Read an extract from our Book of the Month, When All Is Said by Anne Griffin

Read an extract from our Book of the Month, Anne Griffin’s poignant and heartwarming debut When All Is Said.

Five toasts. Five people. One lifetime.

‘I’m here to remember – all that I have been and all that I will never be again.’

At the bar of a grand hotel in a small Irish town sits 84-year-old Maurice Hannigan. He’s alone, as usual – though tonight is anything but. Pull up a stool and charge your glass, because Maurice is finally ready to tell his story.

Over the course of this evening, he will raise five toasts to the five people who have meant the most to him. Through these stories – of unspoken joy and regret, a secret tragedy kept hidden, a fierce love that never found its voice – the life of one man will be powerfully and poignantly laid bare.

Heart-breaking and heart-warming all at once, the voice of Maurice Hannigan will stay with you long after all is said.

Read an exclusive extract from this emotional and masterfully written debut.

And find out what our lovely reviewer panel, Friends of Bookends, had to say about the extraordinary tale of Maurice Hannigan.

When All Is Said is available to buy now: