This Must Be the Place (Vintage Contemporaries)
An irresistible love story, an unforgettable family. The New York Times bestselling author of The Marriage Portrait and Hamnet captures an extraordinary marriage with insight and laugh-out-loud humor in what Richard Russo calls “her breakout book.”
Daniel Sullivan leads a complicated life. A New Yorker living in the wilds of Ireland, he has children he never sees in California, a father he loathes in Brooklyn, and his wife, Claudette, is a reclusive ex–film star given to pulling a gun on anyone who ventures up their driveway. Together, they have made an idyllic life in the country, but a secret from Daniel’s past threatens to destroy their meticulously constructed and fiercely protected home. Shot through with humor and wisdom, This Must Be the Place is an irresistible love story that crisscrosses continents and time zones as it captures an extraordinary marriage, and an unforgettable family, with wit and deep affection.
Daniel Sullivan leads a complicated life. A New Yorker living in the wilds of Ireland, he has children he never sees in California, a father he loathes in Brooklyn, and his wife, Claudette, is a reclusive ex–film star given to pulling a gun on anyone who ventures up their driveway. Together, they have made an idyllic life in the country, but a secret from Daniel’s past threatens to destroy their meticulously constructed and fiercely protected home. Shot through with humor and wisdom, This Must Be the Place is an irresistible love story that crisscrosses continents and time zones as it captures an extraordinary marriage, and an unforgettable family, with wit and deep affection.
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Community Reviews
HAMNET is one of my all time favorite books and the first I read by Maggie O’Farrell. So, I was hopeful that this book set in contemporary times would be just as soulful. While I loved the idea of THIS MUST BE THE PLACE and the characters in this book, I found it all a bit much and a bit of a slog. Too many words. Too many characters outside the main thrust. Too many descriptions of things that didn’t really drive the plot or deepen my knowledge of the characters. I actually put it down for nearly two months thinking I’d never finish it. But, I did. And I can say that Claudette may be one of my favorite characters of all time and I do love the relationship between her and Daniel. Is it worth the slog? Perhaps. But - read HAMNET first.
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