When All is Said

Five toasts. Five people. One lifetime.

'This is how you tell a story' Cecelia Ahern

'An extraordinary novel, a poetic writer, and a story that moved me to tears.' John Boyne

'I'm here to remember - all that I have been and all that I will never be again.'

At the bar of a grand hotel in a small Irish town sits 84-year-old Maurice Hannigan. He's alone, as usual -though tonight is anything but. Pull up a stool and charge your glass, because Maurice is finally ready to tell his story.

Over the course of this evening, he will raise five toasts to the five people who have meant the most to him. Through these stories - of unspoken joy and regret, a secret tragedy kept hidden, a fierce love that never found its voice - the life of one man will be powerfully and poignantly laid bare.

Heart-breaking and heart-warming all at once, the voice of Maurice Hannigan will stay with you long after all is said.

'A hugely enjoyable, engrossing novel, a genuine page-turner.' Donal Ryan

'Beautifully written, unhurried and thoughtful, and a character you love from the off' Kit de Waal

'Masterful storytelling' Graham Norton

“There is something special here . . . The next big name to emerge from the Irish writing scene.”

An extraordinary novel, a poetic writer, and a story that moved me to tears.

This is how you tell a story

Beautifully written, unhurried and thoughtful, and a character you love from the off.

A hugely enjoyable, engrossing novel, a genuine page-turner.

Masterful storytelling

In the twilight of his long and eventful life, Irishman Maurice Hannigan still possesses the deep and mellow voice that his grandmother once told him 'could melt icebergs-a voice that debut author Anne Griffin renders with wit, verve, and endearing irascibility. When All Is Said captures the texture of a night catching up with an old friend--the pleasures and comforts, the stories and surprises-one that you never want to end, and all the more bittersweet because you know, of course, that it must.

Maurice Hannigan is one of those rare and unforgettable characters whose lives we enter, inhabit for a time all too brief, and emerge from deeply changed. Anne Griffin is a writer with a bright, bright future.

Anne Griffin's first novel When All is Said was a Number One bestseller in Ireland in 2019 and chosen as the Sunday Independent Newcomer of the Year in the An Post Irish Book Awards. It was also shortlisted for the John McGahern Annual Book and the RSL Christopher Bland prizes. Her second novel Listening Still was also a bestseller in Ireland. Her work has been published in 23 territories. The Island of Longing is her third novel. She lives in Co. Westmeath, Ireland.

Five toasts. Five people. One lifetime. 'This is how you tell a story' Cecelia Ahern'An extraordinary novel, a poetic writer, and a story that moved me to tears.' John Boyne 'I'm here to remember - all that I have been and all that I will never be again.' At the bar of a grand hotel in a small Irish town sits 84-year-old Maurice Hannigan. He's alone, as usual -though tonight is anything but. Pull up a stool and charge your glass, because Maurice is finally ready to tell his story.Over the course of this evening, he will raise five toasts to the five people who have meant the most to him. Through these stories - of unspoken joy and regret, a secret tragedy kept hidden, a fierce love that never found its voice - the life of one man will be powerfully and poignantly laid bare. Heart-breaking and heart-warming all at once, the voice of Maurice Hannigan will stay with you long after all is said. 'A hugely enjoyable, engrossing novel, a genuine page-turner.' Donal Ryan 'Beautifully written, unhurried and thoughtful, and a character you love from the off' Kit de Waal 'Masterful storytelling' Graham Norton

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