Rating
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

“Please remember, sometimes we have to endure the difficult parts to get to the good place again, and happy endings don’t always look like we expect them to, if there even is such a thing.”

Murtagh and Maeve Moone live on an island off the west coast of Ireland, where they have raised their four children. When tragedy strikes, life for the Moone family will never be the same again…

The Truth Must Dazzle Gradually is a novel that explores themes of love, loss, grief, identity, isolation and motherhood. It examines mental health, which is portrayed in a sensitive way, and highlights the effects of anxiety and depression. The novel shows how death affects everyone in different ways and also demonstrates how our lives affect others and can make an impact. The story examines the complexities of family dynamics and looks at the roles that family members take on and just how different siblings are from each other. The novel is a story of second chances and although it is a haunting and heartbreaking tale, it ultimately offers hope and happiness.

The Truth Must Dazzle Gradually was one of my top ten books of 2020. It feels almost impossble to eloquently describe how much I loved this book, which leaves me emotional any time I think about it. It is such a beautiful story and the Irish setting meant I immediately felt connected to the story. I loved the way the narrative weaved between the past and the present, incorporating historic events such as Italia ‘90 and the 2015 same sex marriage referendum. The island setting was so vividly captured and the sense of community was an important element of the story. The use of the Irish language within the novel was lovely to read and really made me think of home. It is a brilliant book that deals with heavy subject matter, yet is handled delicately, while exploring the complexities of the human condition.

Have you read The Truth Must Dazzle Gradually?