The Weight of Him
A Novel
by Ethel Rohan
This title was previously available on NetGalley and is now archived.
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Pub Date Feb 14 2017 | Archive Date Feb 28 2017
Description
"Deeply moving and memorable." —Roxane Gay, author of Bad Feminist and Hunger
"First-time novelist Rohan shows impressive acuity in portraying the many facets of Billy's and his family's grief." --Booklist
At four hundred pounds, Billy Brennan can always count on food. From his earliest memories, he has loved food’s colors, textures and tastes. The way flavors go off in his mouth. How food keeps his mind still and his bad feelings quiet. Food has always made everything better, until the day Billy’s beloved son Michael takes his own life.
Billy determines to make a difference in Michael’s memory and undertakes a public weight-loss campaign, to raise money for suicide prevention—his first step in an ambitious plan to save himself, and to save others. However, Billy’s dramatic crusade appalls his family, who want to simply try to go on.
Despite his crushing detractors, Billy gains welcome allies: his community-at-large; a co-worker who lost his father to suicide; a filmmaker with his own dubious agenda; and a secret, miniature kingdom that Billy populates with the sub-quality dolls and soldiers he rescues from disposal at the local toy factory where he works. But it is only if Billy can confront the truth of his pain, suffering, and the brokenness around him, that he and others will be able to realize the full rescue and change they need.
Set in rural, contemporary Ireland, Ethel Rohan's The Weight of Him is an unforgettable, big-hearted novel about loss and reliance that moves from tragedy to recrimination to what can be achieved when we take the stand of our lives.
Available Editions
| EDITION | Other Format |
| ISBN | 9781250092120 |
| PRICE | $34.99 (USD) |
| PAGES | 336 |
Featured Reviews
Natasha d, Reviewer
This is the story of Billy and him being overweight, this is also the story of Billy trying to loose this weight but it is also the story of how Billy tries to come to terms with his eldest son taking his own life. You can't but love Billy, he tries very hard and is sometimes misunderstood.
I really enjoyed getting to know Billy and understood his problems with eating. I loved the writing style and the feelings that this story brought to me. I loved how threw everything into prevention of suicide. A great must read for 2017.
Heidi C, Bookseller
Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read The Weight of Him in exchange for an honest review. I finished this book and as I turned the last page I realize that there are so many things that this book left me with. I am left with a profound respect for Ethel Rohan. To create such an unlikely hero in Billy Brennan, a man who is driven to change his own life in order to honor another's. I am left with a sense of hope that through tragedy comes healing and strength. I am left with self reflection to look inside and do a little better for those around you every day. I am also left with the knowledge that you don't know what is going on under the surface with people, but to be a little more observant, ask questions and really listen to the answers. The Weight of Him is definitely recommended.
Hristina P, Reviewer
When one reads the summary of this book, they stumble onto a word they don't think about much until they pick up the book and see for themselves how crucial that word is in describing it. That keyword is picturesque.
Mrs. Rohan writes beautifully, interlacing the complex emotion of the characters throughout the text. From the first sentence I was met by the feeling of melancholy, and that continued throughout. The characters are well-developed, and the story itself is amazing, gripping and inspiring. The Weight of Him is an incredible read in its entirety, very engaging.
I recommend it. And I cannot wait to read something else from Mrs. Rohan in the near future.
P.S. What drew me to request this book was the fact that the book is set in Ireland. If you've been following me for a while, then you know that I have a budding obsession with Ireland, I even crated a shelf for my hibernophilia. The book has beautiful descriptions of the Irish countryside, which made me fall in love with the text even more.
Sarah W, Reviewer
What a surprising book! I worried it would either be depressing or humorous in a dark way. It was lovely. Billy, the main character, is obese, unhappy, and trying to make things better. I found myself rooting for him, even when I understood the feelings of those around him. Excellent book, well written, and I recommend it heartily.
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