The Island of Longing: The emotional, unforgettable Top Ten Irish bestseller

Paperback Published on: 08/02/2024
Price: £9.99
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Synopsis

WOULD YOU EVER GIVE UP ON FINDING YOUR CHILD, IF THEY VANISHED WITHOUT A TRACE?

Number One Irish bestselling author of When All is Said Anne Griffin returns with this beautiful, emotional novel about love, loss, family and hope that will break your heart . . . but also put it back together again.

THE IRISH BESTSELLER THAT EVERYONE IS RAVING ABOUT:

'Stunning . . . I loved it' LIZ NUGENT
'Elegant and moving' JOHN BOYNE
'A storyteller of rate gifts' JOSEPH O'CONNOR
'A beautiful, emotive mystery' CHRIS WHITAKER
'Gently heartbreaking, but also hopeful and uplifting. An insight into the fragility of the human condition and what holds us together when we break' IRISH TIMES

One unremarkable afternoon, Rosie watched her daughter Saoirse cycle into town, expecting to hear the slam of the door when she returned a few hours later. But the slam never came.

Eight years on, after an extensive investigation into her disappearance, Rosie is the only person who stubbornly believes that her child might still be alive. When Rosie receives a call from her father, asking her to return home for the summer, she is forced out of her limbo. Life on the island of Roaring Bay revives old rivalries, but it also brings new friendships and unexpected solace.

Yet, when a sudden glimmer of hope appears, Rosie is forced to face an impossible question: is she right to think that Saoirse is still alive? Or will her belief that her daughter will one day return to her come at the cost of everything she has left?

'This book consumed me' DISHA BOSE
'A hauntingly beautiful tale' SUNDAY POST
'Tender and wise and life-affirming' KATHLEEN MACMAHON
'A compelling novel about the healing power of community' SARAH GILMARTIN
'Griffin's writing is as engaging and compassionate as ever: The Island of Longing is a superb novel that tussles with the hope and heartbreak of being alive' DANIELLE MCLAUGHLIN
'This beautiful novel about maternal love is especially moving on the back and forth between hope and acceptance' GOOD HOUSEKEEPING
'One of Griffin's great gifts is how she draws small-town communities and the personalities that make them what they are' IRISH SUNDAY TIMES

Publisher information

  • Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
  • ISBN: 9781529372052
  • Number of pages: 368
  • Dimensions: 196 x 128 x 34 mm
  • Weight: 255g
  • Languages: English

Customer Reviews

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The Island of Longing
Difficult subject, well written
Rosie and Hugh suffer just about the worst thing that could ever happen to any couple - a child going missing, Saoirse is 17 when she disappears, leaving a... READ MORE
Gee Wood
The Island of Longing
Beautifully written!
Beautifully written with some wonderful characters but absolutely heart breaking. I've read both of Anne Griffin's previous books and absolutely loved the... READ MORE
Susan S
The Island of Longing
A heartbreaking tale, yet full of warmth, and hope.
I’ve read both of Anne Griffin’s previous novels and enjoyed them very much, so I was very excited to see she had a third book coming out. I am so glad I f... READ MORE
Bookandbrew
The Island of Longing
A heartwarming story of grief and resolution
Anne Griffin is a brilliant writer, consistently creating empathetic characters who drive her stories far more than the plots do. Island of Longing is no e... READ MORE
KarensBookBag
The Island of Longing
Moving, and a good sense of place
I was engaged with this book from the start. Rosie, a woman whose daughter disappeared in Dublin 8 years ago returns to the island where her father lives a... READ MORE
Michael Cayley
The Island of Longing
A beautiful novel
4-5 stars Rosie watches from the window of her Dublin home as her daughter Saoirse comes up the drive on her bike. However, there is no door slam and h... READ MORE
Celia Short
The Island of Longing
Highly recommended
Some books you read, some you consume, and some consume you. I devoured Anne Griffin’s 3rd novel. I loved When All Is Said and, although I didn’t enjoy L... READ MORE
Fiona McKinlay
The Island of Longing
Pleasant
I have loved Anne Griffin’s other books and was really looking forward to this. Unfortunately it was a little bit slow and a tad tedious for me. Rosie and ... READ MORE
Karen Farrow
The Island of Longing
A raw tale of grief
Seventeen year old Saiorse is one of Ireland’s missing. Her disappearance creates a cavern between mum, Rosie, and her husband and son as they grapple to f... READ MORE
Laura
The Island of Longing
A heart-warming family drama
Full of great characters in a beautiful setting, this is a book to treasure. The story centres on a remote Irish island, its close-knit residents and its f... READ MORE
Jenny Hill
The Island of Longing
Beautifully written
Beautifully written with some wonderful characters but absolutely heart breaking. I've read both of Anne Griffin's previous books and absolutely loved the... READ MORE
Susan S
The Island of Longing
Plot, characters, twists and tears. It’s got them all.
5* Anne Griffin just keeps getting better. Starting with the stunning debut novel When All Is Said (if you haven’t read it, you must), The Island of Longin... READ MORE
Nic Johnston
The Island of Longing
Beautiful and incredibly powerful
This is a beautifully written and incredibly powerful story of a mother struggling to cope with the unexplained disappearance of her seventeen-year-old dau... READ MORE
Kerensa Cracknell
The Island of Longing
Beautiful, evocative and emotionally heartbreaking
This is a heartbreakingly beautiful read. Set mainly on a small Irish island, where Saoirse grew up, and in Dublin where she moved as an adult with her hu... READ MORE
Sarah C