The Good People

"A literary novel with the pace and tension of a thriller that takes us on a frightening journey towards an unspeakable tragedy" —Paula Hawkins, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Girl on the Train

Based on true events in nineteenth century Ireland, Hannah Kent's startling new novel tells the story of three women, drawn together to rescue a child from a superstitious community.


Nora, bereft after the death of her husband, finds herself alone and caring for her grandson Micheal, who can neither speak nor walk. A handmaid, Mary, arrives to help Nora just as rumors begin to spread that Micheal is a changeling child who is bringing bad luck to the valley. Determined to banish evil, Nora and Mary enlist the help of Nance, an elderly wanderer who understands the magic of the old ways.


Set in a lost world bound by its own laws, The Good People is Hannah Kent's startling new novel about absolute belief and devoted love. Terrifying, thrilling and moving in equal measure, this follow-up to Burial Rites shows an author at the height of her powers.


"Ms. Kent has a knack for conjuring the unsettled spirit world through deft stylistic flourishes . . . The Good People . . . makes the terrors of the past feel palpable and imminent." —The Wall Street Journal

"Rural pre-famine Ireland in all its beauty and desolation is alive on every page of this exquisite novel." —The New York Times Book Review

"Add Kent to the list of terrific Australian novelists writing today. While Liane Moriarty mines modern marriage and mores for her page-turning mysteries, Kent goes back in time to find reality-based stories of women who pay the price for challenging society's expectations." —USA Today, starred review