Only Say the Word

Only Say the Word by Niall Williams. paperback edition. ISBN: 9780330433969.

Both a novel and a letter from a husband to his wife, Only Say the Word is a haunting, intimate testament to the enduring nature of love.Jim Foley loves his parents, his brother, his sister, Dickens and God, although not necessarily in that order. Later, he loves Kate, enough to make her his wife; later still, he loves his children, Jack and Hannah. This is Jims story, from early days spent in County Clare to early adulthood in America, and back to Clare again. Tracing his journey from child, to husband to father, from happy-ever-after to death-do-us-part, from beginnings to endingsand from there to starting afresh once moreit tells of the people and places in Jims life, his hopes, fears and fantasies, his ever-evolving relationships and the books that remain always constant. Deeply-felt, beautifully-told, and written in Niall Williams lyrical, lilting prose, Only Say the Word offers both acceptance of the past and hope for the future.