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This Is Happiness cover art

This Is Happiness

By: Niall Williams
Narrated by: Dermot Crowley
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Publisher's Summary

Change is coming to Faha, a small Irish parish unaltered in a 1,000 years.

For one thing, the rain is stopping. Nobody remembers when it started; rain on the western seaboard is a condition of living. But now - just as Father Coffey proclaims the coming of the electricity - the rain clouds are lifting.

Seventeen-year-old Noel Crowe is idling in the unexpected sunshine when Christy makes his first entrance into Faha, bringing secrets he needs to atone for. Though he can't explain it, Noel knows right then: something has changed.

As the people of Faha anticipate the endlessly procrastinated advent of the electricity, and Noel navigates his own coming-of-age and his fallings in and out of love, Christy's past gradually comes to light, casting a new glow on a small world.

Harking back to a simpler time, This Is Happiness is a tender portrait of a community - its idiosyncrasies and traditions, its paradoxes and kindnesses, its failures and triumphs - and a coming-of-age tale like no other.

Luminous and lyrical, yet anchored by roots running deep into the earthy and everyday, it is about the power of stories: their invisible currents that run through all we do, writing and rewriting us, and the transforming light that they throw onto our world.

©2019 Niall Williams (P)2019 W. F. Howes Ltd

What listeners say about This Is Happiness

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Lovely tale of rural Ireland

Family life in rural Ireland coming to terms with modernisation (motor cars, electricity and the telephone) and all that comes with the resultant turmoil. Very well narrated and a quaint tale.

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  • Overall
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    5 out of 5 stars

Loved This!

The turn of phrase in this story is just beautiful. The description of such simple things in life, entertaining. It was so well done, I almost wish I lived in what, on the surface, were much simpler times. The friendship, the view on love and the observations about small town life all through the eyes of a 17 year old made this a story worth listening to.

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Loved every little thing about this book!

A beautifully written memoir of rural Ireland. I was in awe of the weaving of words that made me laugh and cry aloud and conveyed the essence of traditional rural Irish character. ☘️💛

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3 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Beautiful 😍 I didn't want it to end

I didn't want it to end and I'm hoping there is a sequel. Wonderful story and told in a most unique way.

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a lovely story

I really enjoyed this book. a wonderful story of the past meeting the future and so beautifully narrated.
The humour, the sadness, the realness of the characters... I was sorry it had to finish.

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Gentle and wise

A gentle book that is partly a coming of age story, partly about love and forgiveness, partly about tolerance..... and probably much more. It left me with the wisdom that if we notice a small, good moment in our life, we'll notice that that is happiness.

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Tender, funny and moving

An old man looks back on his 17 year old self, as he spends a summer in a small village in the care of his grandparents. With humour, insight and compassion he unfolds a tale of discovery - about the nature of love and friendship, the meaning of community, how we measure ‘progress’ and ultimately, the purpose of his own life. There is so much more to this book - I can’t recommend it highly enough!

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1 person found this helpful

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  • deb
  • 09-12-2019

Sublimely Ordinary

What a gorgeous book! I loved the sound of the Irish narrator (I do have a thang for the Irish lilt) and perfect for this story. An unusual way with phrases perhaps particular to this author, I’m not sure. I’m certainly going to read more of Niall Williams. I believe there is a prequel to this book.
I have time in abundance to listen & read books so I search out the 14 & 16 hour narratives. Often they are not ‘page turners’, and this book is not in that category. It meanders among the life of the people of Faha following love & death & all that makes a life.
I totally recommend this book.

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  • LJR
  • 14-06-2020

This is happiness

Loved it! Mr Williams writes in such an evocative way that for the duration of this book I was living in Faha in County Clare, Ireland. The characters were so real..Noe and his grandparents, Christy and Noe on the bikes searching for the music. The men standing out the front of the church. The ladies hats. The rain. The sun. The mossy house. The “public” phone. All the different types of love.
For me, the beauty of this book was in the detail.
Having the book read to me was magic.

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    5 out of 5 stars

Brilliant

Gobsmackingly wonderful writing and reading
Thabkyou for such a superb production.

Highlight of the year for me

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