Maurice Hanigan, now widowed, and aged 84, sits in a bar and raises a toast, one by one, to the most influential people in his life. We learn about his life, from his spectacularly unsuccessful school career, to his spectacularly successful career as an entrepreneur. We grow to hear about his complicated relationship with the family that first employed him while he was still at school, the Dollards. And his complicated relationship with a unique Edward VIII sovereign, which belonged to the Dollards, and which Maurice - er - found. It has a legacy, and bears a curse. This is an engaging, compassionate man, who's well aware of his failings and of the stereotypes he lives up to. Each toast, each story is a stand-alone which weaves together into a narrative of the life of a man both wily and mean, loving and grudging for whom in the end, I felt a great deal of understanding. ( )

Een vierentachtigjarige Ierse boer kijkt terug op zijn leven, de keuzes die hij maakte en het verlies van zijn geliefde vrouw

KIJK:
http://trijntjeblog.blogspot.com/2024/03/op-de-laatste-avond.html ( )

Maurice spends an evening in a specific bar in an Irish village drinking a toast to five important people in his life. The "audience" for the toasts is his son who lives in America. In the course of the toasts, Maurice tells the complicated story of his life.
It was very engaging. It took a bit to get oriented to what was happening, but once I understood, I was all in. There are lots of foreshadowing clues but still I wasn't sure of the end until it happened. ( )

Now in his eighties, Maurice sits a bar at a grand hotel, thinking about his life. He toasts the five people who meant the most to him. He is alone and lonely, having lost his wife two years ago. He is ready to take that next step, but before he does, he wants to tell you his story. This poignant tale of his life is certainly sad in places, yet hopeful in others. He talks about his growing up years, recalls how he met his wife, tells of his love for his family and for his son, discloses his regrets, and even admits to a long held secret that affected the lives of others. Author Anne Griffin does an excellent job of portraying this curmudgeonly elderly Irish man, and makes him a strong yet sympathetic character. It’s a beautifully told tale, and one that will resonate with readers of all ages. ( )

I won an ARC edition in a GOODREADS giveaway. ( )