Published: 2009, Faber and Faber Genre: Fiction Themes: family, adoption, relationships, mental health My rating (out of 5): ❤❤❤❤ This is not a book to read if you want something uplifting, as it gave me a constant feeling that I was staring into something that ought to remain private. By that, I mean that the reader is peering into the dark corners of personal suffering that feels very real and unvarnished. The central character is Tassie, a young woman of twenty who has been raised on a farm to parents who never fully adapted to farming in the traditional sense. The family are always considered outsiders in the local community, but Tassie's father has stuck to farming the way he wants to do it and has to be admired for sticking to what makes him happy even if it will never make him rich. Tassie a bit of an oddball with a quirky sense of humour that is lost on many people, but those who understand her love her for her individuality. Roddy Doyle describes the bo...