Ask Again, Yes

By: Mary Beth Keane

Narrated by: Molly Pope

Length: 12 hrs and 42 mins

Publisher's summary

Penguin presents the audiobook edition of Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane. 

Gillam, upstate New York: a town of ordinary, big-lawned suburban houses. The Gleesons have recently moved there and soon welcome the Stanhopes as their new neighbours. Lonely Lena Gleeson wants a friend but Anne Stanhope - cold, elegant, unstable - wants to be left alone. 

It's left to their children - Lena's youngest, Kate, and Anne's only child, Peter - to find their way to one another. To form a friendship whose resilience and love will be almost broken by the fault line dividing both families, and by the terrible tragedy that will engulf them all. A tragedy whose true origins only become clear many years later....

A story of love and redemption, faith and forgiveness, Ask Again, Yes reveals the way childhood memories change when viewed from the distance of adulthood - villains lose their menace, and those who appeared innocent seem less so. A story of how, if we're lucky, the violence lurking beneath everyday life can be vanquished by the power of love.

©2019 Mary Beth Keane (P)2019 Penguin Audio

Excellent book, dodgy Irish accents

Wonderful book but as an Irish person, some of the accents were a bit cringe-worthy. Otherwise, loved it!

Gripping family saga

Ask Again, Yes tells the story of two families across two generations. Through their shared Irish roots and history, circumstance, love and tragedy they are repeatedly brought together.

Though focusing on 2 small family groups the timescale allows the author to explore heavy topics including a child stillborn, acute mental illness, alcoholism, cheating, grief and abandonment.

This was an impressive, poignant and complex story. It is a breathtaking novel that will linger long after reading.

enjoyed it

Listened to this book in my car and continued to listen at home aswell, which I don't normally do.

Coming from an Irish person, this book is Definitely worth the bad Irish Accent

Loved this book, I enjoyed all the characters and found the alcohol and mental health struggles very compelling. I will forgive the narrator’s Irish accent as her overall performance was great.

Molly Pope’s APPALLING accents ruined this

Why commission a reader who can’t do an Irish accent at all when there are several Irish characters. It was just silly at times.
Story isn’t that engaging. Bored and irritated I gave up.

I loved it!

The love, the empathy, the sincerity. The small details that made you so invested in the characters....And what a guy George is total love!! I flew through this in a few days.

Great read

I bought this book at it was recommended by Jimmy Fallon. It was well worth the time spent.

Great story. shame about the accents

it was a well crafted story but suugest you read it as narration dodgy... awful shame

Excellent family drama

I downloaded this because I was reading The Walking People by the same author. She tells a great story with believable yet interesting characters who are not always likeable. Initially I struggled with the narrator’s characterisation and accent for some key people but overall this was a really good listen.

gripping

could not wait to get back to this book each time I left it. Brilliant from start to finish.