There is something of Trollope's Barsetshire here, in the sense of an entire place rendered in fine detail ... Williams's phrasing is immaculate and even the smallest characters are drawn with attention and detail. But Dr Troy is the heart of this slow, rich novel. The scene in which he dances with the baby in a quiet kitchen is one of the most affecting I've read

The Times

My new favourite ... A study in human community that made me laugh out loud and remember how to love even the people who cause others so much suffering, and especially those who come together to ease it

MARGARET RENKL, NEW YORK TIMES

Williams, always skilful and compelling, has wrought something plausible out of one of the oldest stories we have ... Williams's delicacy in depicting the mysteries of interactions both human and divine is quietly satisfying ... Williams excels in his characterisation

FINANCIAL TIMES

There's a quiet grace to this slow-paced, poetic novel set in rural Ireland in the run-up to Christmas 1962 ... A story brimming with kindness and courage

Mail on Sunday

Readers looking to get into the Christmas spirit early this year will find plenty of it in Niall Williams's new novel, Time of the Child, a warm and life-affirming story about ordinary people going to extraordinary lengths

Irish Times

A sublime tale of small-town Irish life ... A slow-burning, finely crafted novel about second chances, humanity and familial love, Time of the Child rewards close reading ... Williams's descriptive language is extraordinary – his use of understatement and irony artfully deployed, his characterisation sublime. I find it astonishing that, despite his global success, he has yet to win a big award

Observer