An Irish narrator will always encourage me to get the audiobook, as I read most genres.
This is a realy bleak book, and readers will not exactly enjoy it to begin with. It's definitely slow paced, but does pick up towards the end, and I feel it could benefit from being shortened.
The narrator is the selling point for me, she carries it very well and her talent kept me listening.

My first Trish Delaney book and I can absolutely see what all the fuss is about.
Two women live alone in an isolated bungalow in rural Ireland belonging to a relation. He doesn’t want them to be there, constantly threatens and grumbles..Lindy and her Auntie Bell follow a routine which involves tv, a Saturday trip into town and regular visits from a group of women..Lindy has episodes. She knows that her Auntie has given up a lot for her..The story casts back to the events that have led to this point - a devastating and brutal upbringing, a baby, abandonment. Will Lindy ever be free of this past?

The audiobook narrator was fabulous and really created Lindy’s voice. I can still hear some of Lindy’s expressions ringing in my ears. It did take me a little time to settle into the voice and the accent at first so I read along with the book for the first couple of chapters and then I let the narrator take over. 

This was a wonderful story, a devastating and emotional story but one with great humour. The writing is beautiful and the author does an incredible job of breathing life into her characters. I can’t wait to read more of her writing.

With many thanks to Netgalley and Bolinda Audio for my copy of this wonderful audiobook

I enjoyed the story although was quite dark and depressing. I found parts very drawn out and felt it could have been made shorter overall. The narration was good and the characters relatable.

Lindy Morris leads a simple life, living in an old cottage in an Irish village. She shares the space with Auntie Bell, who raised her after her mother died. Their lives are controlled by despotic Granda Morris, the head of the family, who owns the house and despise all women. One day, Lindy decides to find out more about her mother while reminiscing about her brief time in London...

The Saint of Lost Things is not an easy lecture. It is a chronicle of a dysfunctional family which is hiding many secrets. Although often bleak and unpleasant, the story is told with a surprising sense of humour. The novel portrays a traditional rural community with its prejudices and the fear of change. The characters are hard to like but vivid and realistic. The Saint of Lost Things presents stories of women attempting to break the abuse cycle and build their own lives.

The Saint of Lost Things is a heartbreaking story set in Donegal. Lindy is a woman in her 50’s who struggles with mental health problems and lives with her Auntie Bell. Her mum died when she was a child and both her and Bell live under the threat of Granda Morris temper. When Lindy discovers things about her family’s past, many secrets are revealed and her life is transformed.
This novel is full of humour while tackling some of the most difficult subjects. The characters are amazing and really come to life through the brilliant narration. I will be seeking out more novels by Tish Delaney.

Small town life in northern ireland is the main setting for this story of a longed for new life. Lindy lost her mother young and didn't have the nurture to instil confidence and independence as a modern young woman.Escaping to London for a few years is exciting and full of surprises but also longing for family, homesick Lindy ends up back home again. Her aunt is her companion and the two bounce off each other, i really enjoyed the interaction of these two characters and how they know each other so well. A complicated family life, lost son and learning about her real parents Lindy can finally put the pieces of her life together. A wonderful account of a family torn by heart & church, old traditions and complex relationships. Moving and quite entertaining. Thank you #NetGalley for the audiobook to review.

The Saint of Lost Things is the story of Lindy Morris. Lindy is stuck in life, banished to a lonely bungalow in rural Ireland by her Granda Morris, with only her cantankerous and resentful Auntie Bell for company. Desperate to find meaning in her life she starts to delve into the secrets of her family’s past and in doing so reflects and start to reconcile the demons from her painful past. 

Told from a dual timeline perspective of Lindy’s current time in Ireland and her past as a young girl in London what develops is an incredibly emotional story about family expectations and secrets. Touching on mental health, domestic abuse, the Northern Irish troubles, the treatment of unwed pregnant women and postpartum depression this is one that had me invested from the very beginning.

I have to say this is the first fiction audiobook where I believe listening to the story may have enhanced my enjoyment of the book. The delivery by Bronagh Waugh with her beautiful Northern Irish accent gave such life to Delaney’s words and brought real authenticity to Lindy as a character.

There are parts of this book will make you incredibly sad and at times angry but despite it all Lindy is a character who inspires hope, I couldn’t help but root for her to find her answers and keep fighting against all the odds. I simply adored her.

Irish writers seem to have a unique way of writing bleak yet hopeful stories and if you are a fan of Keegan or Boyne add Delaney to your reading list and you can thank me later. Definitely an author I will be reading more of in the future.

Thank you @bolindaaudio and @netgalley for the privilege of sharing Lindy’s story ❤️

What a beautiful, beautiful book. I expected nothing less of Delaney. I ADORED Before My Actual Heart Breaks and loved this story just as much.

This is an emotional unwinding of a family history centred around our main character Lindy. Lindy lives with Aunt Belle in Donegal and we flip between their present and Lindy’s life 30 years prior. A series of events further unravel the tumultuous family dynamic and Lindy’s life takes an unexpected turn. I found it a great twist at the end and rooted for Lindy and Aunt Belle all the way until the last page!

All of the characters are well developed and the setting of both rural Ireland and city of London fully transported me. The plot is well paced and engaging. I could not find a fault with this book, truly excellent!

I’m glad I opted for the audiobook version because the narration by Bronagh Waugh is excellent and really brought the story to life.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What a story! I needed a while to get into this one, both because of the story and the narrators accent. But then I was so invested! After I got used to the narrators accent, I loved every second of her voice - she did just a great job and this book for perfectly!

I feel like the story could’ve been shorter which would’ve made it stronger and more powerful. There where parts which felt a little to dragged out and somewhat unnecessary. But besides that, I really enjoyed this story! It was beautifully written, and the second half really touched my heart in so may ways!

I had previously DNFed the physical book, but I had loved the audiobook of Delaney's last novel Before My Actual Heart Breaks and something told me that this would appeal better to me as an audiobook, I was correct.

This is an emotional novel about family, love, choices, racism and Northern Ireland. I don't think it is as strong as Delaney's first novel which was amazing, but this is still a good solid novel about Bell, a character hated by just about everybody in her family because her father was a traveller and her mother died young leaving Bell to their care.

Plot is compelling, relatively simple, but easy to come back to really does get you invested. Characters are well created and very unlikeable.... But this is missing the emotional writing of BMAHB, which is due to Bel being a different character who is more distant to her emotions. I will continue reading Delaney, she is very talented and her writing is faithful to her characters.

Very much recommend this one on audiobook, the narrator is fantastic and brings the book to life.

The Saint of Lost Things by Tish Delaney was read wonderfully by Bronagh Waugh on the audiobook. Not just the accent - she gave the characters in the book their personalities, bringing them off the page and into my ears!

This isn’t a happy family by any means. Lindy’s Catholic-when-it-suits-him grandfather makes it clear that he only tolerates her. He punishes her for every minor infraction because she is “the wrong child”. He punishes her because she’s illegitimate and female, and what’s more, her mother is no longer alive to take her share of the punishment. Lindy is, of course, responsible for her fathers existence - he’s a gypsy, a tinker and a whole host of other unpleasant names that I could have done without learning. In fact, Lindy is responsible for a great many things that she doesn’t know about.

The writing makes this abusive family seem almost acceptable, and at the same time, shows it up for the horror show that it is. Bronagh Waugh’s narration adds more of a wry, dark humour to what would be a relentlessly sombre story otherwise.

I felt sorry for Auntie Bell, also held in low esteem by her own father and given no option but to look after her niece. To be fair, she’s not very nice about it, and is all too keen to tell Lindy that she was forced to look after her and in doing so, Lindy ruined her life.

Lindy’s life isn’t much better. She tries to have her own life away in London, but ends up returning to the farm and her awful grandfather.

Her life changes forever when the parish priest comes to her with news she never thought she’d have. This news changes everything. And what an earth shattering piece of news it is!!

I really enjoyed this, even though it wasn’t the happiest of books. I found myself thinking about it, even when I wasn’t listening. These are all fascinating characters and brought to life so well by the narrator.
Recommended.

The Saint of Lost Things is a poignant and witty novel about family, identity and belonging. The author, Tish Delaney, won the Authors’ Club Best First Novel Award for her previous book, Before My Actual Heart Breaks, and she proves her talent again with this captivating and moving story.

The protagonist, Lindy Morris, is a woman who has lost her way. She left her home in Donegal thirty years ago, after a traumatic incident that involved her mother’s disappearance and her grandfather’s violence. She moved to London, where she had a brief taste of freedom and happiness, but then returned to live with her aunt Bell in a cottage on the edge of her grandfather’s land. Lindy and Bell have a strained relationship, marked by resentment and secrets. They both feel trapped by their past and their circumstances.

But when a series of events forces them to confront the truth about their family history, Lindy and Bell have a chance to rediscover who they are and what they want from life. They also meet some unexpected allies along the way, such as a charming priest, a friendly neighbour and a mysterious saint of lost things.

The Saint of Lost Things is a beautifully written and emotionally resonant novel that explores the themes of loss, love and redemption. The characters are complex and sympathetic, each with their own flaws and strengths. The setting is vividly portrayed, capturing the contrast between the rural Irish landscape and the bustling London cityscape. The plot is engaging and surprising, with twists and turns that keep the reader hooked.

The Saint of Lost Things is a highly recommended read for fans of literary fiction and contemporary drama. It is a powerful and uplifting novel that will make you laugh, cry and cheer for its unforgettable heroine.

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced review copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily and all opinions are my own.*

“No one can help you grieve, it’s a traditionally lonesome activity.”

I loved a lot about this book; the writing was beautiful, the setting was eerie and unnerving which worked so against the mysterious storyline, the characters were complex and fascinating, and the pace struck a perfect balance between slow burn and page turner

This was a book I couldn’t stop listening to. It was narrated flawlessly between two duel timelines, yet I never felt lost or confused. It was a devastating tale of loss, redemption, hope and family abuse. I love the portrayal of women’s resilience in the face of misogyny and restrictive, antiquated societal norms.

The Northern Ireland setting was harsh and immersive. I loved the parallels between the harsh weather and the relationships between the characters, which are cold and unloving.

This story will captivate your heart and break it all at once.

#TheSaintofLostThings #NetGalley

This is one of the saddest novels I have ever read, with one of the most uplifting endings.

It’s all too easy to think that the sort of lifestyle described - in which one man can have total power over his female relatives - disappeared with the 19th century, but, of course, that’s not true.

In The Saint of Lost Things we meet Lindy, an illegitimate child in small town Northern Ireland in the 70s and 80s, who adores her mother, despises her Aunt, and loathes her Granda Morris.

She flees her unhappy home life for the big lights of London as soon as she can, and enjoys work as a nursing assistant. Her freedom is short-lived as her mental health falls apart after she is impregnated by a Catholic priest, worn down by the “care” in a home for unmarried mothers, and persuaded to give her son up for adoption.

She feels she has no option but to return home, and Granda Morris builds a horrible bungalow in which he all but imprisons her with her Aunt Belinda, whom she still despises.

It takes her till she’s 52 years old to find hope blossoming through her low self-esteem. A good female friend, a genuinely good Catholic priest, and a new perspective on her Aunt bring improve Lindy’s sense of opportunity, and we see her set out to find both her son and her father.

I hope it’s a helpful spoiler to say that 52 years old is not too late for Lindy. I’m saying that because I would have appreciated knowing that when I was about half way through this beautifully-crafted novel. My heart ached with longing for her and her Aunt to find some joy in their lives.

A difficult read because, deep down, we know there are downtrodden people like Lindy in the world, but a hopeful read because she finds her way in the end.

Would definitely recommend this book. It’s a five-star read. Just make sure you are braced for the impact.

Three Word Review: Hope springs eternal.

Tish Delaney expertly delivers dysfunctional Irish family drama in this book. I can absolutely understand a lot of the nuances of this book being lost on the audience who have never visited Northern Ireland let alone don’t live here.
I was born and raised an hour away from where the book is set and this was a love letter to small town Irish life as a single woman. I found myself instantly drawn into Lindys tale, I absolutely adored Delaneys writing style and the pacing of this book felt perfect.
Some books are written for the natives and this is one of them, unfortunately I believe because of that, wider audiences outside Ireland won’t appreciate this quiet book as much as I did.

This is such an easy one to write a review for.
So easy to listen to and the extra attention to details with adapting the 'native tongue' is a real perk. Lovely story- fabulous logs from the character and a flow that felt really immersive.
I felt like I was there. It felt beautiful.

The Saint of Lost Things is about Lindy Morris, an outcast living on the Tyrone/Donegal border with her difficult and demanding aunt. She is very much used to her life on the outskirts of society, cut off from her bullying grandfather and just left to live out her days in a small cottage, until she begins to uncover some family secrets, and start to reveal a few of her own. Lindy is middle aged and definitely a little odd, but the more I read more I was totally on her side. I was reminded from the beginning of We Have Always Lived in the Castle or Grey Gardens, but it definitely veered more towards the sad than the creepy as I originally supposed! It's also wickedly funny, often coming from dark humour, which is a welcome reprieve from some really haunting elements, one of the most striking is the mysogyny at the time when Lindy was growing up, but even to present day, in Ireland, England and the Catholic Church.

I listened to the audiobook and read the physical book together which was such a cool experience, as the audiobook narrator brings out really cool elements I wouldn't have noticed while reading, but going back to the physical copy really helped me appreciate everything Trish Delaney does here in creating quite a complex, but no less enjoyable story. Particularly, the accent of the narrator being so accurate for the location meant I felt grounded in the story and the character right away, and the humour in her voice at some points changed the way I read the character, and it made me realise she was more self aware than I think people around his realise and dismiss her as.

This was a sad story and a bit confusing, there were some things that went unexplained or that I missed altogether. It felt more a story from the late 50's or early 60's than a story from London in the 80s.

It took me a while to get into this book because it's quite a depressing backstory. It does get quite dark. Set in Ireland, around the troubles and over different timelines. It's not all doom and gloom. There are a few lighter moments scattered within.

I enjoyed the narrator she kept the story alive. There is a pivotal moment in the book which explains quite a lot and from that moment I really started to enjoy this book.

3.5 stars

'The Saint of Lost Things' is told in the first person by Lindy, a fifty year old woman living in rural Northern Ireland with her aunt, under the tyrannical thumb of her violent, misogynistic grandfather. Lindy has been made to feel unwelcome all her life, due to being born out of wedlock and to a traveller father, both considered unforgivable sins to the rest of her family. Her life is dull and restrictive, punctuated by occasional mental health crises that lead to her being institutionalised. Until one day she finds a 'box of tricks' containing documents that shed light on some of her past and she gets an opportunity to finally change her circumstances - but should she be careful what she wishes for?

As you can tell from the plot summary above, it's not a particularly cheerful book, although there is a mischievous subversive humour throughout that gives some unexpected laughs. Despite all her traumas, Lindy is not as downtrodden as she appears and she retains a spark of wicked fun that allows her to draw a bit of pleasure from her humdrum existence. The writing is good, conveying that humour despite a very bleak setting and subject matter.

I found it a bit too gloom laden for my tastes even with that edge of humour, but that doesn't take away from the quality of the prose and I'd certainly read another book by Delaney as she's a skilled writer. I'd like to think the descriptions were extreme and no one is really as prejudiced and unreasonable as the villainous grandfather, but I know they probably are.

There are themes of suicide, self-harm, cot-death and adoption, for readers who prefer to avoid those topics.

It worked well as an audiobook and I was able to follow the story well. The narrator has a musical Northern Irish accent which is pleasant to listen to and the reading is well paced and it's possible to distinguish between the voices.