LoveReading Says
What a remarkably moving story. With a gorgeous narrative voice that charms from the off. Anne Griffin’s The Island of Longing presents a raw and readably lyrical portrait of a mother’s anguish, a family’s struggles, and the lingering ripples of loss and hope in the aftermath of a daughter’s vanishing.
Rosie grew up on Roaring Bay island, West Cork, and became the ferry skipper at the age of twenty, “just like my father”. 29 years later she returns to her home island, “totally broken but willing to stand at the boat’s helm once again. Still a wife — although my husband back in the city might have had his own opinion on that — and mother. Mother.” Rosie wonders whether the “mother” moniker still applies to her. Eight years on from the day her daughter Saoirse cycled to town and never came home, Rosie’s the only person who still believes she might return.
An unexpected call from her father to come home to the island “of fisherman and writers, farmers and potters, ferry folk and beekeepers” draws Rosie into a new state of being. In her father’s words, “it might do you good. Maybe it’s exactly what you need — a distraction”.
A distraction it might be, but Rosie’s return also edges her to face reality, with solace found in memories, being among the islanders, and being at sea. Suffused in compassion, community and finding comfort are at the core of this heartbreaker of a novel.
Joanne Owen
Find This Book In
Anne Griffin Press Reviews
Exquisite -- Woman's Own
This beautiful novel about maternal love is especially moving on the back and forth between hope and acceptance. -- Good Housekeeping
An elegant and moving account of family loss and reconnection, this is Anne Griffin's best novel yet. -- John Boyne
An immensely powerful novel by a storyteller of rare gifts -- Joseph O'Connor
Anne takes a deep dive into the soul of the mother of a missing child and the result is a story that is both heartwarming and heartbreaking. Beautifully written and sensitive without ever being sentimental, this is a stunning portrait by a master craftswoman. I loved it. -- Liz Nugent
A beautiful, emotive, heartbreaking mystery. The Island of Longing takes a quietly powerful, yet deeply hopeful, humorous and compassionate look at loss, and belonging, and the absolute agony of the unknown. -- Chris Whitaker
Anne Griffin is a lovely writer, and this is a lovely book . . . Oiled by the sturdy little ferry that ploughs the sea between the novel's West Cork island setting and the mainland, Griffin's story is tender and wise and ultimately life-affirming. -- Kathleen MacMahon
Anne Griffin's central character Rosie Driscoll will pitch your heart into a stormy sea. You'll feel as if you're right beside her in the waves of love and loss as she strikes out for safe harbour. A beautiful story, steeped in Irish brine -- Tish Delaney
Gripping, heart-wrenching and acutely human novel that offers a deeply empathetic view of suffering and resilience - and the many shapes that survival can take. Read this book! -- Alice Ryan
A powerful novel that is full of grace, this latest work of beauty proves once again that Griffin is a gorgeous storyteller full of empathy and wisdom -- Helen Cullen
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
A compelling, cleverly structured novel about loss, legacy and the healing power of community -- Sarah Gilmartin
With a great ear for dialogue and eye for setting, Griffin builds a real sense of what loss can do to a family. - The Style List
A beautiful novel, heartbreaking, thoroughly moving and impossible to put down, The Island of Longing further enhances Anne Griffin's standing as one of our very best writers. A sheer joy to read, and a book that deserves to hit every height -- Billy O'Callaghan
What do you think when the unthinkable happens? The Island of Longing transported me to West Cork to ask that very question in a moving story of family, loss and hope. It's the little details-dialogue, street names and details on the ferryboat-that made me feel at home with heroine, Rosie . . . Griffin perfectly captures the stifling isolation of grief, how claustrophobic tragedy can feel and how, sometimes, only the sea can offer relief. -- Freya Bromley
I sympathised with Rosie on every page . . . a suspenseful and deeply satisfying novel -- Margot Livesey
I absolutely loved this novel. Incredibly moving, beautifully observed, with characters so well-drawn that I felt I'd known them my whole life. Although the subject matter is achingly sad, the warmth and humanity that shines through Anne's writing makes it a total joy to read. A bittersweet story of love and loss, deftly and sensitively told, that will stick with me for a long time to come. -- Rebecca Pert
The Island of Longing is a moving unforgettable novel, about the burden of loss and grieving, told through Griffin's vivid prose and characteristic gentle humour. This book consumed me -- Disha Bose
A beautifully written tale of love, loss and human endurance, with an emotional depth that rings true. -- Madeleine D'Arcy
