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As It Is in Heaven
As It Is in Heaven | Niall Williams
6 posts | 4 read | 7 to read
Love is not easy, especially if you find the woman of your dreams and then lose her as Philip Griffin and his son Stephen each discover in turn. Stephen is just a boy when his mother and sister are killed in a car crash, and his father never recovers from the accident: he wasnt involved but is consumed by grief, his only desire to be reunited with his wife. Before that happens, though, Philip wants to ensure the happiness of his son, Stephen now a grown man. As it is in Heaven, Niall Williams tale of love and tragedy, will leave you in tears Tatler A bitter-sweet novel about passionate love giving way to commitment, grief to a sort of healing Irish Times A tender and sober novel with a faith in romance that is absolute Daily Express Delicious coincidence and tragedy, as extraordinary lives unravel and intertwine Guardian
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Suet624
As It Is in Heaven | Niall Williams
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My first day in Ireland was spent in Ennis where I wandered into a small used bookstore and asked the employee (or owner) for a book specific to Ireland history and he found Nell. We then spoke about how much we liked Williams‘ book This is Happiness. He went to the back rooms to find History of the Rain because it was his favorite but he didn‘t have it. So I came away with these two books and a smile on my face.

Tamra What a wonderful day! 💚 1y
sarahbarnes Beautiful 💙💙 1y
BarbaraBB Nice! Too bad he didn‘t have History of the Rain. I loved that one so much too! 1y
See All 8 Comments
Suet624 @BarbaraBB I know. I saw your review of the one I purchased and saw you weren‘t thrilled with it. 🙁 1y
BarbaraBB Don‘t mind me! My expectations were sky high! I was just texting you on Instagram about that Foo Fighters album. Wow 💔 1y
Hooked_on_books Sounds lovely! I, too, have been to a bookshop in Ennis! But it was many moons ago (1997), so I have no idea if it‘s the same one. 1y
Suet624 @Hooked_on_books Haha. I couldn‘t even tell you the name of the one I just went to! 🤦🏻‍♀️ 1y
Hooked_on_books 😂 The only reason I even know I went there is that I had a bookmark from there for many years. I want to say it was very creatively called “The Ennis Bookshop,” but I could be wrong. 1y
55 likes8 comments
review
BarbaraBB
As It Is in Heaven | Niall Williams
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Mehso-so

I had high expectations for this book because I loved History of the Rain. Unfortunately, this turned out to be a so-so for me. The synopsis is intriguing: a man loses his wife and daughter in a car crash and mourns them until he is dying himself and decides he can‘t without taking care of the happiness of his other, neglected, child, now a grown-up. The story itself does not rise above the mediocre though. It is a love story like many others.

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quote
Onioons
As It Is in Heaven | Niall Williams
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In the weeks following the funeral of his wife and daughter he scoured the burnt bottom of his soul for the myriad failings of his love - the days he had said nothing, had returned from work with some bitterness and left the children doing their homework, raising his newspaper like a drawbridge... #quotsynov17 #death #litsyquotechallenge #quotsy

BarbaraBB Beautiful quote. How is the book? I have meant to read more by him after loving 7y
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Onioons
As It Is in Heaven | Niall Williams
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'So, as one game followed the next, the movement of the chess pieces was the ancient vocabulary through which Stephen began to tell his father that he was daring to believe in love. All of his moves signalled it; his knights flew into the midst of the board, his bishops ventured criss-cross along diagonals that bespoke the innocence of a beginner, or the blind invulnerability of dreams. Stephen moved his queen constantly...' #litsyonereviewwonder

Libby1 I really like Niall Williams. 7y
Onioons Yay @Libby1 I knew it couldn't just be me! 7y
BarbaraBB I only read History of the Rain and loved it. Is this one just as good? 7y
Onioons That looks great, @BookishTrish ! Love to get book recommendations from different countries 🌎😊 7y
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blurb
Onioons
As It Is in Heaven | Niall Williams
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Day10 of #augustofpages A gentle story of love. The love of a father for his son in spite of the grief of losing his wife & daughter. And the love of the son for an unattainable Italian musician which he struggles to express. Beautifully told. "Philip Griffin had loved Anne with his life; he had loved her so entirely with himself that when she died there was little left of him, only the corner he had kept alive for his son." #bookphotochallenge

quote
Onioons
As It Is in Heaven | Niall Williams
post image

So, as one game followed the next, the movement of the chess pieces was an ancient vocabulary through which Stephen began to tell his father that he was daring to believe in love. All of his moves signalled it; his Knights flew into the midst of the board, his bishops ventured criss-cross...

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