Couldn't even come close to finishing this, which was really disappointing because I had high hopes based on the description and premise. But it jumped all over the place for me, and I wasn't able to follow any of it. A quarter into the book, I just had to call no joy, which is huge for me. If nothing else, I try to skim and skip ahead, and read bits and pieces, but I couldn't even do that with this one. Clearly I'm in the minority based on all the stellar reviews, and I'm willing to admit this just may not have been my cup of tea.

Just beautiful. In its writing which touched your soul and characters who you only meet through the eyes of the elderly irishman. Nothing earth shattering in the actual story but written to stay with you

3.5 Stars 🌟

I'll begin this review by explaining why I chose this book in the first place. To put it simply, the author is Irish. I have become an avid fan of the modern Irish authors of late, John Boyne (who endorsed this book), Liz Nugent and Tana French just to name a few, and this debut by Anne Griffin definitely shows promise. I don't know what they are putting in the stout over there but it's working.

This story involves a night at a bar with 80+ year old Maurice as he makes a toast to the five most important and influential people to grace his life. Between toasts he reflects on the history with each person in his head as if he is speaking to his son.

Each story is an in-depth look into the life and times of Maurice but he sometimes swerves off subject and becomes a bit wordy for my liking, although, through the magic of Griffin's writing, he eventually comes back around, seamlessly connecting the dots.

Anne Griffin's storytelling is incredible and up there with some of the greats. Very talented and adepth at giving each character a voice of their own despite the fact that they are all introduced through the eyes of Maurice.

With all of that being said, had I not been reading this as an ARC with the promise of a review, I may have given up on this book around the 50% mark. It just wasn't for me and that fact has nothing to do with the quality of Anne Griffin's prose. I found myself bored at times, feeling like this story really had no direction, no plateau, no progression at all, especially since the reader already knows the ending from the get-go.

I've no doubt that most will fall in love with this story so I certainly do not discourage any reader from adding it to their shelves. I'm in no way put off from reading a book by this author in the future. For me, this particular effort feels like a premise that has been done before and better.


I was provided an ARC of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks for the early review copy!

I recommend this novel to fans of contemporary fiction. It was well-written and interesting novel.

Maurice Hannigan spends an evening in a hotel bar reminiscing about his life and the people who have had the most influence over him. Those five people each have a different types of drinks to represent them as Maurice thinks about his family members who all with one thing in common – they all left him . This book is not the thriller of the year, it’s not the espionage drama of the decade, it’s a quiet, beautiful story that will leave you in tears. Highly recommended