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The Fall of Light

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About this listen

Francis Foley is a proud, stubborn man, and cannot stand to be beholden to anyone. Quick to anger and slow to forgiveness, it is his temper that, one day, costs his sons their home -- and their mother. This will not be the last of their losses however: as the four boys and their father embark on an odyssey to find untenanted land they can call their own, their already diminished family is divided still further. But if a combination of choice and chance cause the five to separate and scatter, each to their own road, then a series of casual encounters and coincidences offer some hope for reunion and -- in Francis's case -- redemption.

Set in Ireland in the mid-nineteenth century, The Fall of Light traces the footsteps of the five Foley men. With elegant, elegiac prose, Niall Williams guides his characters -- and his readers -- through hazard and hardship, friendship, love and death, through to Europe, America and Africa . . . and home again.

 19th Century Fiction Historical Fiction Modern
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totally mesmerising wonderful narrator transports you across the world and time. I thoroughly recommend it.

magical

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Such a fantastic craftsman of words . Entrancing . Gerry O’Brian narrating added to its magic . Thank you both x

Fabulous

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This boook starts off rooted to one spot but as the characters scatter they spread all over the world. Every location is well described, from the plains of America to the gypsy trails of Europe. I really enjoyed the twists and turns of the plot and the narration was excellent.

The scope of the book

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