New York Times Editors' Choice, 2012, Commended, The O'Briens.
Moments of grace and romance are rocked by cruel words and violence in this epic, a piece of rough beauty itself.
- Publishers Weekly, starred review
"Peter Behrens is a master of the art of storytelling."
- Chalk the Sun Blog
"Behrens is a beautiful writer ... this is a novel whose vision affirms life in the very best ways."
- The Arts Fuse
The O'Briens is a major accomplishment.
- New York Times
[The O'Briens] immerses readers in a river of narrative that seems less like fiction than lived experience ... striking and heartfelt ...
- Daily Beast
... fine storytelling ...
- Seattle Times
Time and time again, Behrens proves himself a first-rate seanchaí, the Irish term for a storyteller, by bringing the O’Brien clan to life on the page.
- Washington Post
Illuminating ... an epic along the lines of Middlesex in the way it follows a family through time and examines the results of their actions ... A brooding novel, engrossing in its scope and detail, The O’Briens keeps sight of the family’s personal stories amid the larger history of much of the twentieth century.
- Booklist
...unforgettable...
- Vogue
... Behrens deliver[s] beautifully ... thrilling and poignant.
- Montreal Review of Books
. . . Behrens does an excellent job of exposing the particulars of life . . . extremely moving . . .
- Edmonton Journal
Behrens' fine writing moves readers from one decade to the next, and we become more attached to each of the characters with each passing year . . . a sweeping Canadian saga that will carry readers along.
- Vancouver Sun
[The O'Briens] is impressive in its scope and ambitious in its goals. Behrens's writing is always tight, and some of his descriptions are flat-out jaw-dropping.
- Globe and Mail
A truly wonderful writer who will no doubt be dominating the literary award nomination lists this fall.
- Montreal Gazette
For sheer reading satisfaction, The O'Briens is a treat waiting for everyone who read and enjoyed The Law of Dreams.
- Owen Sound Sun Times
. . . tragic and warm . . . lush with Canadian history . . .
- The Coast
. . . a distinctly 20th-century -- and decidedly Canadian -- family epic . . . pitch-perfect.
- National Post
. . . a forward-looking novel . . . you want to turn the pages because the people become so real . . . but underlying the story is a nuance of tragedy and old sadness.
- Kitchener-Waterloo Record
Behren's characters are painfully real . . . the battle of the O'Brien family is as legendary and epic as any war.
- Telegraph-Journal
Brimming with complex and nuanced characters, Behrens's second novel lives up to the expectations set by his award-winning debut.
- Winnipeg Free Press