Time of the Child by Niall Williams

During the pandemic of 2021, after spending so many months worried about what was going on in the world and all the sad news about the many lives that were lost, being stuck at home, and trying to comfort family and friends, I felt that I needed something to help keep my sanity. I needed something to ground me a little and give me a sense of hope.

Reading was definitely one of the things that helped. Reading allowed me to travel to a world that was not affected by the pandemic. It allowed me to explore, to see things, and to be in places that, unfortunately, no one could visit because of the situation around the world. Eventually, one of the things I came across was a TV series I found on PBS.

This series is called All Creatures Great and Small. I think it was probably around that time, maybe during the pandemic, that the first season came out. There were six to eight episodes. The title caught my eye and made me start watching it.

My youngest daughter was stuck at home like everyone else. I think she was doing kindergarten online—all of kindergarten was done online for her. Before the pandemic, when we could go out and do things, she was really into animals and creatures. She was the kind of person who wouldn’t allow us to kill a bug or anything like that—not that we were the type of people to kill bugs left and right, but for the pesky critters that came into the house, like spiders or such. She transformed us all, I think, to the point where we wouldn’t kill spiders anymore. Instead, we carefully captured and released them outside.

She was really into creatures and nature. Because of her, I got into birdwatching. She was so enthusiastic about animals that the title of the show, All Creatures Great and Small, attracted me. I thought it might be something we could watch together since it is mostly about a veterinarian who moves to England—though he’s originally from Scotland. The show is set in the 1930s, in a small countryside town in England, where the vet takes care of the local animals.

We started watching it, and it became the thing we all looked forward to. It gave me a heartwarming feeling, something to share with my wife and daughters after a week of stress. No matter what was happening in the world, it reminded us that life goes on and that things can get better. It did wonders for my mental health, and to this day, we still watch every season. We’re definitely looking forward to season five, which should come out in early 2025.

But I’m not here to talk about All Creatures Great and Small. The book recommendation for this week is a book that caught my attention because of what felt like similarities between it and the TV series. The book is called "Time of the Child" by Niall Williams.

This book is set in a small Irish village called Faha. It takes place in 1962, specifically around the holiday season, which makes it timely given that it’s December now. The story revolves around two main characters: Dr. Jack Troy, the only physician in town, and his eldest daughter, Ronnie.

Dr. Troy, a widower in his seventies, has dedicated his life to the town’s people. He’s been there so long that everyone knows him, and he knows everyone. His life has been marked by personal losses, including his wife and, later, a woman he loved but never confessed his feelings to before her passing.

Ronnie has also made sacrifices. Aspiring to be a writer, she gave up her dreams to stay in Faha and help her father with his practice. She chose family obligations over personal fulfillment.

The story takes a turn when a young boy in the village finds an abandoned baby in the woods during the holiday fair. The boy and two farmhands bring the baby to Dr. Troy, and this event sets off a series of personal transformations for both Dr. Troy and Ronnie. They are forced to confront their regrets, their unspoken emotions, and the choices they’ve made in life.

As I read the book, I was struck by the vivid descriptions of life in a small Irish village. The author captures the day-to-day routines, the essence of rural Irish life, and the humanity of its characters. The themes of family, love, and redemption are explored with a tenderness that kept me glued to the pages. I deliberately slowed my pace to savor the prose, highlighting many passages for their sheer beauty.

This was my first time reading a book by Niall Williams, and I know I’ll check out more of his works. If you’re looking for a heartwarming, tender story this holiday season, "Time of the Child" offers a reminder of the transformative power of love and the importance of family bonds.

I hope you’ll pick it up and check it out. It’s a feel-good book, and I’m pretty sure you’ll enjoy it as much as I did. Let me know your thoughts in the comments. As always, I’m grateful for your support. Please like, comment, and share your own reading experiences. Until next week, keep reading.