As It Is in Heaven

The arrival of an Italian violinist in an Irish town transforms an emotionally stunted schoolteacher and his dying father in this bitter-sweet novel.

“A novel about the abiding redemptive grace of faith and love.” —New York TimesBook Review

Time has already stopped for Stephen Griffin when he moves into the little house by the sea. Twenty-eight years old and haunted by death, the tall, awkward, shy schoolteacher is Content to care for his father in Dublin and let life pass him by.

Then a miracle appears: a string ensemble from Venice and, with it, a violinist named Gabriella Castoldi. Even though the worldly, beautiful musician seems incapable of giving her heart, love seizes Stephen Griffin . . .unbidden and shaking every particle of his spirit.

Stephen's ailing father sees it and fears for his naive son. Nelly Grant, the green-grocer, predicted it and welcomes its sheer joy. Moses Mooney, the blind musician, has sensed its coming. None, however, can envision the depth and consequence of this union. For Gabriella will change not only Stephen's life but, in the deepest sense, the lives of everyone around them.

As It Is in Heaven evokes the magical essence of romance and its miraculous ability to grace even the darkest life with light. Splendidly crafted and charged with poignancy, it firmly establishes Niall Williams as a master storyteller in the grand tradition of Irish literature.

“Williams’s polished writing is evocative, and his descriptions of the Irish countryside are a treat.” —Cleveland Plain Dealer

“Richly woven with mysticism and melancholy. . . . Williams creates a stirring setting for this serious exploration of the themes of family and friendship, companionship and loneliness, and desolation and redemption.” —Booklist