The setting is the rural Irish countryside in the early nineteenth century. Life is hard for the farmers and tradesmen of the valley and everyone is dependent on the crops and the milk and eggs and meat of their livestock. The inhabitants are superstitious and whenever anything goes wrong, they look to the folklore they were raised with to find who is responsible. A new priest has come to the valley and he insists they must put aside their old beliefs as the Church is against reminders of paganism.

Nora is having an especially hard time. Her husband recently dropped dead unexpectedly. She is left to raise her grandson by herself and it is more than she can handle. Micheal was brought to her after the death of her daughter by her son-in-law. Although he was a normal child at two, toddling and talking, now at four he cannot walk or talk or even relate to anyone. Nora hires Mary at a hiring fair as her maid and to help her with Micheal. Over the months that follow, as the other inhabitants of the valley come to hear about Micheal, they call him a changeling and start to blame him for the poor crops and weakened milk and egg production they are experiencing. Nora starts to believe that her real grandson has been taken by the fairies or Good People as they are called and that this changeling has been left in his place.

Nance is the herbalist who treats the people of the valley. The priest is determined to drive her out and preaches against her and using her from the pulpit. Nance is scared and ups her efforts to help those around her so she won't be driven away. She tells Nora that she can restore her real grandson to her. When the treatments go awry, the three women are arrested and charged with murder.

Hannah Kent is an Australian author who is interested in history and what went on in those places which were not yet part of the modern world. The reader will be transported into this rural countryside and the difficult lives of its people . Everyone knows everyone and secrets are not allowed. It is a claustrophobic environment and one that lives by its own rules and laws. The book is based on a true case and Kent has done a superb job of taking the reader to this place and time. This book is recommended for literary fiction readers.

Hannah Kent is reliable for extremely atmospheric historical fiction. You feel like you're in rural Ireland, sitting around a turf fire.

Another great book by Hannah Kent who dives into the lives of her characters in a way that makes you live with the characters, in this case fairies. I enjoyed it

This is a beautiful story about love and friendship bonds. I really love historical fiction and this book does not disappoint if you're a historical fiction fan. I loved this story and the way it's written. The scene is set in Ireland in the early 1800's and the setting adds to the mystical charm of the village and the story itself. I admit, I am a Hannah Kent fan so I may be a bit biased, but I love her writing style and the way she brings characters to life, you feel like you know them and you carry their story with you long after you finish the book. This book has all the elements I love in a great novel. A strong character(s), a good story that flows easily, and emotion that I can feel. This book has it all!

I sort of forgot about this book and ended up checking it out from my library. I so regret not reading it sooner! The sense of place & time was superb, Ireland was basically another character. Hannah Kent is a master and I can't wait to read more by her. I'd happily recommend this to patrons.

When Nora's husband dies unexpectedly, she is left alone to care for her ailing grandson, who can neither walk nor talk. Desperate for help, Nora turns to Nance, the valley's "bean feasa," known to the locals for her ability to commune with the fairies and heal uncommon illnesses.

"Some folks are forced to the edges by their difference," Nance is told early in her life. This has not always been a bad thing; for many years, she was seen as "the final human before all fell to wind and shadow and the strange creaking of stars. She was a pagan chorus. An older song." Such music is being cast out in the face of new customs, however, as the newly arrived parish priest speaks out against talk of fairies and curses and charms.

The Good People, Hannah Kent's sophomore novel after Burial Rites, unfolds with a building sense of desperation: Nora seeks a cure for her grandson's illness; Nance wants to prove her abilities; the valley's neighbors latch on to any explanation for the misfortunes that have befallen their community. That desperation powers Kent's compelling story forward with a sense of urgency that will captivate readers from the first page, but not at the expense of historical detail. Rich with the language, customs and traditions of 19th-century Ireland, The Good People breathes life into the mythologies of Irish folklore. It unfolds the story of two women desperate to reclaim what little power they can over lives touched with hopelessness and despair in a changing time.

"Based on true events in nineteenth century Ireland, Hannah Kent's startling new novel tells the story of three women, drawn together to rescue child from a superstitious community. Nora, bereft after the death of her husband, finds herself alone and caring for her grandson Micheál, who can neither speak nor walk. A handmaid, Mary, arrives to help Nóra just as rumours begin to spread that Micheál is a changeling child who is bringing bad luck to the valley. Determined to banish evil, Nora and Mary enlist the help of Nance, an elderly wanderer who understands the magic of the old ways.

Set in a lost world bound by its own laws, The Good People is Hannah Kent's startling new novel about absolute belief and devoted love. Terrifying, thrilling and moving in equal measure, this follow-up to Burial Rites shows an author at the height of her powers."

I really liked her book Burial Rites so I will gladly give this one a try!

Kent clearly has a talent for setting and atmosphere—every bit of the Irish woods where this story takes place feels real and vibrant. The characters' motivations, judgments, and decisions feel real and understandable. However, I kept hoping for a bit more as I read this. A plot twist, some secret motivation revealed, or a last-minute reprieve from the ending we know is inevitably coming. The book felt unrelentingly grim in places.

Too depressing and sad for my liking. I enjoyed her novel burial rites but this one just wasn’t for me

This is my first Hannah Kent novel, and I absolutely loved it! As far as Historical Fiction goes, it’s not the best I’ve ever read, but I always have a soft spot for it, so it always gets a good rating from me!

I really enjoyed this story, even though it honestly doesn’t feel like an awful lots happens until right at the end. Kent is so good at transporting you into her story that you feel as though you are living with the characters.

This novel is set in Ireland in 1825, filled with small village life, religion, and superstitions. Kent is really good at weaving a beautiful story that sucks you right into the early 1800’s. You’re instantly immersed in the villagers lives, and especially Nora’s misfortune and troubles.

Characters in this one are stunningly done. There are three main characters we follow closely throughout, Nora, Mary, and Nance. It’s amazing how easy it was to get to know them, and how easily you can feel so many different emotions with and for them.

In terms of story, I did think this one was going to be that little bit more fast paced and have more elements of a mystery, but even without those two things, this is still a terrific read! I do really love a slow paced historical fiction, even ones like these where it doesn’t feel like much is actually happening in the book. This is definitely more of a character study kind of book, rather than plot driven book.

Overall, I really liked this one! I’m sorry the review is short but I honestly don’t really know how to review this other than saying it’s beautiful, fantastically well written, and pretty emotional (I cried at the end)! Definitely pick this up if you’re looking for a slow drama.

Thanks to Netgalley and Little, Brown and Company for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Sorry, very late on this review. Finished a good while ago, too.
I love Hannah Kent's atmospheric telling of this folklore tale. Her style is very mesmerizing, immersing the reader into the old world of superstition and 'sorcery'. A fine tale which gives credence to what could easily have been a hokey subject matter. Can't wait for her next book!

A compelling read set in the 1800's in Ireland. This is a story of a community that is struggling and casting suspicion on those that are different .
Nora has suffered the loss of her husband and has taken on the care of her Grandson who cannot speak or walk. She hides him from the community members as best she can believing he has powers. Those suspected with powers are often murdered in this strict community. Living in fear she begins to drink after the loss of her husband and her situation goes from bad to worse. The story becomes one of early feminism of three women protecting a child and the secrets they must hide.
This was a haunting read and one that was hard to read in its entirety. This period of time was fraught with suspicion of community members, hate and many were condemned for being deemed "different". It is a sweeping view of the time period and the characters are very well written to the story.

I do recommend this book for everyone who enjoys historical fiction.

This book is a master class in mood as Kent creates an atmosphere where the reader believes supernatural creatures or events are always lying in wait around the periphery of the setting.

When Nora's husband's David dies, she is the lone caregiver for her grandson, Micheal, Micheal is a difficult child and Nora becomes convinced that he is a changeling. The only thing to do is to seek the fairies that took her actual grandchild away.

Supporting characters include Nora, a healer who knows how to manipulate herbs to get her intended result. Her traditional ways come in direct opposition to the priest who is trying to lead the townspeople from superstition to superstition... Erm, I meant religion. Then there is Mary a 14-year-old girl who is forced to work for a large family. Their stories are interwoven in this chilling narrative.

Hannah Kent can write! I will admit that I was already inclined to like this work because I adored her previous book, Burial Rites. I love books that evoke a sense of place and character that is palpable. She does that so very well.

I fell into the trance of this book immediately. The set up of the story is that a severely handicapped child is left with the grandparents. The grandfather was compassionate and loved the grandson, but the grandmother is afraid of the mute and disfigured child. The idea of the "good people" or fairies is wafted and she becomes convinced that her grandson has been switched with a changeling.

The way she writes is both so sinister but with compassion. You end up seeing how truly horrible things could be justified with the terrible mixture of ignorance, superstition, grief, and stubbornness. Fantastic book.

With her second novel, Ms. Kent confirms that she holds no romantic notions about our ancestors and the way they used to live. In fact, one might even get the impression that she relishes in sharing all of the gory details of the time. If anything, one can commend her dedication to providing as realistic a picture of the past as possible, as she completely dispenses with the glorification of the past. I believe it also indicates a lack of bias on her part. In the case of The Good People, it reiterates her theme of absolute belief. Still, there are certain scenes which may make some readers squeamish due to her honesty.

Along the same lines, the other thing her attention to detail provides is the quelling of the notion of a romantic Ireland. The Ireland in her story is what can only be envisioned as the true Ireland. This is not the Ireland of pretty maids, charming folklore, and cozy dances at the pubs. Poverty is rampant, food is scarce, and all it takes is one failed season of butter and egg production for a family to have their house torn down by the landlord and find themselves homeless. Potatoes are the main food source for many living in the country (and we all know what happens there a few decades later). People live in dwellings with their goats and chickens; their roofs are nothing more than straw or sticks and have to be protected from birds. Looking at this from a modern perspective, they are barely surviving, if their way of life could be called surviving. It most definitely was not for the weak.

The time period is also the beginning of the end for old customs and beliefs, a time when the Church starts having more influence on the country and one of the sources of conflict within the novel. Ms. Kent does an excellent job illustrating how ingrained these beliefs were in the remote regions of the country. She shows how people professed their faith in the Church in one breath and in another mention a charm meant to appease the fairies. The belief in both is absolute and so difficult for modern readers to understand, but this does not mean that the people in her novel are less intelligent or quaint. If anything, they show an openness to the unknown that modern society eschews.

The Good People is more than an observation of belief though. It is also a study of humanity when life turns sour, of absolute grief, and jealousy. It is a study of mankind in a remote location still lead by superstition struggling to make ends meet. In addition to the lack of anything remotely pretty or sanitary, Ms. Kent also fails to spare her readers of mankind's ability to turn on one another when most convenient. It is by no means an easy novel to read. This is mankind at its most raw, scraped bare by need and grief.

Fully formatted review available at: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1941987506?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

Since this book is more about the series of events that led something to happen than what actually happened, my full review is a probably a bit too revealing! Here's the short version: In nineteenth-century Ireland, a new widow grapples with the hysteria surrounding her grandson, a four-year-old boy stricken with a mysterious condition that renders him unable to walk or talk. Desperate for a cure, she seeks the assistance of the village handy woman. It's a slow-moving story full of nature descriptions and introspection. The atmospheric setting and community dynamics were engrossing, so I quickly settled into the story. Alternating between the perspectives of three women, Hannah Kent explores the capacity for depravity in otherwise "good" people and shows the terrible effects righteous certainty. Warning: child abuse.



(Ireland, 1825-1826) Nóra Leahy's husband dies unexpectedly. Suddenly, she's a widow and the sole caretaker of their four-year-old grandson Micheál. Micheál cannot walk or speak; he stares blankly into space and wails intermittently throughout the night. Unlike her husband, Nóra never bonded with the boy. She resents that he can't show her any affection or appreciation. Since the "bone-racked" boy arrived, her life and the lives of her neighbors have been plagued by misfortune: the untimely deaths of Nóra's husband and daughter, bloody eggs, and dry cows. There are whispers that he's a changeling and predictions that there'll be another death in her family soon.  She keeps Micheál hidden indoors, away from the eyes of prying neighbors, but that only fuels the gossip. Nóra is tormented by the suggestion that her grandson is responsible for everyone's recent woes, including her own. With her mind clouded by grief, loneliness, exhaustion, and alcohol, she becomes obsessed with restoring him to the lively boy he was before he came to her.


Nance is the village handy woman. She provides herbs and cures for various ailments and assists in births and deaths. She has always lived on the fringes of society because of her differences: "She stood in for that which was not and could not be understood." While people usually keep her at a distance, they aren't afraid to come to her when they have no other options. She's been allowed to make a home for herself at the outskirts of this village for the past two decades, but the new priest is turning the townspeople against her. He preaches that their Catholic faith and superstitious beliefs are incompatible. People are beginning to make connections between Nance's mysterious work and several unfortunate incidents that have occurred around the village. She can feel the heavy weight of the community's doubt and suspicion bear down on her. She knows that she can't handle being exiled at her advanced age. Rather than abandon the old ways, she clings tighter to tradition. If she can cure Nóra Leahy's grandson, she'll be able to prove her knowledge and usefulness to the townspeople.


Fourteen-year-old Mary was forced to leave home and seek work to help provide for her large family. Nóra hires her to help with chores and the boy. When she meets Nóra, she thinks she has found a safe place to live for the next six months. Nóra wasn't fully forthcoming about her situation, so Mary is shocked when she enters the home and discovers the child's condition. She is frightened at first, but becomes very protective of the boy.

I *had* to read this book because the description reminded me so much of The Wonder by Emma Donoghue, one of my favorite books from 2016. They are very different stories, but both books are based on real events and have an immersive setting. There was a little too much description of the landscape in Nance's chapters, but her bond with nature is central to her story. Spending time in the claustrophobic village was so hypnotic that I thought I misread the genre. The haunting atmosphere makes it feels like there's really something supernatural lurking in the periphery. I think that's a credit to how objectively the author approaches her characters. She captures how mysterious and unknowablethe world must have felt to these people. It was jarring when we finally broke outside the confines of the community and are forced to recall how secluded these villagers were.

The people in the tight-knit community are "tied to one another by blood and labour and a shared understanding of the traditions stamped into the soil by those who had come before them." Mary is the outsider's perspective but she also places faith in the superstitions. Isolation and lack of education create a fertile ground for panic:"A lot of fears are born of sitting too long alone in the dark."  Once suspicion is cast and the suggestion of supernatural causes grips the community's imagination, hysteria thrives. Reason exists in the town, but it doesn't hold the same power that superstition does. Deep-seated beliefs and power differentials make it difficult for even those with conflicted consciences to follow their moral compass. Sometimes their closeness to the people involved prevents them from seeing how dire the situation has gotten until it's too late. 

I expected a more uplifting story based on the description: "three women in nineteenth-century Ireland are drawn together in the hope of rescuing a child from a superstitious community." From an outsider's perspective, it actually seemed like the opposite was happening! This makes The Good People far more disturbing than The Wonder. A helpless boy is being mistreated in increasingly awful ways and there doesn't seem to be anyone who is capable of effectively advocating for him. The title refers to the fairies ("said to be of middle nature between Man and Angel"), but also to the characters. As sickening as some of their thoughts and choices are, no one in this story thinks of themselves as a bad person–even their worst acts are rationalized with "noble" intentions. At Nóra's weakest point, Nance provides her with both a reason and a remedy for her grandson's suffering; surely it would be a disservice to the boy to ignore Nance's offer. Nance truly believes her contributions are essential to the community and that her skills can help the boy. There are also those in the community that weaponize belief for their own rationalized purposes.

Trauma, desperation, and tradition converge, driving people to commit terrible acts that they see as justifiable. This work of historical fiction felt like a horror story, because it's a reminder of the wickedness lurking in ordinary people. Does almost everyone have a breaking point? Are some people's thresholds for pain and suffering much lower than others? Nóra's transformation was one of the most chilling parts. She had never visited Nance for a cure before. She didn't have a history of bad behavior. However, something shifts inside of her after she experiences one too many traumas in short succession. I don't think the Nóra or her neighbors could've ever predicted the position she'd end up in. It was interesting to see how the women see themselves after they've been exposed and the (figurative) spell has been broken. I was also intrigued by the community's reaction. They harshly judge the women, but at the same time the results of the women's actions seem to bring a disturbing sense of relief to the community.  It's a very uncomfortable story to read, but I really liked the sense of place and the way Kent approached her characters. I'm really looking forward to reading Kent's debut Burial Rites!

An Irish village, 1825: A man drops dead at a crossroads; before the neighbours arrive for the wake, his widow hides their young grandson so that none will see the child. The local wisewoman stands outside in the pouring rain. She's come to keen for the dead, but many in the village are reluctant to let her in.

From the first paragraph, I was immediately drawn into the world of the cruel, claustrophobic, superstition-laden world Kent created. It's apparent from the outset that terrible things are about to happen in this dark, impoverished place where "the good people" are blamed for unexplained events and neighbours live in fear of having curses laid on them and perform rituals to keep themselves safe.

This was a compelling story though I wished for a little more character development. Recommended for those who enjoyed Kent's previous book Burial Rites.

Hannah Kent has created a captivating novel based on facts from Ireland in 1826. This story relates life and the beliefs of the people of Ireland around this time. The reader is transported back in time and it is easy picture the countryside and the characters. The pain that Nora feels throughout the novel is evident as she slowly falls deeper into despair. The love Mary feels for Michael is evident although it is not clear if she was a real person. Nance is a healer and handy woman and this story is based on events concerning her.
This was a fascinating read full of information and superstition that truly lent a feel of Irish life to the reader. This novel would make a great addition to any library. This book would be great for group discussion.

Thanks, NetGalley for the ARC - I was unfortunately unable to read this one.

I have yet to read a book set in Ireland that isn't depressing as all hell. This one was no different. The Irish are a superstitious people, and I'm the complete opposite, so some of this book was a bit hard for me to swallow. The beginning and ending of the book really drew me in, but the middle was a bit too slow and dragged a lot. I think a lot of it could have been edited out and the story wouldn't have suffered at all. The author's writing style was particularly beautiful, though, and the story was deeply unsettling. Ideally I give it 3.5 stars.