Time of the Child: Winner of the Kerry Group Irish Novel of the Year Award

Price: $28.99 - $12.76
(as of Jan 10, 2026 20:39:16 UTC – Details)

“The writing in this book is lyrical . . . a beautiful book that you will love.” -Good Morning America’s #1 Favorite Book of the Year

“I am utterly obsessed with Niall Williams.” -Ann Patchett, New York Times bestselling author of Tom Lake

“Made me laugh out loud and remember how to love.” -Margaret Renkl, The New York Times

From the author of the November 2025 Late Show with Stephen Colbert Book Club Pick, This Is Happiness, a compassionate, life-affirming novel about the Christmas season that transforms the small Irish town of Faha.

Doctor Jack Troy was born and raised in Faha, but his responsibilities for the sick and his care for the dying mean he has always been set apart from the town. His eldest daughter, Ronnie, has grown up in her father’s shadow, and remains there, having missed one chance at love – and passed up another offer of marriage from an unsuitable man.

But in the Advent season of 1962, as the town readies itself for Christmas, Ronnie and Doctor Troy’s lives are turned upside down when a baby is left in their care. As the winter passes, father and daughter’s lives, the understanding of their family, and their role in their community are changed forever.

Set over the course of one December in the same village as Williams’ beloved This Is Happiness, Time of the Child is a tender return to Faha for readers who know its charms, and a heartwarming welcome to new readers entering for the very first time.

From the brand

Return to Faha

Niall Williams

Niall Williams was born in Dublin in 1958. He is the author of numerous acclaimed works of fiction, most recently Time of the Child.

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication date ‏ : ‎ November 19, 2024
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Print length ‏ : ‎ 304 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1639734201
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1639734207
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.45 x 1 x 9.55 inches
Best Sellers Rank: #6,151 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #28 in Small Town & Rural Fiction (Books) #68 in Family Life Fiction (Books) #249 in Literary Fiction (Books)
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