A Keeper: The Sunday Times Bestseller

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A Keeper is a dual narrative. We’re with Elizabeth in the present day and her mother, Patricia, forty years earlier. Elizabeth has returned to Ireland to finalise her mother’s affairs after passing away. In the wardrobe she finds a box with some letters that appear to be written by her father, a man whom she has never known, who she believes passed away when she was but an infant. That box, and an appointment with her mother’s solicitor, unravels everything Elizabeth believes to be true about herself and her family. A Keeper has the vibes of Misery by Stephen King in some respects. What begins as a mother/daughter relationship novel will soon take on a much, much darker theme. And that, Boys and Girls, is a delightful plum pudding. If you haven’t yet read a Graham Norton novel, do yourself a favour and hop to it. He’s a brilliant writer and each of his novels are so different from each other, yet instantly recognisable as his work, offering a reading experience that is both a comfort and good for your soul.

This book is nothing like his first book ( ) which I also loved but it has some similar themes; small town Ireland, dark humour, real life.Norton is so skilful in his portrayal of Irish life in its best and worst. He recreates the atmosphere, the characters, the moods of times so well!

I can't say much about anyone else in this book because they are not developed well at all. We have Elizabeth's son Zach, her ex-husband, Patricia's ex friend Rosemary and Edward Foley. Don't even get me started on why we get a separate POV for Rosemary, it wasn't necessary and added nothing to the story. What a wonderful journey Graham Norton takes a reader on! In its simple, straightforward ways he delivers an array of emotions. The next chapter is the "Now" and we meet a young single mom who has just learned her mom has passed. She needs to go to Ireland and clear out her house and wind up her affairs. She is dealing w/the loss of her mom and also with her teen son, whose situation is complicated because she is raising him alone.

This compelling new novel confirms Graham Norton's status as a fresh, literary voice, bringing his clear-eyed understanding of human nature and its darkest flaws. A gripping, thoughtful tale about the search for identity, belonging and self-possession.' OBSERVER Well this book was a surprise read. Recommended to me by my son. I had seen a few of his shows - but not to my taste.