Quotes
"Ms. Kent has a knack for conjuring the unsettled spirit world through deft stylistic flourishes...THE GOOD PEOPLE is far from a high-handed condemnation of superstitious belief. It makes the terrors of the past feel palpable and imminent. It makes you reach for whatever good luck charms you carry with you."—Sam Sacks, The Wall Street Journal
"Rural pre-famine Ireland in all its beauty and desolation is alive on
every page of this exquisite novel...'The Good People' is a dramatic tale of
desperation, set in a bleak time and place when no amount of protective ritual
and belief - or goodness - can rescue people from their circumstances."—Katherine Weber, The New York Times Book Review
"Kent's suspenseful storytelling plunges readers into
early 19th-century Ireland. She brings vivid life to the hardscrabble
scenes...Although 'The Good People' is fiction, it faithfully represents the hold
of ancient Celtic myths on generations of Irish."—Minneapolis Star Tribune
"Add Kent to the list of terrific Australian novelists writing today. While Liane Moriarty (Big Little Lies) mines modern marriage and mores for her page-turning mysteries, Kent (Burial Rites) goes back in time to find reality-based stories of women who pay the price for challenging society's expectations. The Good People has great characters, a setting that seeps into your bones and the always compelling tug between the spiritual and the superstitious."—USA Today (starred review)
"If Stevie Wonder is correct, when you believe in
things you don't understand, then you suffer. Kent's novel validates his
indictment of superstition."—Kirkus
"Kent skillfully depicts a world where anything
outside the norm falls under suspicion, particularly women who are not under
the protection of a man."—Library Journal
Faith, folk-knowledge, and fear coalesce in remote 19th-century
Ireland in this second novel from Kent...Though rife with description, backstory,
and a surfeit of gossip, the book's pervasive sense of foreboding and clear
narrative arcs keep the tale immersive. Kent leads the reader on a rocky,
disquieting journey to the misty crossroads of Irish folk beliefs past and
future.—Publisher's Weekly
"Kent brings her talent for writing dark and atmospheric historical fiction to this tale set in rural Ireland in 1825... Kent's immersive setting, benefiting from impressive historical research and the use of Gaelic vocabulary, features both a dramatically alive natural world and a believably fearsome supernatural one. Inspired by true events and exploring those places where reason, religion, and superstition cross paths, this will please lovers of haunting literary fiction. "—Booklist
"Kent has a terrific feel for the language of her setting..This is a serious and compelling novel about those in desperate circumstances cling to ritual as a bulwark against their own powerlessness."—The Guardian
"Taking its inspiration from newspaper reports of a real court case in County Kerry in 1826, THE GOOD PEOPLE is an even better novel than Burial Rites-a starkly realized tale of love, grief and misconceived beliefs."—The Sunday Times UK