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Paula K 's Reviews > Foster
Foster
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Paula K 's review
bookshelves: ireland, contemporary, published-2010, short-read, novella, cultural, favorite-books, award-winner, read-in-2019, literary-fiction, irish-author
Jun 09, 2019
bookshelves: ireland, contemporary, published-2010, short-read, novella, cultural, favorite-books, award-winner, read-in-2019, literary-fiction, irish-author
“You don’t ever have to say anything,” he says. “Always remember that as a thing you need never do. Many’s the man lost much just because he missed a perfect opportunity to say nothing.”
When a young girl from Clonegal, Ireland, in 1981, goes with her father to a farm in Wexford she has no idea what to expect. Told only that she will be staying with a man and his wife, the Kinsellas, she doesn’t know if she will ever be going back home. Her mother, Mary, is with child and near her time. With too many children and not many resources her family has decided to foster her out.
Many things are new to her with John and Edna. She finds they lead a different life and adapts to the changes well. There is no punishment here, just learning and kindness. Her foster father calls her Petal. She thrives with their love and affection. They take her to the Irish Sea to play. She is brought to the Town of Gorey for new clothes. She learns how to enjoy cooking.
Winner of the Davy Byrnes Irish Writing Award, Claire Keegan has written a moving story with tremendous emotional depth. Unforgettable are her final pages which break your heart.
My dear friend Jaline from Canada, and friends to many on Goodreads, wrote a plea to read this novella of 88 pages “immediately, if not sooner.” I decided to take her up on it, and did so. After picking up this book at the library yesterday and reading this story, the author’s prose left me with a variety of emotions and a beautiful feeling.
Read this immediately, if not sooner...
5 out of 5 stars
When a young girl from Clonegal, Ireland, in 1981, goes with her father to a farm in Wexford she has no idea what to expect. Told only that she will be staying with a man and his wife, the Kinsellas, she doesn’t know if she will ever be going back home. Her mother, Mary, is with child and near her time. With too many children and not many resources her family has decided to foster her out.
Many things are new to her with John and Edna. She finds they lead a different life and adapts to the changes well. There is no punishment here, just learning and kindness. Her foster father calls her Petal. She thrives with their love and affection. They take her to the Irish Sea to play. She is brought to the Town of Gorey for new clothes. She learns how to enjoy cooking.
Winner of the Davy Byrnes Irish Writing Award, Claire Keegan has written a moving story with tremendous emotional depth. Unforgettable are her final pages which break your heart.
My dear friend Jaline from Canada, and friends to many on Goodreads, wrote a plea to read this novella of 88 pages “immediately, if not sooner.” I decided to take her up on it, and did so. After picking up this book at the library yesterday and reading this story, the author’s prose left me with a variety of emotions and a beautiful feeling.
Read this immediately, if not sooner...
5 out of 5 stars
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Reading Progress
June 1, 2019
– Shelved
June 8, 2019
–
Started Reading
June 8, 2019
–
Finished Reading
Comments Showing 1-50 of 82 (82 new)
message 1:
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Peter
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Jun 09, 2019 08:43AM
Wonderful review, Paula. With the TBR list I have I wish I knew how to read books sooner 😊. Sounds like a great emotional read. :):)
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Beautiful review, Paula, you aptly tickle my curiosity to read this too!
Beautiful review Paula! This sounds like an amazing read!💖
Peter wrote: "Wonderful review, Paula. With the TBR list I have I wish I knew how to read books sooner 😊. Sounds like a great emotional read. :):)"Thank you, Peter! I know what you mean about TBR lists. Mine is so long sometimes it is difficult to choose what to read next. I decided to slide this novella in between what I am currently reading. Lovely read...
Beautiful compelling review, Paula! 💖 Adding!
A lovely review, Paula! Jaline sure gets them right!
Splendid review, Paula!😊 I have this on my TBR list. I need to move it up in light of your review.
Paula, wonderful review! Like you I went in search of this book after reading Jaline's review but my library doesn't have it and it's not on kindle either :(
message 10:
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Terence M - [Quot libros, quam breve tempus!]
(last edited Jun 10, 2019 10:10AM)
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![Terence M - [Quot libros, quam breve tempus!]](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1712357414p1/6658001.jpg)
Paula wrote: "Unforgettable are her final pages which break your heart."My apologies, Paula. On re-reading this I realise that it appears disparaging of your review and that was not my intention! I was trying to own up to not being comfortable with sadness or heartbreak when I'm reading 😒.
Fantastic review, Paula!
Ilse wrote: "Beautiful review, Paula, you aptly tickle my curiosity to read this too!"Thank you, Ilse! I need to make an effort to read more novellas like Foster. So much said in such few pages. Appreciate your kind words.
Kaceey wrote: "Beautiful review Paula! This sounds like an amazing read!💖"Thanks so much, Kaceey! It’s wonderful to just sit and read a book to it’s finish in two hours and get so much satisfaction.
Nadia wrote: "Beautiful compelling review, Paula! 💖 Adding!"Thank you, Nadia! So glad you are adding this short book!
I plan to heed your advice (and Jaline’s). This will be my next read. Superb review, Paula.
Just added to my list to read. Thanks for the lovely review. :)
Loved your review Paula ....... a wonderful read by the sounds of it.
Left with a beautiful feeling is a lovely finish with a book. Thank you for the review, Paula.
Candi wrote: "A lovely review, Paula! Jaline sure gets them right!"Thanks so much, Candi! Jaline really poured her heart out with this one!
Kimber wrote: "Splendid review, Paula!😊 I have this on my TBR list. I need to move it up in light of your review."Thank you, Kimber! I think you will really like this short book!
Sandra wrote: "Terrific review Paula! :)"Appreciate your kind words, Sandra!
If you and Jaline highly recommend it, I am sold!
JanB wrote: "Paula, wonderful review! Like you I went in search of this book after reading Jaline's review but my library doesn't have it and it's not on kindle either :("Thank you, Jan! I ended up with a written upon old copy from my library consortium. Someone put notes in the margins, and I tried to ignore them. Sorry you couldn’t find the book!
Terence M wrote: "Paula wrote: "Unforgettable are her final pages which break your heart."Wussy old fossil that I am, I would never want to read a book about which a comment like this has been made.😑
My apologies, ..."
I totally understood what you meant, Terence. No worries! It is not a bad thing that happens at the end of the book. It just pulls on your heart strings!
Meredith wrote: "Fantastic review, Paula!"Appreciate your kind words, Meredith!
Wyndy wrote: "I plan to heed your advice (and Jaline’s). This will be my next read. Superb review, Paula."Thank you, Wyndy! I will look forward to reading your review!
Great review Paula. I read this book a few years ago and I loved it. Claire Keegan the author visited the Library where I work and read some passages from it and did a Question and Answer session on it after the reading. She is a lovely person.
Fantastic review Paula!! You make this sound irresistible!
Paromjit wrote: "Fabulous review, Paula xxo"Thank you, Paromjit!
Laura wrote: "Just added to my list to read. Thanks for the lovely review. :)"Thank you, Laura! So glad you added this book!
Ana O wrote: "Great review Paula."Appreciate your kind words, Ana!
Maureen wrote: "That’s a lovely review Paula 💕"Thanks so much, Maureen!
Richard wrote: "Loved your review Paula ....... a wonderful read by the sounds of it."Very kind of you to say so, Richard! Yes, it is a wonderful read!
Lori wrote: "Left with a beautiful feeling is a lovely finish with a book. Thank you for the review, Paula."You are welcome, Lori! Thanks for your kind words!
RedemptionDenied wrote: "Excellent review, Paula!!"Thanks so much, RD!
Barbara wrote: "If you and Jaline highly recommend it, I am sold!"Awesome!
JV (semi-hiatus) wrote: "Splendid write-up, dear Paula! 🥰"Thank you my dear friend!
Jennifer wrote: "Great review Paula. I read this book a few years ago and I loved it. Claire Keegan the author visited the Library where I work and read some passages from it and did a Question and Answer session o..."Thank you, Jennifer. How delightful that she visited your library! So glad you loved this book as well!
Paula wrote: "Terence M wrote: "Paula wrote: "Unforgettable are her final pages which break your heart."Wussy old fossil that I am, I would never want to read a book about which a comment like this has been mad..."
Cool (sigh of relief)💨
Thank you Paula😄!
Susanne wrote: "Fantastic review Paula!! You make this sound irresistible!"Appreciate your kind words, Susanne!
Terence M wrote: "Paula wrote: "Terence M wrote: "Paula wrote: "Unforgettable are her final pages which break your heart."Wussy old fossil that I am, I would never want to read a book about which a comment like thi..."
You are welcome, Terence!😀
*TUDOR^QUEEN* wrote: "Wonderful review 😍"Thanks so much, TQ!
Heartwarming review, Paula. I've picked this novel up at a used book store and I plan to read on my vacation.
Carol wrote: "Heartwarming review, Paula. I've picked this novel up at a used book store and I plan to read on my vacation."Enjoy Carol.
Carol wrote: "Heartwarming review, Paula. I've picked this novel up at a used book store and I plan to read on my vacation."Appreciate your kind words, Carol. Glad to see your found the book at a used bookstore. Enjoy your vacation!
