Ghosts and saints and a cantankerous old man

I'm not usually a fan of Irish whimsy, but because Maud anchored the story by being practical, implacable and cynical, I didn't feel that I was sinking amongst the make-believe, despite the ghostly saints who are her constant companions.
The narrator has such a lovely voice that does real justice to the wonderful descriptions of the bizarre contents of the house, the cats and Renata. There are also some twists and turns in the plot which keeps the story interesting, as well as light hearted humour.
A unique story. I shall look for more books by this author.

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6 people found this helpful

poignantly funny and sad

I really enjoyed listening to this book on Audible. it was beautifully narrated by Aoife McMahon. The characters were so engaging and I could picture them in my mind. The description of the house was so good that I almost felt I was there and I wanted to wade through all the junk that the old man had hoarded for years. I loved the Irish humour in the story and laughed out loud in many places. There was a warmth in the story that touched my heart and a sadness that almost broke it. Jess Kidd really knows how to write a book that grabs her readers from the start and reels them in with a good story. I thoroughly recommend this book.

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Fearless , peerless Maude is a wonderful heroine

Loved every minute of the saint-filled , ghost inhabited, fox and feline loving auld yarn

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It was okay.

Story trundled along with no big surprises. Not sure what all the Saints were about. The narrator seems good enough but her characterisations seemed a bit two-dimensional at times, whether due to the writing or her reading style I am not sure as it was mostly a bit beige. Not much else to say really

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Great compassion to see beyond the behaviour

of a grumpy old man. Some great one liners from Maude, I will miss her.

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I could not stop listening.

It is beautifully written - managing to be funny, creepy, heartfelt, enthralling in every way.

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A twisting, turning story of a strange family.

This story has many levels, twists and sub plots. It tells a tale of an old man broken by tragedy learning to trust his carer. They have a deep understanding of one another as well as mutual affection. In turn we gradually see revealed the complex life of the carer who is in turn nursing her own demons which become clear as the tale unfolds.
A little complex to follow in places, but a captivating, well thought out tale of tragedy and emotional journeys of characters you'd never in a million years would have gone together. But they do and beautifully too.

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A great listen

I can thoroughly recommend this book. It kept me gripped and listening to the end . The narrator was excellent. I've been irritated by some of the narrator's voices in books I've listened to and was about to give up on audible books.

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Loved it!!!

I didnt want to stop listening and thought Mr Flood was a brilliant character. Loved the reader who made the story come to life.

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wonderful narration, cracking story.

Wonderful narration!! I loved this book... the ending was darker and sadder than i was hoping but it's a smashing book. So imaginative and well written. Whimsical, and beautiful with cracking characters.

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