Elizabeth thinks she knows her mother inside out, but her confidence in this takes a huge knock when she discovers a pile of ribbon wrapped letters in the back of Patricia's wardrobe. Elizabeth Keane’s life is not exciting, but she is happy with her job as a university lecturer bringing up her 17-year-old son, Zach, on her own, after a divorce several years earlier. I cannot say much here it would ruin the story ,very sad thread in it and a desperate act that tore lives apart. who knows what drives people to try to set things right ,and instead making it a kidnapping nightmare.

This is the 2nd novel I have read by Graham Norton and once again I am so impressed with his writing. Maybe he needs a better editor as well, as there were so many points that could have used further explanation while working on the timeline.Elizabeth’s loneliness is ever present though never overplayed, and her difficult ties with her extended family oscillate between frustration, anger, regret and resignation. This is a fabulous little book and I read it from start to finish in one sitting wanting to know more. Graham William Walker is an Irish actor, comedian, television presenter and columnist, known by his stage name Graham Norton. Following her mother’s death home in Ireland, Elizabeth travels to Buncarragh where she has inherited her childhood home.

It's a sad and lovely book, brimful of tenderness and compassion, where the revelations of the past upturn the perceptions of the present. The pre-loved books are carefully cleaned and maintained offering a wide variety of general and specialist titles from children's to adults. A Keeper does not have the humour of his first story, but it does give a clear picture of rural Irish life contrasted with the heroine’s present life in New York. Meanwhile her 17 year old son back in NYC makes long lasting decisions that impact both his and Elizabeth's lives.I really wanted to like this, and I'm not saying it's a bad book, but I was hoping for so much more than "eh, it's okay" from it. There wasn’t a single character here I didn’t like, or at least sympathize with (including Edward’s deranged mother Catherine) and I loved the setting. Graham's writing is effortless; his Irish roots are very much evident and he uses that to his advantage. Living in America has left a void in Elizabeth as she tries to interact with her extended Irish family. The next chapter is the "Now" and we meet a young single mom who has just learned her mom has passed.

This was powerful storytelling, with depth of both character and plot, the threads joining both eras all strongly interwoven. IRISH INDEPENDENT'It's a sad and lovely book, brimful of tenderness and compassion, where the revelations of the past upturn the perceptions of the present. I've not yet read Norton's first novel but it got good reviews, so when I was given the chance to read this as an ARC, I went for it. It is also such a warm and moving book - i can only recommend the author and will immediately be looking for other books that he published.The two treads of the story, current and historical , presented in parallel are an easy read and except for one element the plot is totally acceptable: where are Mary's relatives? She is a university lecturer, separated from her husband, and living in New York with her 17-year-old son.