This Is Happiness

By: Niall Williams

Narrated by: Dermot Crowley

Change is coming to Faha, a small Irish parish unaltered in a 1,000 years.

For one thing, the rain is stopping. Nobody remembers when it started; rain on the western seaboard is a condition of living. But now - just as Father Coffey proclaims the coming of the electricity - the rain clouds are lifting.

Seventeen-year-old Noel Crowe is idling in the unexpected sunshine when Christy makes his first entrance into Faha, bringing secrets he needs to atone for. Though he can't explain it, Noel knows right then: something has changed.

As the people of Faha anticipate the endlessly procrastinated advent of the electricity, and Noel navigates his own coming-of-age and his fallings in and out of love, Christy's past gradually comes to light, casting a new glow on a small world.

Harking back to a simpler time, This Is Happiness is a tender portrait of a community - its idiosyncrasies and traditions, its paradoxes and kindnesses, its failures and triumphs - and a coming-of-age tale like no other.

Luminous and lyrical, yet anchored by roots running deep into the earthy and everyday, it is about the power of stories: their invisible currents that run through all we do, writing and rewriting us, and the transforming light that they throw onto our world.

©2019 Niall Williams (P)2019 W. F. Howes Ltd

I love this book so much.

I ended up reading this book twice on Audible this past year. The story often made me laugh out loud, and also brought tears to my eyes. Really touched my heart. The reader is wonderful. For anyone who is in the latter half of their life, the reflections and wisdom expressed in these pages really hit home. I recommend this book to anyone. The way that Niall Williams describes things is so well crafted that I want to also purchase a written copy. Though the story teller is reflecting on an earlier time in history, his understanding of the human condition is timeless.

Absolutely wonderful❤️❤️❤️

What a beautiful testament to the old days and ways of an Irish village. I had a smile on my face or my hand on my heart throughout the entire book. And, oh my gosh, the narrator, Dermot Crowley is absolutely wonderful! I wish I could hug him I have so fallen in love with this dear man ❤️❤️❤️

Beyond words..spectacular

This is my first review as I am so taken by this book I had to tell the world. What an incredible story. Every word is carefully chosen. The author captures a space and time of pure humanity, love, hope, humor, all of it spoken with passion and authenticity by this wonderful narrator. At moments moving me to tears with the sheer joy of it, at moments making me laugh out loud. I found I had a perpetual smile on my face with every listen. This book is a wonder.

Wonderful!

Many words, each carefully chosen. A great story that was very, very hard to leave.

Really Different

This novel has beautiful writing, is lush and slow. The ending was a bit drawn out, but otherwise I'd say this is a rare find. An unusual and tender book.

Absolutely brilliant!

If you have ever been to Ireland, or would like a peek into the Irish culture, this beautifully written book is a must read!

One of the best things I've ever listened to

Almost unbearably beautiful. The prose are stunning and utterly charming. The narration is flawless (I actually went and looked for books read by this guy). The story, unlike most Irish books, is happy mostly and sometimes wistful.

Superb performance of beautiful writing!

Beautifully written. Often seemed as if i was listening to poetry, rather than prose.
Performance - superb!!

This book! This narration!!

I laughed and cried my way through this book. A thousand quotables and a thousand gasps, I simply can’t begin to describe the charm and brilliance and love that dwells in the village of Faha and in this book. Warm and nostalgic and immediate.

Beautiful story and wonderful performance

I laughed out loud so many times. Picking this for next book club. A rare treat!