can communicate with the dead at her family's funeral home in a small Irish town. I had a difficult time relating to the characters and at times I loved the story and at other times I couldn't wait for it to end and then the abrupt ending left me wanting more. I received an advance reader copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

While reading LISTENING STILL I started thinking how different parts of the family’s story can be compared to a few television shows and movies I have enjoyed over the years. The family’s undertaking business, reminds me of the show SIX FEET UNDER, and the sense of duty to work together. The ability to talk to the deceased at first made me think of THE SIXTH SENSE, but then as the story progressed I realized it is much more akin to the television series, PUSHING DAISIES. Jeannie does not have the ability to actually see dead people, except in their caskets, but the ability to talk with them. In the show PUSHING DAISIES***, Ned, the main character, can touch a dead person and bring them back to life to help solve their own murder. When he touches them again, they die. I connected these two characters by their ability to talk to the dead. Jeannie has the ability to speak to the dead, if they choose to speak, in order to share finally words or wishes to their loved ones. The short period of time Jeannie can speak to the deceased can provide closure, but also confusion.

When Jeannie’s parents share the news they are planning to retire, Jeannie’s world starts to crumble. She did not intend to take over the family business, but because of her ability to communicate with the dead, she felt the obligation to stay. Jeannie struggles with past decisions, love, and loyalty throughout.

***By making the comparison of LISTENING STILL to PUSHING DAISIES, I am by no means suggesting this book is a comedy. It is merely a connection I made with the characters as I was reading,

This book was a refreshing piece of women’s literary fiction!

I would recommend this book for people who enjoy premises that are slightly magical, but the overall story is more of a contemporary like in the magical realism or fabulism genres. The main character’s ability to speak to the dead allows for a lot of interesting reflections on what the purpose of being alive is, and different reasons why the dead hang on to their lives after death (or don’t). The main character herself is in somewhat of a midlife crisis over her goals for the future (exacerbated by her husband’s own more clear goals for the future), and this ties nicely into the themes on life purpose.

After finishing this book, I would like to read a review on the portrayal of autism in the character Mikey, one of the major side-characters of the book; however, the representation was not in of itself a plot point.

Overall, my absolute favorite part of this book was the ending, and I found it incredibly thought-provoking! Although I personally could not relate to life stage that the main character was in, I could see myself returning to this book in the future. I also really enjoyed the audiobook read by Nicola Coughlan (yes! From Bridgerton and Derry Girls) , whose accent made the character come to life!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for sending me this book both digitally and as an audiobook!

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the chance to read Listening still by Anne Griffin. Jeanie Masterson has a gift: she can hear the last words of the dead. These words made me want to read this book. I found the story to be beautiful and sad, even though it was slow paced at times, and maybe it was supposed to be that way. Jeanie gave up so much of her young life to stay home and work with her father who had the same gift she did, a gift passed down from generation to generation to give the dead once last chance to speak, right wrongs, send messages of unspoken love or dying regrets; but was Jeanie truly happy? She had a chance at true love, and a life in London with her childhood sweetheart, but in the end stayed home and married her friend who became part of the family business. Years later, everything seems to fall apart.. Jeanie listens to dead, but can she listen to her own heart? While the book seemed to be slow at times, the story kept me reading, and I often stopped and pictured myself back in Ireland when I was there a few years ago. I found the last part of the book so sad, but riveting. While this may not be for everyone, I totally recommend it.