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Shop nowThe Walking People
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Brought to you by Penguin.
FROM THE AUTHOR OF THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER ASK AGAIN, YES
Rural Ireland, the 1960s, and Greta Cahill must abandon her deserted village to follow her fearless sister Johanna onto a ship bound for America.
It's here in New York that she steps out of her sister's shadow and in to a life of her own, rich with love, work and family.
As the years pass Greta longs to revisit the past - to see her mother, to show her what she has made of herself - but she must protect a family secret, decades old.
So when her children conspire to unite the worlds she's kept so carefully apart, Greta fears she could lose it all...
A compassionate story of self-discovery and identity, The Walking People has remarkable range and power.
Praise for Mary Beth Keane:
'A novel of great compassion and understanding . . . rich with story' JOHN BOYNE on Ask Again, Yes
'A fearless writer' LISA TADDEO
'A writer of extraordinary depth, feeling and wit' Meg Wolitzer
'I'll read everything she writes' Liane Moriarty
'Immersive and deeply moving' Anna Hope
© Mary Beth Keane 2021 (P) Penguin Audio 2021
Reviews
A compelling drama of transatlantic Irish life Marries a deliciously old-fashioned style of storytelling with a fresh take on the immigrant experience . . . A warm, involving family drama An epic story about immigration, identity and family . . . Keane portrays the complex and, at times, challenging lives of these working-class women with tenderness and compassion Atmospheric, moving and brilliantly well-written This atmospheric read that spans from 1950s Ireland to modern-day America and follows the fortunes of a woman on the run from a family secret Engrossing . . . Captures the windswept grittiness of Irish poverty as vividly as the technicolour hustle and bustle of 1960s New York. The Walking People is the kind of novel you simply don't want to end Keane's previous novel Ask Again, Yes, was on my best Books of 2019, and this is just as good. Its slow, melodic pace proves we don't always need fast action and twists. Set between Ireland and new York, it's about two sisters; one craves adventure, the other, family; both have secrets An American dream story, told over decades, taking its reader from rural 1915 Ireland to the streets of New York and back again A beautifully crafted novel about love, loyalty, culture, family and identity A moving and sweeping story that takes readers from the west coast of Ireland to America, following a family of immigrants across the different decades I was a big fan of Ask Again, Yes and this is every bit as good An epic yarn . . . an evocative portrait of the immigrant, but also adds greater subtlety to this theme of belonging The story becomes so engrossing it grows on you with its real and engaging characters ... the divide between urban USA and rural Ireland is brilliantly grasped ... a very moving and original love storyPraise for Ask Again, Yes
The new Little Fires EverywhereOne of the most exceptional novels of the summer . . . Has the makings of a future classic.
A beautiful novel, bursting at the seams with empathy Absolutely brilliant, a must read for our time I'll read everything she writes Powerful and moving . . . Mary Beth Keane is a writer of extraordinary depth, feeling and wit. Readers will love this book, as I did Immersive and deeply moving A pleasantly accessible novel that will be popular with book clubs . . . Keane is a nuanced observer Expand reviews