The Good People
A novel inspired by the 1826 death of Michael Leahy.
The Good People is a 2016 historical novel by Australian writer Hannah Kent. It was inspired by the real 1826 death of Michael Leahy in County Kerry, Ireland.
While researching her first book, *Burial Rites*, about the last woman executed in Iceland, Kent found a newspaper story about a woman named Anne Roche, who was tried for drowning a young boy named Michael Leahy in the River Flesk. A servant named Mary Clifford testified against her. Roche’s defense was that she had been trying to drive a fairy out of the boy, believing him to be a changeling. Kent was intrigued because the jury acquitted Roche. After finishing *Burial Rites*, she delved deeper into the case, Irish folklore, and Ireland itself.
The novel is set in 1825 in County Kerry. It follows Nóra Leahy, a woman grieving the deaths of her daughter and husband, who must care for her disabled grandson, Micheál. The boy cannot walk or talk and screams all night. Local women suspect he is a changeling—a child swapped by the fairies known as the Good People, who are folk memories of the ancient Irish deities, the Tuatha Dé Danann. Nóra hires a young girl, Mary Clifford, to help, but rumors persist. They take the child to Nance Roche, a *bean feasa* (a cunning woman skilled in herbs) said to communicate with fairies. Meanwhile, Father Healy, the new priest, opposes such superstitions, arguing that clinging to fairy stories keeps the Irish under British rule. The community splits between believers in old ways and skeptics, though even skeptics have unexplained experiences they attribute to curses or malevolent magic.
Eventually, Nance, Nóra, and Mary perform a ritual on Micheál, dunking him where two rivers meet in the Flesk. On the third day, he drowns. The priest calls the police, and the women are arrested and tried. Mary is not charged and testifies against the two elderly women, who claim in court the child was a changeling and they were only trying to get the real Micheál back. The jury acquits them. Returning to the valley, Nance finds her cabin burned down by angry locals, and Nóra loses her lease and must move in with her nephew’s family. Nóra expects Micheál to be waiting for her, but he never appears, leaving her to wonder whether the boy was truly her grandson or whether Micheál and her daughter are still dancing and feasting with the fairies under the fairy mound.
Quick Facts
- Author
- Hannah Kent
- Country
- Australia
- Language
- English
- Genre
- Historical fiction
- Publisher
- Pan Macmillan, Australia
- Release Date
- 27 September 2016
- Media Type
- Paperback
- Pages
- 386 pp
- Isbn
- 9781743534908
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The novel is set in 1825 in County Kerry, Ireland, and follows Nóra Leahy, who is grieving the deaths of her daughter and husband while caring for her disabled grandson Micheál. The boy cannot walk or talk and screams all night, leading local women to suspect he is a changeling—a child taken by the fairies known as the Good People, euhemerised versions of the Tuatha Dé Danann. Nóra hires a young girl, Mary Clifford, to help, but rumors persist, and they consult Nance Roche, a bean feasa (cunning woman) expert in herbs and said to be in communion with fairies. Father Healy, the new priest, opposes these superstitions, arguing they hinder Irish freedom from British rule. The community is divided between believers in old superstitions and skeptics, though many have unexplained experiences. Eventually, Nance, Nóra, and Mary perform a ritual on Micheál, dunking him in a place where two rivers meet in the Flesk; on the third day, he drowns. They are arrested by police called by the priest and tried. Mary is not charged and testifies against the two women, who claim the child was a changeling. The women are acquitted. After the trial, Nance's cabin is burned by angry locals, and Nóra loses her lease, forced to move in with her nephew's family. Nóra wonders whether the boy was truly her grandson or if Micheál and her daughter are still away under the fairy ráth.
Reader's Guide
The Good People explores the tension between superstition and skepticism in early 19th-century rural Ireland, drawing on a real 1826 death. The novel's significance lies in its unsentimental portrayal of harsh daily life and the tragic consequences of blind faith in folklore. Kent's research into Irish folklore and the trial of Anne Roche—who was acquitted for drowning a boy she believed was a changeling—grounds the story in historical ambiguity. The novel received critical attention for its atmospheric depiction of a community split by belief and doubt, and for its ability to make historical superstitions resonate with modern audiences. It serves as a case study in how faith in the supernatural can lead to real-world harm, while also preserving the uncertainty of the original events, as the jury acquitted the accused women. The work contributes to discussions of historical fiction's role in re-examining marginalized beliefs and the power of narrative to shape understanding of the past.
Did You Know?
- The novel was inspired by the 1826 death of Michael Leahy in Kerry, Ireland.
- A witness against Anne Roche was Mary Clifford, a servant for the boy's grandmother.
- The epigraph is from W.B. Yeats' The Celtic Twilight.
- The two elderly women were acquitted by the jury.
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