This can be a very short book recommendation. GO OUT AND DOWNLOAD THIS BOOK. That's really all I need to say, except there is a lot of space on this blog, and there really is a sort of serendipitous story that goes along with the novel.
I had the last leg of the 31 hour solo drive coming up- 10 hours left (which turned into 12 because of constant rain and holiday traffic.) I had 2 hours left of my last audiobook, so I downloaded one the night before hitting the road again.
I finished the second book and brought up the third and last needed audio book to complete when drive only to discover that I hadn't downloaded an audio book but instead had downloaded an ebook. You aren't allowed to read while driving, so the next rest area I saw, I pulled in to find myself a new book to listen to. Frankly, I had no time. I had by then about 8 hours left, and I knew the longer I spent trying to find a book, the more traffic I would ultimately be stuck in.
I went into which books were available for immediate download, scrolled down and saw this title. Maybe it was the third book down, maybe the fourth. I had never heard of Anne Griffin nor did I know anything about the book. I liked the title, and the book itself was 8 hours of recording. Perfect. When the mature Irish male voice came through my car speakers, I knew it was going to be good (I'm a sucker for all books Irish, English, or Scottish), when I started smiling, laughing, and searching for remnants of a Dunkin Donuts napkin to wipe away tears, I knew it was beautiful. The writing, the phrasing, and the character of Maurice were the best I have come across in a long, long time.
I will be buying a hard copy of this book to have. Now that I have heard the words, I want to see them on the page to savor them a bit longer. I also emailed Anne Griffin to tell her how beautiful I thought the whole book was.
It is the story of Maurice and his life as he sits in a hotel pub toasting 5 important people. It's really a very simple premise, but Maurice is charming, his life simple and real. It made me want to find that pub and buy Maurice a pint just to hear him tell one last story.