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Strange Flowers
Strange Flowers | Donal Ryan
16 posts | 11 read | 17 to read
In 1973 Moll Gladney goes missing from the Tipperary hillside where she was born. Slowly her parents, Paddy and Kit, begin to accept that shes gone forever. But she returns, changed, and with a few surprises for her family and neighbours. Nothing is ever the same again for the Gladneys, who learn that fate cares little for duty, that life rarely conforms to expectation, that God cant be relied upon to heed any prayer. A story of exile and return, of loss and discovery, of retreat from grief and the saving power of love.
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review
Cathythoughts
Strange Flowers | Donal Ryan
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Mehso-so

This book got a bit of a hammering from our Bookclub last night. We all thought it started off with promise ,but many thought , including me, that too much happened , too fast , too many characters , not enough substance , in the end , not a believable story. His first book, The Spinning Heart , is brilliant. His prose is always beautiful.

LeahBergen Well, it looks like I‘ll be skipping this one. I thought The Spinning Heart was wonderful, too! 2y
Cathythoughts @LeahBergen I think Spinning Heart was his first book and this one is his latest. Ive read none of the in between ones. We had a great discussion on it though. 😄 (edited) 2y
61 likes2 comments
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Cathythoughts
Strange Flowers | Donal Ryan
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I‘ve started this one for our IRL Bookclub… I did love his book The Spinning Heart , this story is starting out promising too 🤞🏻
Opening line… ‘ All the light left Paddy Gladney‘s eyes when his daughter disappeared ; all the gladness went from his heart. ‘ 💔

LeahBergen What a sad line! 2y
Cathythoughts @LeahBergen It is. I‘m halfway now and there have been many twists in the tale. 2y
Tamra 😩 2y
See All 6 Comments
thegreensofa Your jumper! 😍🧶 2y
Cathythoughts @thegreensofa 😃It‘s a cosy one. After books, I adore clothes 🥰 (edited) 2y
Cathythoughts @Tamra I know! It is a book of many changes though , I think you‘d like it. 2y
62 likes6 comments
review
Sophronisba
Strange Flowers | Donal Ryan
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Pickpick

No one could ever deny that Donal Ryan writes beautiful sentences. It‘s such a cliche to talk about lyrical prose in a review, but in fact you could pick up this book and turn to almost any page and find a passage that rises and falls like music. I loved every second I spent on Ryan‘s paragraphs.

https://sophronisba.com/2022/01/25/strange-flowers-style-and-substance/

Suet624 I have to try him again. I bailed on one of his. 3y
Sophronisba @Suet624 From a Low and Quiet Sea is probably is best book but I really enjoyed this one. 3y
Suet624 Thank you. I‘ll check that one out. 3y
6 likes3 comments
quote
Sophronisba
Strange Flowers | Donal Ryan
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All the light left Paddy Gladney's eyes when his daughter disappeared; all the gladness went from his heart. #FirstLineFridays #morningreads

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Sophronisba
Strange Flowers | Donal Ryan
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She wants to shout at him, Wake up, wake up, the world is hard and it rushes on regardless of your heart, and people never take the shape you want them to, people are stubborn about that, about being themselves, even when they're trying to be someone else. No one can hide forever.

#morningreads

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Sophronisba
Strange Flowers | Donal Ryan

Reading Donal Ryan's Strange Flowers, and I am once again struck by how beautifully Ryan writes. He deserves to be better known in the States. #morningreads

review
KarenUK
Strange Flowers | Donal Ryan
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Pickpick

Beautifully written, multigenerational saga set in 70s rural Ireland, centered around a family and the disappearance and return of the daughter. Gorgeous lyrical language, themes of faith, loss, identity and family bonds are dealt with sensitively. Set at a time when prejudice ran deep and differences were judged with suspicion, I fell in love with this family as they dealt with all life threw at them. Not read this author before, but will again.

KarenUK P.S. how different are these two covers!? And Meg & Cindy…. The audio was gorgeous 💕🎧 3y
Megabooks Stacking! And they are both beautiful! 3y
Cinfhen Ohhhhh, running to check my online services/ subscriptions!!!! Thanks for the audio headsup xx 3y
BarbaraBB Wonderful review. It sounds like a great book! 3y
42 likes3 stack adds5 comments
review
Penny_LiteraryHoarders
Strange Flowers | Donal Ryan
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Pickpick

Not too bad. I love his writing but there were a lot of topics/themes inside that just made it okay overall for me.

25 likes1 stack add
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Penny_LiteraryHoarders
Strange Flowers | Donal Ryan
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I've been waiting awhile to read this one! Fingers 🤞 it's another great Donal Ryan. I need a really great book to read right now.

31 likes1 stack add
review
quietlycuriouskate
Strange Flowers | Donal Ryan
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Pickpick

Oh, this is a lovely quiet ache of a book! It's sad, for sure, but it's that sweet sadness that's almost more of a pleasure than a brighter happiness is. It'd be a bit desolate, but for the ample, unstoppable love the characters have for one another (and that their author clearly has for them, too). Beautiful! A new author to me, I will definitely look for his previous books.

squirrelbrain @TrishB loved this one too - definitely stacking! 4y
TrishB Lovely review ❤️ exactly how it made me feel. @squirrelbrain hope you love it when you get to it. 4y
Cathythoughts Lovely review! I‘m looking forward to reading this one. Happy Christmas 🎄😘 4y
39 likes6 stack adds3 comments
review
emmaturi
Strange Flowers | Donal Ryan
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Pickpick

Set in Ireland, in the 1970s, Moll Gladney goes missing, then five years later reappears without really informing her parents what happened or why she left in the first place. The answer to these questions get answered through the book, so I can't say anything more without spoiling the story. A moving story! #books

30 likes2 stack adds
review
TrishB
Strange Flowers | Donal Ryan
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Pickpick

A quiet, sad, beautifully written novel. Full of secrets that impact on many lives, but the drama is very gently dealt with and just leaves you with a sad little ache. You feel for all the characters.
Won‘t be everyone‘s cup of tea but I loved it ❤️

erzascarletbookgasm Lovely review 👍 4y
TrishB @erzascarletbookgasm thank you 😘 4y
Kalalalatja I read his booker nominated book last year, and felt ok about it, but this sounds wonderful 👌 4y
See All 7 Comments
TrishB @Kalalalatja I didn‘t get to that one, so no expectations with this one 😁 which is always good. 4y
BarbaraBB Great review. The bood sounds great 4y
CarolynM Great review. Stacked 4y
TrishB @BarbaraBB @CarolynM thank you 😘 4y
79 likes1 stack add7 comments
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TrishB
Strange Flowers | Donal Ryan
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#currentread
Started this one this morning. Writing is gorgeous and no serial killers as yet.. I have finished work until 5 January, I have turned the phone off. It will no doubt take a couple of days to disconnect!

MsMelissa Enjoy your time off! 4y
squirrelbrain Aaand.... relax! 😘 4y
Oryx I'm off until the 4th and it feels amazing! Enjoy 4y
See All 23 Comments
Reggie Alright!! Hopefully you get some much deserved rest! 4y
TrishB @Book_Fiend_Melissa thank you 😘 4y
TrishB @squirrelbrain going to absolutely try my best! 4y
TrishB @Oryx it‘s great isn‘t it 😁 uni closes today too so won‘t be any emails piling up! 4y
TrishB @Reggie thank you 😘 4y
Crazeedi Great cover! 4y
BarbaraBB Thanks for your Christmas card Trish and the wonderful bookmark! Very much appreciated 😘😘 4y
JennyM Huzzah! Enjoy that well earned break, Trish x 4y
Kalalalatja Enjoy your vacation! And great cover 👌 4y
TrishB @Crazeedi it definitely is 😁 4y
TrishB @BarbaraBB you‘re welcome 😘 4y
TrishB @JennyM thank you 😘 4y
TrishB @Kalalalatja thank you 😘 4y
Caroline2 I hope you have some lovely, chilled days Trish. 😘 4y
MicheleinPhilly ENJOY! I started vacation yesterday and have until the 4th. The relief was like a very heavy weight being lifted. 4y
TrishB @Caroline2 I‘m hoping so. Hope tonight‘s news has helped you!! Stay safe ♥️♥️ (edited) 4y
TrishB @MicheleinPhilly my everlasting headache has lifted! ❤️❤️ 4y
MicheleinPhilly Exactly. And I just ate an entire bag of microwave popcorn because I‘m an adult and I‘m on vacation and I can do whatever I want. 4y
TrishB @MicheleinPhilly ours was a tub of ice cream 😁 it‘s cocktails next, I‘m worried about peaking early 🥂🥂 4y
MicheleinPhilly 😂😂😂 4y
82 likes23 comments
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TrishB
Strange Flowers | Donal Ryan
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Ain‘t that the truth.
The writing in this book is beautiful. I‘ve reread many paragraphs.

Cathythoughts Oh great👏🏻 I got this one on the kindle deal too ❤️ (edited) 4y
TrishB @Cathythoughts nothing much has happened as yet but the writing draws you right in. ♥️ 4y
Cathythoughts I like the sound of it already 👍🏻❤️ 4y
Kajohnson Beautiful quote! 4y
TrishB @Kajohnson it definitely is 👍🏻 4y
75 likes5 comments
blurb
TheEllieMo
Strange Flowers | Donal Ryan
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“Skin was only there to make a body waterproof, and the colour of it mattered not.”

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TheEllieMo
Strange Flowers | Donal Ryan
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My #DecemberTBR consists of this pile of physical books, plus the two Kerry Greenwood ones which are both on Audio, and the Dickens and Debbie Macomber which are on Kindle. I‘ve been averaging around 14 books a month so this is doable.... The tagged book I only have a 64-page sample of, the full book is not out until August next year, though ARCs will no doubt be circulating sooner.

#HollyJollyReading
@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @OriginalCyn620

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks 🙌🏻📚🎉 5y
OriginalCyn620 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 5y
41 likes2 comments