Sin and salvation are the two themes of Keith Ridgway's wonderful first novel, The Long Falling. But as in life and great art, the definitions of these terms are neither simple nor clear. Grace Quinn is an abused wife whose husband's drinking has led to a car accident and the death of a young woman. As a result, they are shunned in their small rural Irish village. After her spouse's death in what most likely was a retaliatory hit-and-run accident, Grace moves to Dublin to be with Martin, her gay son who left home and his abusive father years before. In this new setting, Grace and Martin begin to form a new relationship--until secrets from the past threaten to destroy their lives. Ridgway knows how to tell a story, but the strength of the novel is in its insightful and compelling emotional details. Succinct, poetic, and emotionally shattering, The Long Falling is not simply a fine debut, but the beginning of an illustrious career.
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