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The Well of Saint Nobody

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The Well of Saint Nobody

By: Neil Jordan
Narrated by: Stephen Rea
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About this listen

William Barrow finds himself in lonely retirement in West Cork. Once an internationally renowned pianist, a terrible skin disease has attacked his hands and made it impossible for him to perform.

Tara is a piano teacher with barely enough pupils to pay the month's rent. In the local café, the elegant writing of a job advertisement catches her eye: 'WANTED. HOUSEKEEPER.'

She begins to work in William's house, keeping to herself the knowledge that they have met three times before, encounters that have changed her life. He is oblivious to this, while she spins tales of the well discovered in his back garden and of a mythical saint, of the healing powers of the water and the moss that surrounds it. But as the moss begins to heal William's troubled hands, the lines between legend and reality begin to blur, secrets resurface, and past and present collide in unexpected ways.

©2023 Neil Jordan (P)2023 Head of Zeus Genre Fiction Magical Realism Fiction Fantasy Piano

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I enjoyed this very much, with just a couple of quibbles. The main one being that I felt sorry for a character I don’t think I was meant to feel sorry for, which hardened me to others. The narration was great - Stephen Rea bringing a kind of plodding irritability that somehow suited the book. Initially I considered speeding it up a notch, but soon settled into his tempo - finding it quite hypnotic. I would easily have given this 5 stars had I not felt once or twice that whatnots had been dropped. But I still recommend. It’s a great premise.

Four, almost five stars.

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A beautiful story, magnificently narrated. A fine study of relationships,
ageing, and understanding of creativity, woven with mystical plot twists. I couldn't stop listening. Captures perfectly the dynamic in a West Cork town. Truely Excellent, Stephen Rea portrays the two main characters with a depth that underpins the duration of the book. Cannot wait for the film version!

Rivetting story!

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book was hard to get into for me for first couple of chapters, but I loved the twists of the story. felt like I was in the book very realistic and true to life.

“I received this book from the Head of Zeus Ltd and Macmillan in exchange for an honest review”

the well of saint nobody

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This was chosen for a book group - what a choice! Such poetic, beautiful writing - enhanced by sublime narration. I loved it.

Adored it!

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