Listening Still: a unique gift that can be a gift or a curse

Listening Still by Anne Griffin is a story of a young woman who has inherited the family gift…or is it a curse? Jeannie Masterson can hear the recently dead and give a voice to their final wishes and revelations. Inherited from her father, their gift has helped the family funeral business thrive in their small Irish town of Kilcross. Jeannie made the decision to stay and help with the family business instead of following her teenage sweetheart to London. When her parents announce their plans to retire, Jeannie is jolted awake to the life she has been living. She finds herself at a crossroads once again. Does she stay in Kilcross with her comfortable marriage and the family business or does she take this chance to finally break free from a calling she loves and hates? 

Listening Still is billed as “a heartachingly honest look at what we give up and what we gain when we choose to follow our heart.” I was intrigued by the premise. It’s not every day that you hear about a book with the main character having the ability to talk to the dead. Unfortunately, Listening Still did not live up to its premise. From the very beginning, Jeannie is unlikeable. She whines like a child when she learns about her parents' retirement. Jeannie is very wishy-washy as she never really understands a question, leaving the other person with the assumed answer and gets upset when they push the issue. It seems even the most mundane decisions trip her up and she acts as if every decision is a life-altering decision. I found Listening Still hard to read. 

Listening Still is available in hardcover, eBook, and audiobook.