EXCERPT: Auntie's job was to keep me under surveillance. I was not to break free again, once was enough. I was too much like my mother, who abandoned the mothering ship early; too much like my father, who we don't talk about. He's a traveller, not of the world, just the roads of Ireland, a king of the long acre. I've never heard his name, though he has plenty of labels. He's a gypsy, a tinker, a knacker, a pikey, and plenty worse besides. I heard all of them from Granda, so I was well-prepared for what I was to hear at school. It bounced off me, the abuse of amateurs. Granda doesn't have any truck with men who don't own land, who don't work it but who want to borrow it from time to time without paying their proper dues. It's not decent to use land when it's not going to be handed on.

One of the things that will make his fists form fast is the reality that I am his rightful heir. Indeed, I am his only heir, but I'm so tainted that he's had to make alternative arrangements. He's against anything of mixed blood - mongrels, Catholic and Protestant unions of any kind, Romany filth coming anywhere near a girl who was raised to be good. That I'm a bastard born under his roof is more than he can stomach. That he kept me and my mother is the single thing I have never been able to understand. His threat to put me and her out to the open road where we belonged was part of our daily bread.

ABOUT 'THE SAINT OF LOST THINGS': There was a time when Lindy Morris escaped to London and walked along the Thames in the moonlight. When life was full and exciting.

Decades later, Lindy lives back with her Auntie Bell on the edge: on the edge of Donegal and on the edge of Granda Morris's land. Granda Morris is a complicated man, a farmer who wanted sons but got two daughters: Auntie Bell and Lindy's mother, who disappeared long ago.

Now, Lindy and Bell live the smallest of lives, in a cottage filled with unfulfilled dreams. But when the secrets they have kept for thirty years emerge, everything is rewritten. Will Lindy grasp who she is again?

MY THOUGHTS: Raw and brutal, but with a beauty all its own.

These characters got inside my head. Lindy with her freaky-deaky smile - I just cracked up at her description of her antics in the supermarket - and a wicked sense of humour, one that I admired; and Bell, full of rage and resentment, are confined together in a cold and desolate house on the edge of a bog. Their detente is not at all cordial. They take what pleasure they can in rubbing one another up the wrong way. The one thing that they are united on is their fear of Granda. Quick with his fists and sharp with his tongue he never lets them forget.

Lindy is the 'wrong child' - in more ways than one. Granda punishes her for being alive, he punishes her for her dead mother's sins, he punishes her because he can. Lindy uses her times of incarceration in 'the Clinic' to spread a little fear of her own.

But Lindy has a secret, one she has managed to keep from Bell and Granda, and the 'wimmen' who come to visit each week. Mrs. Martha Kennedy who is kind; Mrs. Kitty Barr, a 'bitchy bitch'; and Mrs. Deirdre McCrossan who likes nothing better than to rake muck on people's lives and spread it about. The sole light shining in Lindy's miserable life is her friend Miriam, a happy, settled woman, with grandchildren who will occasionally distract Bell so that Lindy can get up to a little mischief.

She is resigned to her life until the Parish Priest, who enjoys a good chinwag with Lindy, makes a discovery . . . and nothing will ever be the same again.

The characterisation is superb, but if you're looking for a joyous read, this isn't it. It is beautiful, sad and bleak; tales of hopes dashed and crushed, but with perhaps a little redemption in the end.

⭐⭐⭐⭐.5

#TheSaintofLostThings #NetGalley

I: #tishdelaney @randomhouseuk

T: @TishDelaney2 @HutchinsonBooks

#contemporaryfiction #familydrama #familysaga #historicalfiction #irishfiction #mentalhealth #sliceoflife #smalltownfiction

THE AUTHOR: Tish Delaney was born and brought up in Northern Ireland at the height of the Troubles. Like a lot of people of her generation, she left the sectarian violence behind by moving to England. After graduating from Manchester University, she moved to London and worked on various magazines and broadsheets as a reporter, reviewer and sub-editor. She left the Financial Times in 2014 to live in the Channel Islands to pursue her career as a writer.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Random House UK, Cornerstone, Hutchinson Heinemann via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Saint of Lost Things by Tish Delaney for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage.

I got lost reading this book and not in a good way. I feel the writing of this to be boring and bleak. This book actually made me feel slightly depressed.

The Saint Of Lost Things by Tish ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Before My Actual Heart Breaks is still a front runner for my book of the year and so when I saw that she had a new one out I knew I had to get my hands on a copy!

We meet 50 something Lindy and her ‘freaky deaky’ smile, stuck in a falling down house with her resentful aunt Bel.

The book moves between the present time in Ireland where her only source of entertainment is the weekly visits from ‘The Wimmin’ and her chats with the local priest, and Lindy’s time in London which slowly reveals to us how she came to be in her current situation.

I just love the writers style and when the characters are talking you hear their voices so clearly in your head. It is a difficult read at times as it is a book about loss and grief but Lindy’s humour prevents it from becoming too dark.

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Lindy used to have a life but now she is trapped in Donegal with her Auntie Bell. Life is limited and they don't have much to look forward to. As secrets of the past emerge, they begin to question their past. Can they change their future? A dark tale with some humour to lighten it.

If, like me, you were hopelessly seduced by the character of Mary Rattigan in Before My Actual Heart Breaks; and if, like me, you believed there could never be another like her, then you have another think coming. For Tish Delaney has done it again.

Meet Lindy Morris, who at the age of 52 has had the life sucked out of her. By loss, guilt and regret, by the flaunted martyrdom of her Auntie Bell, and by the brutal hand of Granda Morris, a misogynistic, sectarian bigot, on whom the two women are utterly dependent.

Lindy and Bell’s home is Carnsore, a decrepit bungalow on the farthest edge of Big Man Morris’ land, where they pass their days in banishment, tolerating each other as best they can. Lindy has long accepted this as punishment for being her mother’s daughter. Bell simmers with resentment at 30 years of shouldering her sister’s shame. But both their lives are about to change in ways they never believed possible.

From the opening chapters of this utterly compelling story, I was putty in Delaney’s hands. Her prose is lyrical and evocative, her mastery of first-person narrative a wonder to behold. Lindy’s voice — her bubbling stream of consciousness — is rich in mood and timbre; at times strident and self-flagellating, at others wistful and heavy with regret and longing.

But it is Lindy’s caustic wit that, for me, brought her character fully to life. The snarky asides about the “wimmin” who come for tea with Bell on Saturday mornings. Her disparaging thoughts on Granda Morris. And the “freaky deaky” smile she rolls out as a defence mechanism when the need arises. I loved that despite the suffering she had endured, Lindy still had the spunk to make me smile.

There are parts of this story that are devastatingly sad. There are parts, including the impact of the Catholic Church on Lindy and Bell’s tragic circumstances, that trigger anger and disbelief. But the ending! Oh, that ending! It swells the heart. It chokes the throat. It is pure, unadulterated joy.

Thank you, Tish Delaney, for another triumph of a novel, and for Lindy, a character of stunning luminosity, who, like Mary Rattigan, I shall never forget.

Thank you to Netgalley & Randomhouse UK for the ARC.

The Saint of Lost Things is a story of grief, resilience, abandonment and hope.

We follow Lindy Morris a woman now in her fifties who lives a small life in a remote cottage in rural Northern Ireland. With only her begrudging Aunt for company Lindy grapples with her past choices, her difficult upbringing and the grief of her mothers death.

Delaney does an excellent job of setting the scene, as someone who lives 20mins away from where this book is set, Delaney has the scenery and people down to a T. At times I wondered did the author unspool some of my own childhood memories when writing this book. The characters feel like people I know, the scenery, the language, the descriptions of the homes.

At times darkly funny, this is an emotional story about coping with loss. Definitely one for lovers of the "unhinged woman" trope.

This is not a light read by any stretch, Lindy is a character who suffers severely with mental health issues. Please check trigger warnings!

I complained that Delaney’s debut, Before My Actual Heart Breaks, had no humour in it (despite Derry Girls comparisons) and so her second novel feels like a direct response to that because it’s on just the right side of both tragic and of funny. The Saint of Lost Things flicks between present day Northern Ireland and 1980s London to follow Lindy in the promise of her youth as well as the stasis of her middle age. It’s a book about family, communication, secrets, and the harm patriarchal views can bring. I loved it.

I read and loved Delaney’s Before My Actual Heart Breaks last year. When I got approved for this, it was safe to say I was buzzing.
There was a time when Lindy Morris escaped to London and walked along the Thames in the moonlight. When life was full and exciting. Decades later, Lindy lives back with her Auntie Bell on the edge: on the edge of Donegal and on the edge of Granda Morris's land. Granda Morris is a complicated man, a farmer who wanted sons but got two daughters: Auntie Bell and Lindy's mother, who disappeared long ago. Now, Lindy and Bell live the smallest of lives, in a cottage filled with unfulfilled dreams. But when the secrets they have kept for thirty years emerge, everything is rewritten.
This was just brilliant. Delaney is just a phenomenal writer. She writes with such emotion; everything is brought to life with her writing. From the Irish rural landscape, to the river River Thames, to Lindy’s grief - everything is seen and felt. I loved the way the book was structured, going back and forth between Lindy’s life in London and to the present day - allowing us to get a true understanding of her character. I spent the entire book wanting the best for her. I can’t remember a time where I truly hated a character as much as I hated Granda Morris. He made my skin crawl and made me so angry as I was reading, which is a sign of great writing.
It’s so heartbreaking, demonstrating how difficult life was for unmarried mothers in rural, Catholic Ireland. Delaney also delves into topics of anti-traveller sentiment and mental health. Yet despite the bleak themes, Delaney sprinkles tones of sarcasm and wit that make you laugh out loud. Her writing is truly razor sharp.
Overall, an utterly brilliant read that had me gripped from start to finish. Delaney is such an incredible writer. If you love sad fiction and Irish writers, this is one for you to look out for.

This Book is set in farm In Ireland , I did struggle at times with reading this book and how bleak it is but I wish the author all the best with this book and thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc of this book

One of those books you might take time to warm up to, but once you do, there’s no looking back!

I rarely pick literary fiction, but having read stellar reviews of Before My Actual Heart Breaks by this author, I was excited about her new one!

Thanks Netgalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone for the ARC in exchange of an honest review!

Synopsis –

Lindy Morris, now in her 50s, lives with her Auntie Bell in Carnsore, Ireland, on the land that belongs to her headstrong and misogynist grandfather Gabriel Morris. Although Lindy had an exciting life in London during her teen years, she presently leads a life of dissatisfaction with everything she has lost. Soon, her secrets seem to catch up with her, changing the definition of what she thought her life would be.

Review –

The timeline seamlessly shifts between Lindy’s time in London decades ago and her present life in Ireland. I did take my time to get settled with the first person narrative of Lindy. But about halfway through, I simply adored her for what she was.

The author has a wonderful way of drawing her characters with in-depth insights. I thoroughly enjoyed Lindy’s keen observational remarks filled with mild sarcasm, mockery and sharp judgement. Considered worthless and belittled for her existence all her life, I sympathized with her as she battles constant self-doubt, regrets and feelings of low self-worth.

It is in the second half of the book, that I could really come to be invested and understand her. To my mind, she sort of existed in a strange, delicate balance between her sadistic aunt, condescending grandfather, all while holding on to her past and sweet memories of her mother.

The writing is what makes this book such a joy. Delaney works her charm with words in a classic Irish style - imbibing beauty, humour and wit into her language. I loved her use of some of the phrases that perfectly fit into her blissful prose, smartly repeated to deliver the right impact. It is somewhat of an acquired taste that slowly grew on me.

When Lindy’s long buried secrets begin to emerge, she will begin questioning everything she has ever known and embrace the future.

Some of the revelations left me amazed and that clever ending left me spent with a full heart and tears of happiness.

The Saint of Lost Things is a very slow burning family mystery. A well written book that tells an all too familiar story of the treatment of unmarried mothers in rural Ireland in the 60/70's. Lindy struggles with her mental health and as the book progresses we find out why. All of the characters are flawed in some way and some are really quite unlikeable. I must admit to enjoying Tish Delaney's previous novel 'Before My actual Heart Breaks' more but I'm glad I read this one and will look out for more books from her in the future. Thanks to the author, NetGalley and the publisher for an arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Told from the point of view of Lindy, this is an Irish family saga with a difference. Lindy has problems, which are soon apparent in the book, the reasons for these are gradually revealed.
This is a brutally honest book aboit abuse, outdated attitudes about the church, mortal sins and boundaries set by religion and lifestyles. It is not an easy read, but it is an interesting book . I loved Lindy's voice and the small victories she had from irritating others. Sad that some of the nastier parts of the book are all too real
Thank you to Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

I liked the premise but the execution didn't work for me. Nice prose but the pace was slow and the story contrived - the protagonist finds a box that should tell her everything she longs to know but instead of diving in she unpacks it over time, in just the right order to tell the story to the reader?! Other reviewers say it picks up pace later but I didn't feel curious enough to persevere (or even to peek). DNF

Although dealing with in many ways very bleak subject matter, this is a novel that I loved spending time with and that felt psychologically rooted in enough realism for me to overlook some of the more extreme storylines. A beautiful, funny and at times harrowing tale with a central character I absolutely adored. Highly recommended and thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

‘My mother is the reason that Auntie Bell has no one and nothing of her own. All she has is me, ungrateful me, who can’t hand her my life in return for her own life.’

Lindy Morris was born out of wedlock, her mother dies when she’s a young child and she’s dragged up by her Aunt Bell. The pair of them are exiled to a bungalow hidden from sight and left to rot together for thirty three years. But Lindy has a secret of her own, from the time she ran away to London and now that secret has tracked her down.

This is a book that gets better as it goes on. I felt very unsure about Lindy and the family dynamics in the beginning but by the end I’d come to appreciate them properly. This was a book about family, regrets and reunions. The writing was solid and the book was fairly easy to consume once you got used to the characters. Even though she was unlikeable i really liked learning about Auntie Bell and her background, I’d have liked to know more about her. Overall, I’m glad I read this! I think I still prefer her debut novel but Tish Delaney has proven she’s a reliable writer if you like to read about toxic families.

Tish Delaney's writing is so beautiful, you just fall into it! The novel is sometimes hopeful but often heartbreaking, The characters are larger than life and the reader immediately forms a relationship with them which brings us on an emotionally challenging journey, softened by the NI wit.

This book was not a good choice for me unfortunately. I personally found it to be very depressing and bleak. It is also extremely slow. This was a DNF for me, as I feel that life is too short to persevere with reading books which are bringing me no enjoyment whatsoever.. This was one such book.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my advance copy of this book.

Tish Delaney’s writing is truly unbelievable, the way she seamlessly weaves the most witty and razor shard similes into such traumatic and devastating chapters is so heart wrenchingly beautiful. I was sobbing one second and a few lines later uncontrollably laughing. I loved everything about The Saint of Lost Things.

Set between Ireland and London, over different time periods, we follow Lindy, and are introduced to her family who have never made an effort to be a comforting, or caring family for Lindy, her life has been traumatic, both for herself and her aunt Bell. Her Grandfather is just horrendous and a such a mean old man, you’ll despise him from the first introduction. The story continues to unfold with the most vivid characterisation delves into a dark and unsettling family. Told over many decades no detail is spared.

Initially I was a bit unsure but after about the 70 page mark I was in love. The Goodreads reviews for this book are so harsh, it is a depressing book, it’s not uplifting and is extremely sad to see Lindy and her aunt Bell live with such an emotionally abusive family. Feel like the reviews on GR didn’t quite get the book and it’s been down marked for being depressing 😒

This book is great, it’s nothing like Before My Actual Heart Breaks but is so incredibly written you won’t be able to put it down. Also the cover 😍

A heartrending novel, albeit with a happy ending of its own kind. Lindy Morris's life is the perfect example of what is wrong with Ireland's patriarchal traditions. Rejected by her grandfather for being illegitimate and having traveller's blood, Lizzy will spend most of her days in a bungalow the old bastard built himself at the very edge of his land to get rid of her and her aunt, the only remaining women in his life. Now in her fifties, she doesn't see things changing any time soon but, against all odds, they do when secrets from the past resurface. What could have been only a bleak story is rendered beautiful by the compassion, dark humour and fierce spirit delivered through Tish Delaney's pen. And don't be put off by the length of the novel: there are enough twists and turns to keep you going until you can witness at least some of the Morris women finally getting some justice.

A wonderful depiction of narrow, difficult lives in rural Ireland where men rule with fists and the sins of the mother are brought down on the child. It took me a while to get into the life of Lindy and her aunt Bell and the evil Granda but once I did I couldn’t stop reading. Immense misery and cruelty was heaped on Lindy but she found ways to score little victories and she makes us laugh. Her life is told in flashbacks and we so want her to escape. Then halfway through things start to move forward with pace and the most extraordinary events take place, partly orchestrated by the only caring Catholic, Father Bulowaji, a beacon of kindness amidst his congregation. Such a great story with a satisfying ending. Don’t be put off by the bleakness but savour the characters and enjoy a cracking tale.