Hannah Kent has a genuine gift for storytelling. Having read and loved Burial Rites, I didn't expect The Good People to be cheery subject matter, but the magic she has I think comes from how that becomes such incredible fiction.

Her descriptions and characters made me feel like I was as close to 19th century rural Ireland as I am my own backgarden. The way she combines the relationship of the people with the land, the people with their pagen roots, and then how this connects to the rise of the church is woven intricately from beginning to end.