Winner of the 2007 Man Booker Prize, this moving chronicle of an Irish-Catholic family is characterized by Enright's musical prose and ability to spin a compelling story. Veronica Hegarty, struggling to come to grips with the suicide of her brother, Liam, prepares to meet with the rest of her large family in Dublin, where her brother's wake will be held. Having claimed Liam's body, Veronica keeps watch over him, remembering, as she does so, an incident that took place in 1968 at their grandmother's house. Thinking back on the event—a secret that only she and Liam knew about—awakens all sorts of memories for Veronica, and her recollections send the narrative swirling into the past. The novel follows three generations of the Hegarty clan, and the family's history illuminates the present in a way that adds complexity and drama to the book. Most poignant are Veronica's memories of her teenage years in Dublin. Her parents, always short of money, were too busy to give their children the care and affection they needed. As a teen, Liam was molested by a friend—a traumatic experience that Veronica views as the root of his emotional problems. Once the Hegartys come together for Liam's wake, emotions run high, and Veronica's secret is at last revealed. Enright offers a searing, insightful portrayal of family relationships and the difficulties of dealing with grief.

A reading group guide is available at groveatlantic.com. Copyright 2007 BookPage Reviews.

It seems that large, extended families are brought together for two events, weddings and funerals, and such is the case in Enright's new novel (after The Pleasure of Eliza Lynch ) when Veronica, her eight surviving siblings, and their mammy reconnect for her wayward brother Liam's funeral. As Veronica notes early on, "the seeds of my brother's death were sown many years ago," and it is those seeds, which are gradually unearthed as the book moves between past and present, describing the deconstruction of the family, that drove Liam to suicide. From a description of vodka with a "sweet and crotch-like" smell that includes a "waft of earth and adolescence" to souls that, if released, would "slop out over his teeth," Enright's writing is starkly descriptive, using the same coarse imagery that is part of her characters' daily lives. Much is raw in this novel, which is less about individuals than about people's "patience and ability to endure." While readers won't be drawn to the characters, anyone who perseveres will find a story of harsh redemption and of a future found in a child's blue eyes. An acquired taste; recommended for larger and more diverse collections.—Caroline M. Hallsworth, City of Greater Sudbury, Ont.

In the taut latest from Enright (What Are You Like? ), middle-aged Veronica Hegarty, the middle child in an Irish-Catholic family of nine, traces the aftermath of a tragedy that has claimed the life of rebellious elder brother Liam. As Veronica travels to London to bring Liam's body back to Dublin, her deep-seated resentment toward her overly passive mother and her dissatisfaction with her husband and children come to the fore. Tempers flare as the family assembles for Liam's wake, and a secret Veronica has concealed since childhood comes to light. Enright skillfully avoids sentimentality as she explores Veronica's past and her complicated relationship with Liam. She also bracingly imagines the life of Veronica's strong-willed grandmother, Ada. A melancholic love and rage bubbles just beneath the surface of this Dublin clan, and Enright explores it unflinchingly. (Sept.)