



Time of the Child
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4.1 • 87 Ratings
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
"The writing in this book is lyrical . . . a beautiful book that you will love." -Good Morning America's #1 Favorite Book of the Year
"I am utterly obsessed with Niall Williams." -Ann Patchett, New York Times bestselling author of Tom Lake
"Made me laugh out loud and remember how to love." -Margaret Renkl, The New York Times
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.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Travel to the enchanting Irish town of Faha in this tender and life-affirming novel of second chances. It’s the Advent season of 1962, and Dr. Jack Troy is a local physician burdened by the knowledge of what’s broken in his community. When a baby is discovered abandoned behind the church, Jack and his daughter Ronnie decide to care for the child, giving them a reason to confront the ghosts of their past and the choices that have defined their lives. Author Niall Williams paints the town of Faha with lyrical prose, capturing its quirky residents and quiet rhythms. As Jack wrestles with his regrets and hatches an audacious plan to right his wrongs, the story becomes a celebration of the power of forgiveness and the unexpected gifts that bring hope. With gentle humor and poignant reflections, Time of the Child is an emotionally evocative tale and a deeply moving holiday read.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
A Christmas miracle lies at the heart of this tender offering from Irish writer Williams (Four Letters of Love). In December 1962, 12-year-old Jude Quinlan and his father take their cows to the Christmas fair in Faha, a small town where "all commentators agreed: nothing happened here." The town's reputation begins to change after Jude, waiting for his father to emerge from the pub, finds a baby at the back wall of the church. Jude brings the baby to the local physician, Jack Troy, whose grown daughter, Ronnie, names her Noelle. The Troys hide the baby to prevent her from being taken away and placed in an orphanage. Jack, regretting that he disapproved of Ronnie's former suitor, Noel Crowe, who now lives in America, concocts a far-fetched plan to lure Noel back to Ireland, so he and Ronnie can get married and take the child to the U.S. to raise. Jack runs into a series of hurdles as he tries to bring off his plan while keeping the baby a secret from his neighbors. Williams works up to the miraculous event with steady pacing, breathing life into the characters and crafting a memorable sense of place. For those looking to get into the holiday spirit, this is just the ticket.
Customer Reviews
Time of the Child
Never given 5 stars before. Not an easy read but decidedly worth the effort. Quite a Christmas story....
Masterful
Like a lullaby whispered in the deepest essence of night, this story soothes the soul with its lyrical prose and powerful sense of place.
Astonishing…
In 5+ decades of reading I have never read finer writing. For those who take the time, this will become an annual read at Christmas, a gift you will repeatedly give yourself.