The All of It is one of those books that I added to my wishlist earlier in the year, after first discovering it either through this book or this one. I came across a copy at one of the library book sales I attended this year, and finally got around to reading it. At 160 pages, this is a quick read, but one that obliges the reader to slow down and enjoy the elegant prose.

It’s a deceptively simple book; there are no real surprises to be found, but that doesn’t detract from its beauty. The story takes place on the western coast of Ireland, in the village of Roonatellin. Father Declan sits with one of his parishioners, Kevin, who is on his deathbed and wants to share a secret with the priest. But he only reveals part of the secret before dying. It’s left to Enda, the woman Kevin has lived with, to tell ‘the all of it.’

The book’s power lies in illuminating the ordinary and extraordinary in everyone’s lives, from the abuse suffered at the hands of a father to the loneliness of a parish priest. A wonderful book to be savored and reread.