I thought that maybe I should read Last Days of Rabbit Hayes before I read this one but the authors advised it isn't a sequel and can be read was a stand alone story.
I do love a book set in Ireland and the writing style was so good - it reminded me of the TV show from years ago called Bread - but with Irish accents . This book is laugh out loud funny but also made me cry. A sad subject for a book but it also felt uplifting. Life goes on regardless.

After Rabbit Hayes died, aged 40, she leaves her family completely shattered by grief.
Her mother, Molly, loses her faith and feel guilty for letting Rabbit down. Jack, instead is reminiscing the past, through his old diaries. Grace discovers she has the same gene that had exposed her sister to her deadly fate and decided to prevent doing through different operations, but this being some strains into her marriage. Davey finds himself not only coping with the grief of losing her sister, but with the responsibility of caring for her child Juliet. And then there is Marjorie who has lost her only true friend.

Anna McPartlin in this book has been excellent at showing how different people go through grief and how important it is to just have people who love and support you without overwhelming you in the process.
I loved the 5 POVs narrative, as it gave a extensive comprehension of each character state of mind and feelings.
Don’t think this is a book focused only on grief, cause surely it’s not! I laughed, especially whenever Molly was involved, she is a badass mum and probably preferred her character above all others! It’s a book about hope as well and I think there are few points to take home and reflect upon when finishing this book.

Now that I discovered there was a previous book dedicated to Rabbit Hayes and her life, I can’t wait to dive into it and know more about this wonderful women who was so loved by her friends and family!

My thanks to Tracy Fenton of Compulsive Readers and The Book Club on Facebook for the opportunity to take part in this Blog Tour. It was a pleasure to take part and I couldn't miss out on reading the story.

When I knew that Anna McPartlin had a new book coming out and that it was the sequel to the Last Days of Rabbit Hayes. I was both really happy and sad at the same time. My emotions were in turmoil to be honest. How on Earth could Anna McPartlin follow the story on? 

Well she followed it on brilliantly in my opinion. It was a real roller coaster of emotions, as early on we learn about the funeral and how all the characters in their own way dealt with saying their goodbyes to a much loved mother, daughter, sister and friend. Finding ways of coming to terms with never seeing her again and learning to cope with the hole that she has left in their lives. 

Told from the points of view of various characters and in short chapters, this story makes you feel that you are there with them, experiencing all that they are going through.

This story and how the day before the funeral evolved brought back memories of mine surrounding a funeral and the way that it was handled by my family as a Catholic family. How we brought my Dad home on the day before his funeral and the coffin being open until the morning of the funeral. I was around 5/6 months pregnant at the time and how we as a close family, my Mum and brothers stayed up all night comforting one another. Chatting and laughing, remembering all the good times and sometimes the not so good times. Emotions running at a high. 

I have always wondered how I would cope with finding out whether I carried a gene like Rabbit and Grace did. How would you cope with it, if you were the surviving sibling and you found out that you  had that gene? I have always hoped that I would make the decision that could potentially save my life and prevent it developing into cancer, but unless faced with it you never know what you would do.

Whilst, this could have been a rather sad and depressing story due to the nature of death and life after, it wasn't that at all. It was sad at times and I did shed the odd tear or two, but it was equally uplifting in more ways than one.

Finally, my thanks to Anna McPartlin for taking us on this continuing journey with Rabbit, the family and friends that she left behind.  

This was a very well deserved 5 stars or 10/10 read and one that will stay with me for some time. 

RIP Rabbit.

My thanks to Tracy Fenton of Compulsive Readers and The Book Club on Facebook for the opportunity to take part in this Blog Tour. It was a pleasure to take part and I couldn't miss out on reading the story.

When I knew that Anna McPartlin had a new book coming out and that it was the sequel to the Last Days of Rabbit Hayes. I was both really happy and sad at the same time. My emotions were in turmoil to be honest. How on Earth could Anna McPartlin follow the story on? 

Well she followed it on brilliantly in my opinion. It was a real roller coaster of emotions, as early on we learn about the funeral and how all the characters in their own way dealt with saying their goodbyes to a much loved mother, daughter, sister and friend. Finding ways of coming to terms with never seeing her again and learning to cope with the hole that she has left in their lives. 

Told from the points of view of various characters and in short chapters, this story makes you feel that you are there with them, experiencing all that they are going through.

This story and how the day before the funeral evolved brought back memories of mine surrounding a funeral and the way that it was handled by my family as a Catholic family. How we brought my Dad home on the day before his funeral and the coffin being open until the morning of the funeral. I was around 5/6 months pregnant at the time and how we as a close family, my Mum and brothers stayed up all night comforting one another. Chatting and laughing, remembering all the good times and sometimes the not so good times. Emotions running at a high. 

I have always wondered how I would cope with finding out whether I carried a gene like Rabbit and Grace did. How would you cope with it, if you were the surviving sibling and you found out that you  had that gene? I have always hoped that I would make the decision that could potentially save my life and prevent it developing into cancer, but unless faced with it you never know what you would do.

Whilst, this could have been a rather sad and depressing story due to the nature of death and life after, it wasn't that at all. It was sad at times and I did shed the odd tear or two, but it was equally uplifting in more ways than one.

Finally, my thanks to Anna McPartlin for taking us on this continuing journey with Rabbit, the family and friends that she left behind.  

This was a very well deserved 5 stars or 10/10 read and one that will stay with me for some time. 

RIP Rabbit.

My thanks to NetGalley for the copy of this story in exchange for an honest review.

I loved The Last Days of Rabbit Hayes and always recommend it to those looking for a emotional teary read so I jumped at the chance when I saw the follow up released.
Here we see how the death of Rabbit has impacted on the Hayes family and the different way they all deal with the emotion of the illness taking her from them.
My favourite character by far was Jack, Rabbits Father. I love how the author portrayed him as gentle, caring and very emotional, spending hours in his attic pouring over old photo's and memories when often men would be portrayed as the ones holding it all together as head of the family whilst his Wife Molly was the fiery one, hurt, angry and questioning her beliefs. When Grace Rabbits Sister realises she is carrying the same gene it tests the family again to the limits and as the reader we see the different thoughts. 
This book is about that unseen unity found it families, the one that binds you close and bonds you even when faced with adversity. Despite the sad subject the Hayes family made me smile & laugh many times, the characterisation was brilliant and I could visualise the scenes. I only didn't give this book a five as I felt the chopping & changing of characters in chapters confusing and sometimes had to backtrack to remember who was who and I felt the ending a bit abrupt. Other than that a very enjoyable book I would recommend.
My thanks go to the publishers, author and Netgalley in providing this arc in return for a honest review.

Below The Big Blue Sky Anna McPartlin 
This book is sequel to The Last Days Of Rabbit Hayes, and I can't even say which book was my favourite.  
I loved every single minute of both books.  When I finished this book, I straight wanted their to be another book in this series, so we get to live with the Hayes family again. I loved them all, however I really loved Juliet,  although she will always be bunny to me. 
I totally enjoyed the Irish family dynamics in this book, every single character added to the beautiful story. I had a real soft spot for Rabbits dad, the chapters written from his perspective probably hit me the hardest.  
I loved every minute of this book.

This was a lovely book, life, love and laughter, great storyline, would highly recommend this book x

So what do you need to know? Well Below The Big Blue Sky by Anna McPartlin, like it’s predecessor is written with heart, humour and compassion. This book picks up where the first left off. We find the quirky, close knit Hayes family in a hospice immediately after the death, from breast cancer, of their beloved Rabbit. Rabbit is, or was, a journalist; but most importantly she was a mother, daughter, sister and friend. A fiery, fighter of a 30-something woman taken before her time and kicking cancer’s sorry ass right until the end.

If The last days of Rabbit Hayes is about coming to terms with Rabbit’s diagnosis, Below the Big Blue Sky is about how the Hayes family begin to cope with life without Rabbit. And it isn’t easy.

For Juliet, life without her mother is numbing. She is now the ward of her Uncle Dave, and this means moving away from Dublin and starting a new life in the United States, a life that fits around Davey’s commitments as a touring drummer. And for Davey himself, grieving his baby sister while parenting a teenager, stretches him to the limit.

Grace is coming to terms not only with Rabbit’s death but also with the fact that she, herself, carries the gene which killed her sister. The decisions that come with this revelation are not to be taken lightly and become a source of family tension.

Losing their daughter rocks the marriage of Jack and Molly Hayes. Both seem changed beyond measure, faith is no longer the bedrock it was and suddenly everything seems to be spiralling out of control.

And what of Rabbit’s best friend Marjorie? Suddenly she is facing huge life changes and chances but without her sounding board and support at her side.

This is a novel that deals with those strange and disorienting days after a death. A novel that faces down the immediate practicalities and the lingering, roaring pain. It details the way a family comes together and equally the way it sometimes fragments as the individual members find their own pathways through their loss. Anna McPartlin creates stunning characters, that convey quite beautifully how unique grief is. And how loss and pain manifests itself in any number of different ways.

This is a novel that focuses on the process of grieving and coming to terms with loss. It is about the things someone will compromise on and the things that really matter. It is about that balancing act of bringing everyone’s beliefs and opinions into play, whilst holding on to the essence of the person who is lost. This novel deals with death in a warm, human and deeply humorous way. The narrative raises all those tricky, but important questions. In a society where we speak of death in whispers and veiled words this book faces things head on. Yes, there is tragedy, but this novel is filled to the brim with humour and humility.


Anna McPartlin’s screen writer background is wonderfully apparent in the novel; the dialogue in these pages is absolutely spot on. These are characters you can see, feel and almost touch. Having read the two novels back to back I felt like I had spent days in the arms of the Hayes family and it was a lovely place to be. And just as the sense of character is grounding, the sense of place, history, back story is equally impressive. 

This is the story of family tested to it’s limits. A family that has to refine itself and at the same time remember just what it is that makes them strong and unique.

The story follows family and friends of the late Rabbit Hayes. Each one fighting their own demons and struggling to live life without the vivacious straight as a die Rabbit. The story is very closer to my heart, being a child when my own mother died of cancer. Each character is likable. Each struggle different and personal. Wonderfully written I would highly recommend this book which will have you laughing and crying on the same page ,

A follow on from ‘The last Days of Rabbit Hayes’, this book picks up when the last one left. What happens to the family and how they cope with loosing Rabbit.  Now if you’ve read the Rabbit Hayes book you will, like me, just want to dive in this book with both feet and not want to come out till you have absorbed every word.  This book does not disappoint! Anna has used her Irish charm to the max and portrayed the family as if we are in the room with them.

Each person is trying to get their lives in order after Rabbit dies and the reader is taken on a roller coaster of a ride with Molly losing faith and Davey being sole responsible for Juliet while being on tour in America. The Hayes family are like no other with their simple love that runs deeper than any river could, the anger hotter than the sun and the stubbornness which sticks more than super glue. A true grit family we all wish we had the pleasure of being in.

 I waited months for this and brought it on more than one occasion including book format and kindle.  Anna writes like no other author, her Irish-ness flows in the pages and characters are larger than life. She allows the readers in on page one and they are resident throughout the book, lapping up every printed word.  The story has us laughing, crying and on the edge our seats, giving us a look into a life in Ireland and the Irish people

Absolutely loved all of this book and would  recommend all Hayes books (if any more written), but then would recommend all Anna Partlin Books

Unfortunately, I have not been able to read and review this book.

After losing and replacing my broken Kindle and getting a new phone I was unable to download the title again for review as it was no longer available on Netgalley. 

I’m really sorry about this and hope that it won’t affect you allowing me to read and review your titles in the future.

Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity. 
Natalie.

With this book, one minute I was laughing out loud the next I had tears in my eyes. A brilliant book about a lovely Irish family trying to deal with a tragedy the best they can.

I read The Last Days of Rabbit Hayes in March 2016 and honestly I was absolutely BLOWN away and left almost speechless.  Here’s my first review if you don’t believe me “I don’t think anything I write here will do this book justice so all I will say is it is the most moving and charming and exquisite book full of heartbreaking yet wonderfully funny characters and I know that this book will stay with me for a very long time.”  However, re-reading it last week I was able to elaborate more and wrote a more detailed review.

When I heard almost 4 years later that Anna McPartlin has written the follow up to Rabbit Hayes  I did something I have NEVER, EVER done before.. I re-read the first book purely because I needed to reconnect to Rabbit and her family and I am so glad I did.

Below the Big Blue Sky starts in the hospice where Rabbit has taken her final breath in a bid to catch the “van” leaving her family and friends bereft, heartbroken and trying to cope without her.  Each member of her family and friends have to deal with their grief in their own individual way and whilst it’s raw and heartbreaking to read, it’s also handled with immense sensitivity by the author.

No two people grieve the same and there are no instructions on how to cope after a death in the family so following The Hayes family in their attempt to pick up the pieces and move on without Rabbit is so moving and my heart was literally bursting and breaking throughout the story.

You don’t have to have read book 1 in order to appreciate the characters as the author regularly reminds the reader of previous events, however as book 1 is so brilliant I would strongly recommend you read it first.

It’s always difficult to write a follow up to a successful book because the readers have such high expectations and adore the characters so much.  The pressure on Anna must have been immense – however I can say with absolute certainty that Below the Big Blue Sky lives up to all of my expectations and more… she has brought the Hayes family back into my life, with their colourful language, Molly’s sharp tongue, Jack’s quiet personality, Grace’s guilt and fear for her future, Davey’s determination to do the right thing by his baby sister and everyone else who has been touched and loved by Rabbit during her short life.

I laughed, I cried, I laughed some more and am delighted that Anna decided to #RememberRabbitHayes in such a warm, caring, compassionate way and give the readers the chance to grieve with the family, rejoice and remember Rabbit Hayes.  5 huge stars from me.

If you haven't read "The Last Days of Rabbit Hayes" stop, don't read this, go and read that THEN come back for this one. We pick up from where book one ended, Rabbit has passed on and her family are trying to pick up the pieces of the heartache and emptiness that Rabbit's death has left. Her mum and dad, her best pal, her brother, her sister, her wee girl Bunny and everyone who Rabbit's life touched. Davey (her brother) agreed to be Guardian to Bunny but Davey is a bit of a big wean himself, musician, travels and based far from Ireland - how can the family cope losing Rabbit and Bunny as Davey goes back to his own life.

Set in Ireland (mostly) the book deals with death, grief, loss and the families attempt to go through the stages of grief whilst attempting to go about their lives. Sadness, a touch of humour dottered throughout as with book one, a look at how each character is touched and tries to cope with life after death of a loved one.

I like McPartlin's books "The Last Days of Rabbit Hayes" was my first and blew me away, whilst I do enjoy her writing there is something about the Hayes family I just love. They are all characters, you feel like you have slipped into the family yourself, it's people you "know" and came to care for from book one. I don't know where she would go from here but I would LOVE a book three, I cannot get enough of this family, they are like your own. 4.5/5 for me - laughter, sadness, grief, hilarity McPartlin has created a world you just don't want to leave.

It is no secret to anyone that follows my page that The Last Days of Rabbit Hayes is one of my favourite reads EVER.  So you can imagine how I nearly choked on my tea to read that there was a sequel - well, I couldn't log on to Netgalley quick enough to request it!

First of all, let me start by saying OMG - this book... I absolutely adored it and if you don't believe you need another book on your TBR, think again.  In fact, you ABSOLUTELY need to read both of these books!

Below the Big Blue Sky picks up immediately in the aftermath of Rabbit's death in the hospice.  Not a spoiler alert as the first book is literally called The Last Days of Rabbit Hayes.  The sequel deals with some powerful and heavy hitting topics such as grief, how it affects everyone differently, cancer - specifically the BRCA gene, amongst others.  The story is written so beautifully and sensitively that the characters will leap off the page at you, it will have you laughing your head off one moment and crying your eyes out in the next.

The Hayes Family are so typically Irish that you feel as though you are a part of the family.  They are not cheesy, stereotypical or cringy to read about.  From Juliet, Rabbit's teenage daughter to Molly, Rabbit's feisty mother, every character is so well developed and so unique that you will miss them when you are done reading, so attached will you become to these fictional people!  Each is dealing with their grief in their own way and Rabbit is there with them every step of the way as her voice comes through clearly on each page.  

This is a hilarious, laugh out loud and uplifting book that will, paradoxically, leave you emotionally destroyed.  I can't recommend it highly enough. All the stars - absolutely loved it!!!

This is a book which will truly make you laugh and make you cry. Actually, it made me cry by the second page and at several other points throughout the story but that doesn't matter, as the overall tone of the book is so inclusive and caring. It follows on from The Last Days of Rabbit Hayes but can absolutely be read as a standalone. The Hayes family leap off the page at you, they are all so beautifully described. You see them in the years following Rabbit's death and the profound effect it has on each of their lives.
Molly, the matriarch, has to be my favourite character. She is feisty and down to earth but, as you discover, nursing some heart-breaking feelings. Each family member finds their own way to come to terms with the loss of Rabbit. Her Dad, Jack, disappears into the attic to dwell on his thoughts alone. Grace, her sister, has her own terrible reckoning. Yet what carries them all through is their fundamental love for each other. This is a story which makes you think of your own life. Throughout the story, you hear Rabbit. Sometimes, it will feel like she is speaking to you!
Thanks to the publisher for a copy of the book

My thoughts: this book picks up right from the last chapter of the first book, and I don’t mean afterwards, I mean that you get to experience Rabbits death all over again 😭 – right from the off this book made me cry and being totally honest I lost count of the amount of time’s I cried and the amount of tissues I used.

I devoured this book in one day, part of me always feels guilty when I do that because I know how much work goes into creating it, but I just COULD NOT put it down, by this point I was so invested in all of the characters lives I needed to know that they were going to be ok!

It’s heartbreaking to read them all experience grief in such different ways, some of them retreated into themselves, whilst others acted out. We even had people acting like nothing had changed, when in reality all of their lives had been completely turned upside down, how do you cope with the loss of such a big personality within your family unit?

The parts about Grace had me feeling devastated for her, it’s really not the news you need when you’ve just lost your sister, but I have to say the way the whole thing was dealt with was incredible, it was done in such a sensitive way that it added to the feeling of realness that was also in the first book.

I won’t give too much of the story away because it was an absolute delight discovering it all along the way, but just know that although a lot of this book made me cry, there was lots of laughter and smiling at the book too!

Such a beautiful story that will stay with me for a long time, thank you for giving me the opportunity to read it and share my thoughts.

„Below the Big Blue Sky“ picks up from where „The Last Days of Rabbit Hayes“ ended. Rabbit, young and full of life, loses her fight with cancer, leaving behind her whole crazy family and friends who now try to come over their heartbreak and emptiness that Rabbit’s death has left them with. Rabbit’s beloved and loving parents, Molly and Jack, her daughter Bunny, her brother Davey and sister Grace who discovers she also has the gene that killed Rabbit, they all try to deal with their grief and many other challenges in their lives. Is this even possible, to simply move on, without the person that was everything to them?

Anna Mc Partlin has left us waiting for her new release a long time, and then she has chosen to write a follow up to „The Last Days of Rabbit Hayes“, a book that if you’ve read it, you’ll never going to forget. Let me tell you that it was absolutely worth waiting for so long for this novel, as it’s as special as its predecessor, actually, as all Anna’s books, and it for sure lived up to my expectations. I wasn’t afraid that I’m not going to like it, I was only afraid that it will leave me a crying, snotty mess and well, what shall I tell you, it did. But it also left me with my heart singing, showing there is always hope.
“Below the Big Blue Sky“ can be read as a stand – alone, though I’m rather careful here, and even though the author herself gives you a green light I’d really rather read the first Rabbit Hayes book – I personally think you’ll miss too much jumping directly into this book.

Being back with the Hayes family and some of their friends was brilliant, even though the circumstances were not the easiest. The author has taken us on the most brilliant and intimate journey with all of them together, letting us experience everything with them, to live their lives actually, so much have I been invested in them. She has incredibly well captured the void in their lives after Rabbit’s death. The characters were honest and genuine and no kind of emotions were spared but this only made them even more real and true to life, and the way they tried to deal with this searing pain, no matter if they’re old or young, is absolutely relatable to all of us out there who have lost their closest ones. You will quickly find yourself rooting fort hem all. They are all so special, so well – developed, with their own distinctive voices, all so brave and I loved all of them. They’re so absolutely Irish, that’s the first thing that made me like them so much, so stone mad but also so down to earth.

The story is divided into parts and it deals with many, many threads, each of them even more important and thought – provoking than the previous one, each of them made me want to reach out to the characters, to simply be there for them. Anna McPartlin has a way with words and how she deals with the subject of grief is absolutely of the highest level. She’s sensitive, but she doesn’t beat around the bush because when it comes to the feelings and emotions they’re not always nice, and she shows us that it is absolutely okay to be angry, that it’s allowed to swear and to show the world that you’re hurting. The mix of sadness, heartbreak, grief and humour and hope is simply perfect in this story, and the author knows when to add Molly’s one – liner to brighten the atmosphere.

Even though it is a book dealing with death and grief, it is absolutely not all gloom! There is so much of this feel – good vibe in this story, you know, and even though you cry crocodile tears one second, you will find yourself laughing out loud the next second. Hats off to Anna McPartling for capturing the balance between sadness and fun so well, and for her lovely, beautiful, brilliant writing style!

“Below the Big Blue Sky” is so beautiful, clever, full of insights and authentic feelings and emotions. It is incredibly moving, touching and poignant but also filled with the most hilarious humour and one – liners that lightens the atmosphere. It is a book about moving on, or at least trying hard to move on, which, as we could see, is absolutely not easy; about family, friends and relationships, about grief and how it can affect people. But most of all it is about love. About pure, simple and unconditional love, love that makes your life fullfilled and worthy. Love that creates so many beautiful memories, love that can also be painful but love nevertheless, a feeling that will conquer everything. Beautifully written, with understanding and without judging, I loved how the author allowed her characters to make mistakes but also gave them second chances. It was inspiring, unputdownable and captivating story that tugged at my heart – strings. It’s full of warmth, truth and it simply feels so human which only makes this book even more special. Truly, highly recommended!

As someone who adored The Last Days of Rabbit Hayes I was overjoyed when I heard that Anna McPartlin had written a sequel to her much loved book, although I do have to admit to feeling a little bit worried that it wouldn’t be able to live up to the pure perfection of its predecessor. But I needn’t have worried as Anna McPartlin has done it again! Below the Big Blue Sky is (in my humble opinion) even better than the first book.

Although a sequel to The Last Days of Rabbit Hayes, Below the Big Blue Sky could easily be read as a standalone. It begins directly after the last book ends, which is with the passing of forty year old Rabbit Hayes after a long battle with breast cancer. We are instantly drawn back into the lives of the wonderful Hayes family as they begin the process of mourning their loss.

We have Molly, Rabbit’s larger than life mother, who begins to question her faith in God after the loss of her youngest daughter. With her colourful language and side splitting Irish humour, Molly will have you howling with laughter one moment and then crying with emotion the next.

Then there’s Jack, Rabbit’s distraught father, who ‘goes out to lunch’ by hiding away in the attic and losing himself in his memories of the past as he pores over his old diaries of  happy times gone by, talking to his beloved Rabbit as if she is still there.

Rabbit’s brother Davey finds himself as guardian to her twelve year old daughter, Bunny (now only wanting to be known as Juliet) after promising Rabbit he would take care of her after she was gone. But how is Davey going to be able to help Juliet come to terms with the loss of her mother, when he can barely cope with his own loss as it is?

And then there’s Grace, Rabbit’s older sister, who as well as struggling to come to terms with her grief, is doing her best to look after her husband and four sons, all at the same time as having to cope with a decision that has the potential to change her life forever.

Below the Big Blue Sky is a beautifully written story that draws you back into the lives of the Hayes family as if you had never been away. It feels like coming home, almost like slipping into a pair of comfy slippers at the end of a long day, as you find yourself caught up in their lives, feeling every emotion right alongside Molly and her family. And even though she is no longer with them Rabbit is still very much present throughout, her voice a constant companion to her family as they slowly begin to navigate their way through their ‘new normal’.

How is it even possible to do this beautiful, moving, often hilarious, but always emotionally satisfying book justice? Anna McPartlin brings the Hayes family so vividly to life you feel as if you really know them. I felt bereft as I turned the last page of this warm, at times heartachingly sad, but ultimately uplifting story.

Below the Big Blue Sky is the story of a family as they try to come to terms with an unbearable loss, each dealing with it in their own individual way. It’s about learning to live with grief and, eventually, finding the strength to move forward with your life, at the same time as keeping your loved one’s memory alive in your heart. But most of all it’s a very real, very human story of hope and how the love of those around you can help you through even the most testing of times.

I honestly can’t praise this book highly enough. Anna McPartlin is an extraordinarily gifted story teller and I can’t wait to read whatever she comes up with next.

I’m going to start with a massive apology to the author, the publishers and tour organiser – I just couldn’t read this book through to its end. I've just lost my mum, and if I tell you that I returned from the interment of her ashes to join Rabbit lying in her open coffin in the rearranged dining room surrounded by her wonderful family, I hope you’ll  understand why. Having sobbed through the book up to that point – but laughed so much through the tears – the sealing of her coffin finally broke me and I couldn’t make myself follow her to the funeral at Glasnevin.

But even though I’m going to have to return to this book later to read it through to its end – and I’ll share my full review as soon as I do – I loved what I did read entirely without reservation. Anna McPartlin creates the most wonderful characters, and it was so very good to be back in their company: I don’t think you need to have read the first book to love this one, but I really would recommend that you read them as a pair, just because.

And she writes with sheer love – none of her characters are perfect in any way, but my goodness, she makes you feel so much for every single one of them. The humour is just perfect – at times entirely inappropriate but at the same time absolutely right. The author’s use of dialogue – giving shape to her characters, revealing their personalities and inner feelings, is every bit as stunning as it ever was. And there are those little touches that break you – Rabbit’s father going “out to lunch”, the choosing of the right clothes for the viewing of the open coffin, the holding of her hand. Daughter Juliet’s grief – no longer Bunny – totally broke my heart, particularly that small fleck of blood found on the skirting board.

I’ll stop there – it broke my heart that I had to set the book aside, but I’m so looking forward to trying it once more when I feel a little stronger. Anna McPartlin, you are just magnificent – and I’ll never forget Rabbit.

When I heard that Anna McPartlin was writing a sequel to The Last Days of Rabbit Hayes, I was thrilled because it is one of my favourite books of all time. I loved Rabbit and her crazy family and I was desperate to find out how the Hayes family were.

Below the Big Blue Sky picks up directly from where The Last Days of Rabbit Hayes left off. It follows Molly Hayes and her family as they navigate life after Rabbit dies from cancer.

Although this is a sequel, it could be read as a stand-alone as Anna McPartlin has carefully weaved enough back story in for each character. However, I do think that it’s worth reading The Last Days of Rabbit Hayes or listening to the audio book to understand this family and their quirks. It will make you appreciate the story even more. 

It was lovely to be back in the company of the Hayes family. It was like being with old friends. The characters reacted how I expected them to – you become so invested in them, in The Last Days of Rabbit Hayes, you just know! I love that it’s a complete continuation of The Last Days of Rabbit Hayes. Molly, the matriarch of the Hayes family, is still stubborn, funny, and fowl mouthed (not offensively); Jack, Rabbit’s dad, has ‘gone fishing’; Juliet, Rabbit’s daughter, is trying to deal with losing her mum as well as living with her uncle Davey; Davey is juggling being Juliet’s guardian and his band life in the US; Grace dealing with the fact that she has the gene that gave Rabbit cancer; and Marjorie, Rabbit’s best friend, dealing with the Rabbit-shaped hole in her life.

Below the Big Blue Sky is not a depressing read though. You will laugh through the tears and feel the warmth, compassion and love of the Hayes family radiate from the pages. 

I’ve said it before but Irish writers just have a knack and a way with words that makes them natural storytellers. Anna McPartlin’s writing flows seamlessly and appears effortless. Although this is a longer book – my copy was just over 480 pages – it didn’t feel long at all. I was absorbed from page 1 and raced through it.

In Below the Big Blue Sky, Anna McPartlin explores loss, grief, heartbreak, and family. Through the Hayes family, she shows how we all experience and deal with grief in different ways. Having experienced it personally, there is no singular way of dealing with it. Most importantly, Anna McPartlin shows that if you have the love of your family, you can get through the toughest of times and rise above it all.

Below the Big Blue Sky is another outstanding read from Anna McPartlin. It is just as brilliant as The Last Days of Rabbit Hayes and it was everything I had hoped it would be: big-hearted, amusing, compassionate, emotional, and truly Irish. Thank you, Anna McPartlin 🙂