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Time of the Child

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Time of the Child

By: Niall Williams
Narrated by: Dermot Crowley
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About this listen

Bloomsbury presents Time of the Child by Niall Williams, read by Dermot Crowley

"I am such a fan of Niall Williams." —Ann Patchett, New York Times bestselling author of Tom Lake

From the author of This Is Happiness, a compassionate, life-affirming novel about the Christmas season that transforms the small Irish town of Faha.

Doctor Jack Troy was born and raised in Faha, but his responsibilities for the sick and his care for the dying mean he has always been set apart from the town. His eldest daughter, Ronnie, has grown up in her father’s shadow, and remains there, having missed one chance at love – and passed up another offer of marriage from an unsuitable man.

But in the Advent season of 1962, as the town readies itself for Christmas, Ronnie and Doctor Troy’s lives are turned upside down when a baby is left in their care. As the winter passes, father and daughter’s lives, the understanding of their family, and their role in their community are changed forever.

Set over the course of one December in the same village as Williams’ beloved This Is Happiness, Time of the Child is a tender return to Faha for readers who know its charms, and a heartwarming welcome to new readers entering for the very first time.

©2024 Niall Williams (P)2024 Bloomsbury Publishing Plc Family Life Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Small Town & Rural Heartfelt Emotionally Gripping
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Narration wonderful,enhanced what was already a simple but heartwarming story of a love not expected.

humour and tenderness

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The building of a community as the story was told was utterly wonderful. I loved it.

Absolutely beautiful.

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The narrator is excellent and I like the way the author structures his sentences but the plot is quite dull imo. It is a lovely snapshot of small town Ireland in the 1960s but nothing too remarkable happens, plot wise. Perhaps that is the point of the novel but I generally like a more “grabbing” plot line.

The wonderful Irish accent

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Having read This is Happiness in paper form and loved it, I was wary of choosing the audiobook version of this title. Niall Williams is an extraordinary writer, but I find the narration style sometimes sullies my enjoyment of an audiobook. I needn’t have worried: this was read superbly and I would happily listen to it over and over.

Stunning prose, beautifully read.

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Excellent book exploring the inner workings of a small town and the thoughts of a quiet man.

The narration & turn of phrase

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For me, perhaps a book better read than listened to. Gorgeous writing and beautifully narrated but very slow, even at 1.2 speed - and I enjoy long thoughtful books!

A slow burn

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The author is a master craftsman whose characters are totally plausible and whose writing is sublime. This reading is superb!

Brilliantly conceived and executed this is a wonderful study of human behaviour.

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wonderful language, uterly beautifully delivered bringing people, place and events to life. I regret finishing it and recommended to everyone

wonderful story

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I’ve read Niall Williams previous Faha book, This is Happiness and really enjoyed it. Time of the Child is off the scale brilliant. The writing, the characters, the narration, the writing, the writing, the writing……! This is one of the best books I’ve listened to on Audible - and there have been a lot. Read it asap!

A totally magical book

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Most imaginative word worthy delightful novel
The narration was so clear and brilliant I felt I was watching a movie .
I loved every character in the book , and I’ll miss them for quite some time .

A truely delightful story of life love and community

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