The Good People

De: Hannah Kent

Narrado por: Caroline Lennon

From the author of Burial Rites, "a literary novel with the pace and tension of a thriller that takes us on a frightening journey towards an unspeakable tragedy" (Paula Hawkins, bestselling author of The Girl on the Train and Into the Water).

Based on true events in nineteenth century Ireland, Hannah Kent's startling new novel tells the story of three women, drawn together to rescue a child from a superstitious community.

Nora, bereft after the death of her husband, finds herself alone and caring for her grandson Micheal, who can neither speak nor walk. A handmaid, Mary, arrives to help Nora just as rumors begin to spread that Micheal is a changeling child who is bringing bad luck to the valley. Determined to banish evil, Nora and Mary enlist the help of Nance, an elderly wanderer who understands the magic of the old ways.

Set in a lost world bound by its own laws, The Good People is Hannah Kent's startling new novel about absolute belief and devoted love. Terrifying, thrilling and moving in equal measure, this follow-up to Burial Rites shows an author at the height of her powers.

Reseñas de la Crítica

"Ms. Kent has a knack for conjuring the unsettled spirit world through deft stylistic flourishes...THE GOOD PEOPLE is far from a high-handed condemnation of superstitious belief. It makes the terrors of the past feel palpable and imminent. It makes you reach for whatever good luck charms you carry with you."—Sam Sacks, The Wall Street Journal

"Rural pre-famine Ireland in all its beauty and desolation is alive on every page of this exquisite novel...'The Good People' is a dramatic tale of desperation, set in a bleak time and place when no amount of protective ritual and belief - or goodness - can rescue people from their circumstances."—Katherine Weber, The New York Times Book Review

"Kent's suspenseful storytelling plunges readers into early 19th-century Ireland. She brings vivid life to the hardscrabble scenes...Although 'The Good People' is fiction, it faithfully represents the hold of ancient Celtic myths on generations of Irish."—Minneapolis Star Tribune

"Add Kent to the list of terrific Australian novelists writing today. While Liane Moriarty (Big Little Lies) mines modern marriage and mores for her page-turning mysteries, Kent (Burial Rites) goes back in time to find reality-based stories of women who pay the price for challenging society's expectations. The Good People has great characters, a setting that seeps into your bones and the always compelling tug between the spiritual and the superstitious."—USA Today (starred review)

"If Stevie Wonder is correct, when you believe in things you don't understand, then you suffer. Kent's novel validates his indictment of superstition."—Kirkus

"Kent skillfully depicts a world where anything outside the norm falls under suspicion, particularly women who are not under the protection of a man."—Library Journal

Faith, folk-knowledge, and fear coalesce in remote 19th-century Ireland in this second novel from Kent...Though rife with description, backstory, and a surfeit of gossip, the book's pervasive sense of foreboding and clear narrative arcs keep the tale immersive. Kent leads the reader on a rocky, disquieting journey to the misty crossroads of Irish folk beliefs past and future.—Publisher's Weekly

"Kent brings her talent for writing dark and atmospheric historical fiction to this tale set in rural Ireland in 1825... Kent's immersive setting, benefiting from impressive historical research and the use of Gaelic vocabulary, features both a dramatically alive natural world and a believably fearsome supernatural one. Inspired by true events and exploring those places where reason, religion, and superstition cross paths, this will please lovers of haunting literary fiction. "—Booklist

Poetry in Fiction

Wonderful book. The visual images alone are worth the time and effort. Add a well-crafted story, characters with depth, historical fidelity and elegant prose, this book had it all.

Secretly was hoping for a different ending but it is still a great story

Beautiful writing & story, though may be hard to stomach a few parts for some. Creepy & mysterious enough that you have to get to the end to figure it out. I was hoping that the last few pages would be different or have an unsuspected twist. But I still Loved it, will definitely keep going to chat gpt for these hidden gem recommendations lol

Historical fiction at it's best.

I absolutely love this author. The narrator does an excellent job. The story is compelling.

Well written but so depressing

The Good People was very well written and performed, which is usually enough for me to be able to enjoy a book, however, the story was so depressing that I really struggled making myself get through it.

Overboard????

This book is a little out of my reading comfort zone but I chose it for just that reason. It is well written and and narration is spot on. Why did I rate the story with a mediocre 3 stars you ask?
The story line is interesting and the characters are well developed. However, about midway through, the author took a turn and added so much folklore and superstitions from the time period that it became hard to follow and the characters got a little lost.

Poignantly beautiful.

Even better on the second read / listen. Can't wait for more from Hannah Kent.

Another great book from Hannah Kent!

What did you love best about The Good People?

Hannah Kent is great at making characters come to life. Caroline Lennon added to that with her wonderful narration. Definitely recommending this book to others!

My expectations were too high

The Good People is a book worth your time to listen. The story is good, filled with Hannah Kent detail & lovey prose. The narration could not be better. Hearing it made me want to learn to speak Irish Gaelic! The only reason I gave it 3 stars instead of 5 is that I had set my expectations too high.

I absorbed Burial Rites. You know how it is when you are looking for a book & happen onto one that you think will be a nice distraction, instead becoming lost in it. I unintentionally compared The Good People to Burial Rites from the start, which only led to my “meh” attitude.

Give this book a shot, without pre-judgement. I will dive into Hannah Kent’s next book with an open mind.

interesting

I had read "Burial Rites" by Hannah Kent and absolutely love her writing and wanted more so I decided to read "The Good People". I did enjoy the book and did not struggle to finish it. I gave it 3 stars overall because there were a few times in the story I felt like parts of the story were added as filler and would have been better left out. I loved how the author really drove home how powerful our beliefs can be and how critical our support systems are in times of need.

not as brilliant as Burial Rites

the book was a good study of women on educated disempowered believing in Superstition of the era no different than believing in the superstitions of Christianity of that same era. I loved Hannah Kent's previous book burial rites it is truly my number one top favorite book. this book didn't quite have the depth of character creation or story.