The Walking People

By: Mary Beth Keane

Narrated by: Sile Bermingham

Greta Cahill never believed she would leave her village in the west of Ireland until she found herself on a ship bound for New York, along with her sister Johanna and a boy named Michael Ward. Labeled a "softheaded goose" by her family, Greta discovers that in America she can fall in love, raise her own family, and earn a living. Though she longs to return and show her family what she has made of herself, her decision to spare her children knowledge of a secret in her past forces her to keep her life in New York separate from the life she once loved in Ireland, and tears her apart from the people she is closest to.

Even 50 years later, when the Ireland of her memory bears little resemblance to that of present day, she fears that it is still possible to lose all when she discovers that her children with the best of intentions have conspired to unite the worlds she's so carefully kept separate for decades. A beautifully old-fashioned novel, The Walking People is a debut of remarkable range and power.

©2009 Mary Beth Keane (P)2009 Audible, Inc.

Excellent read and written story!

An unusual topic we don’t hear enough about…brilliantly written and narrated . I enjoyed this program from Audible immensely. Kudos to the author and narrator!

Loved this book!

As a granddaughter of Michael and Annie Brennan and Eddie and Rosie Collins, all who immigrated, I loved every moment of this book!

Gentle,beautiful Irish Stoty

My family visited Ireland in 1974. I found the people in this story beautifully authentic.

Authentic

I’m from Ireland, and immigrated to the U.S. Ms. Keane got it right in this book. Not easily done.

An era of one family trees’ life

A beautifully written story that leaves me feeling as if I just spent 60yrs or so with a family as they’ve gone thru such important changes in their lineage. There was never a point in this story where I felt stuck, or it was dragging, or that I wasn’t interested in diving back in. That is nothing to shake a stick at Mary Beth Keane! That is called being a great writer. Keane surely is one of my favorites when I’m in the mood for a story like hers, like this one, that makes me reflect on years passed, makes me appreciate home life with my wife and children a little bit more, and reminds me that these “good” years don’t and won’t last forever. She sure has a way of capturing time and holding it right in front of your face like an ornament of some kind to see. To revel in all that glitters, shines, and even in the dark areas every life ultimately passes thru…..but most of all we’re left spellbound as we admire the most precious thing we’ll ever have, our lives and the people we have that make up our family. I for one will be calling aunts I haven’t spoken to in years tonight after finishing this one! Lol. Great book. Take the journey…