Very engaging first novel, with scenes set in Ireland in a boggy cottage about to fall into the sea, in a nearly abandoned village with no electricity, not so long ago. Three people from this world migrate to New York, where their relationships change. The voices are strong and although not written in dialect or brogue, give a sense of another time. Yet it is contemporary, and the 2 people who stay in America cannot imagine going home, nor even how their children would cope with a visit to Ireland--using the fields for a bathroom? Themes of how our family perceives individuals (versus how that perception limits our own self-image), and how the secrets we keep can end up freezing out the possibility of forgiveness.

The subject was interesting and I liked the characters, but somehow it didn't all come together in a way that allowed me to really enjoy this book as much as I wanted to. Piecemeal I would rate portions of the book higher, but as a whole my feelings for it are lukewarm.

I am finding it very difficult to rate this book. This novel obviously is a well written and well researched story in which we follow 2 Irish sisters and an acquainted "tinker" on their journey from Ireland to New York, in pursuit of a better life and happiness. I am a sucker for these kind of stories and in my opinion, the author has managed to capture both the characters and describe the culture very well. On the other hand, not only was I very disappointed with the abrupt ending which kind of ruined the whole built up tension for me; on top of that, after reading the whole story one does realise it falls rather flat. The first half of the book is very descriptive and moving, while the second half just goes on and on about... nothing. What happens when the sisters meet again after 40 years? What happens with Michael in retirement and with his health ? It would make the story complete to have taken this into the book. Also, the first chapter, while it becomes clear in the very end what is is about, is very long and boring and might just put off readers. Certainly worth reading but some missed opportunities here.

Would give this a 3.5 I think. I found it slow in the beginning, but by the end I couldn't put it down. Very endearing characters.

While I've read a host of books about early 1900s immigration, The Walking People is a story about a different generation of immigrants -the Irish who came to America in the early 60s. Greta's family lives in a tiny, nearly abandoned town in Western Ireland, near the sea and not much else. Life during Greta's childhood was much the same way it had been for hundreds of years, they were warmed by a turf fire and ate by candlelight. 'Tinkers" or "Traveling People" walked the highways and made a living by doing odd jobs, staying in camps along the way. Greta's early interactions with these Traveling People will reverberate and result in relationships that last her lifetime.

The Walking People is about, first and foremost, family. What we do for them and what we inadvertently do to them - and not just the children we raise, but the family we were raised by. Greta's very close relationship with her mother and sister, and how that relationship changed, influenced so much of the way she lived her life. I was sometimes frustrated by the choices she made while at the same time I was sympathetic to why she made those choices. She's an interesting character, this Greta, naive and yet wise - thoughtful and stubborn, and I think Keane did an excellent job of rounding out all her characters. I think I liked reading about the family Greta grew up in more than I liked reading about the family she raised, but maybe that's because I just liked reading about life in Ireland more.

One unique thing about this novel that I appreciated, was its use of time periods. Typically, I am annoyed when we start at the end and then move backwards, because I feel like it rips out the footing from under the plot to already know how the story ended. But somehow, in the Walking People, this devise just completely intrigued me. Even though I knew that certain people would end up being together, I was thrilled to discover how it all happened. So three cheers for that.

I think that for a debut novel, The Walking People is pretty darn amazing, even if the end left me feeling somewhat hanging. If you can overlook the sometimes harsh language, I think you'll appreciate this story that takes you from one side of the Atlantic to the other, down beneath the streets of New York City and back, and leaves you pining for an Irish home that you never even had.

I enjoyed it. I can even see a sequel or a book about the families left behind.

Just OK. Had potential but needed editing and an ending.

I liked the book at the beginning, but found it dragged 1/3 of the way thru. Was close to giving up but then things picked up and I decided to continue. I did enjoy learning more about Ireland and coming to America and about the walking people, but ultimately the story moved too slowly and the ending was lacking.

This was a good idea for a book. But the story was stretched out which made it it kind of boring at times (could have Bennett 75 pages shorter) and that ending - or lack of it very disappointing.

Almost halfway through the book and I still don't understand what it's about. Boring.

I really, really enjoyed reading this book. It's a family epic with a lot of Irish grit and i just couldn't put it down. Would recommend pretty much across the board