Book Review: When All is Said

What can I say about When All Is Said? It was a nice book. It was an easy read, but it didn’t grab me or make me want to recommend it to anyone.

This debut novel by Anne Griffin was a story about an elderly Irish farmer, Maurice Hannigan, giving five toasts to five people in his life before completing his plan of committing suicide at the end of the toasts. But does he go through with it?

The only problem is, the five toasts are all in his head. He doesn’t say them aloud to anyone, though he’s telling all of the story to his only son, Kevin, as if he were writing a letter to him. But he isn’t. So he says many things that someone ought to hear, things that are redemptive and restorative for him, but there are no witnesses.

There’s also a huge life-long drama about a lost coin, specifically one of the legendary Edward VIII gold sovereigns. It destroyed an entire family and finally killed the antagonist, although one might argue that Maurice was actually the antagonist. Maurice says, “If I’d known back then how that decision of mine ruined the lives inside that house for generations to come,… I wonder would I have walked on, stepping over its pull, its power? But all I knew then was revenge.”

This coin and Maurice’s relationship with the Dollard family who initially owned it makes up the majority of the drama throughout the story. Except that it just didn’t feel that dramatic. Perhaps the coin has more significance in the UK, and therefore UK readers would find this story much more compelling and interesting. I’m afraid I just didn’t.

Maurice wasn’t a particularly likable character at any point. Even in the end when he’s reconciled with himself that he wasn’t that great of a father or husband, it’s too late. He makes no amends with anyone.

Some others I read this with likened it to A Man Called Ove, but without the redemption and heartwarming features of that story. Both had lost their wives and were ready to go join them even if it meant taking matters into their own hands. I would definitely recommend A Man Called Ove over this one.

The story was well-written. It flowed nicely and was easy to read. It certainly didn’t feel like an amateur novel, or even a debut novel for that matter. It just didn’t grip me as I was hoping it would.

Have you read this one? Did you have a different response?

*** Affiliate links used in this review