The Truth Must Dazzle Gradually
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A beautiful and poignant Irish love story
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Helen Cullen
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Gerry O'Brien (Read by)
Brought to you by Penguin.
AN IMMERSIVE AND HEARTFELT EXPLORATION OF FAMILY AND LOVE
'A beautiful bittersweet story of love, loss and families all set in the most irresistible of locations. Tears were shed!' Graham Norton
'A compassionate portrayal of love, support and grief ... a writer whose skill is matched by an ability to surprise with each new work' John Boyne, Irish Times
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On an island off the west coast of Ireland, the Moone family are shattered by tragedy.
Murtagh Moone is a potter and devoted husband to Maeve, an actor struggling with her most challenging role yet - being a mother to their four children. Now Murtagh must hold his family close as we bear witness to their story before that tragic night.
We return to the day Maeve and Murtagh meet, outside Trinity College in Dublin, and watch how one love story gives rise to another. And as the Moone children learn who their parents truly are, we journey onwards with them to a future that none of the Moones could predict . . .
Except perhaps Maeve herself.
The Truth Must Dazzle Gradually is a celebration of the complex, flawed and stubbornly optimistic human heart.
Longlisted for the Guardian's 'Not The Booker' prize!
PRAISE FOR THE TRUTH MUST DAZZLE GRADUALLY
'I devoured this, falling in love with the setting and with every character. It is just glorious. A close-up on the everyday beautiful details that make up love' Emma Flint, author of Little Deaths
'Loved it. Beautiful and original' Sunday Independent
'Cullen is a thoughtful writer and she dissects the stubborn optimism of the human heart with skill and sympathy' Irish Independent
'A perfect combination of deeply-felt tragedy with great hopefulness' Anne Youngson, author of Meet me at the Museum
'A beautifully observed saga of abandoned dreams, loss and self-discovery. A fabulous creation' Alan McGonagle, author of Ithaca
'So wonderful on the Irish family and the utter complexity of motherhood, family entanglement and love. I was full on weeping at the end' Elaine Feeney, author of As You Were
© Helen Cullen 2020 (P) Penguin Audio 2020
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Imprint: Penguin
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Published: 20/08/2020
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ISBN: 9781405942102
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Length: 529 Minutes
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RRP: £13.00
Reviews
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A beautiful bittersweet story of love, loss and families all set in the most irresistible of locations. Tears were shed!
Graham Norton
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A compassionate portrayal of love, support and grief, The Truth Must Dazzle Gradually contains moments so recognisable to anyone who has suffered from depression that credit must be given to Cullen for depicting mental illness in all its senseless brutality while never exploiting it for sentimental reasons... There are many strengths to this novel, not least of which is the author's decision not to fill the pages with anguish . . . a writer whose skill is matched by an ability to surprise with each new work
John Boyne, Irish Times
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Such a true gift of a novel, with its sumptuous forward momentum, and rare precision, and inspired imagery. The Truth Must Dazzle Gradually generates a very bright light, one that is human, graceful, and healing. It's an absolute pleasure to read'
Sebastian Barry
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I devoured this, falling in love with the setting and with every character - and when I reached the end, I wept. It is just glorious. A sweeping family safe and, at the same time, a close-up on the everyday beautiful details that make up love
Emma Flint, author of Little Deaths
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This is a book that is begging to be loved and . . . only the most stonehearted reader will withhold the approval it strives so hard to earn
Sunday Times
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Cullen's quietly devastating second novel is both a family saga and a careful exploration of the reality of living with mental health issues
i paper
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An extremely moving read. Handles the complexities of love, grief, family life and mental illness with sensitivity and depth. A truly gorgeous novel.
Ali Land, author of Good Me, Bad Me
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Intensely moving, beautifully written and drenched with Irish atmosphere, this novel asks brave and thoughtful questions about mental health
Daily Mail
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So wonderful on the Irish family and the utter complexity of motherhood, family entanglement and love
Elaine Feeney, poet and author of As You Were
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An honest meditation on love and motherhood - this is a story of the confessions that aren't easily made; the secret hopes and desires that can feel too complicated or painful to express. Cullen is a thoughtful writer and she dissects the stubborn optimism of the human heart with skill and sympathy
Irish Independent
