Globally known as the land of saints and scholars, Ireland has a rich literary history with a reputation for excellence… and these new releases certainly hit the mark. From the long-awaited sequel to Colm Tóibín’s Brooklyn to the second novel from Catherine Prasifka (Sally Rooney’s sister-in-law), here are some of the best new Irish books coming next month.
The Alternatives by Caoilinn Hughes
Witty and unexpectedly hopeful, The Alternatives hinges on the lives of the Flattery sisters – each single, each with a PhD. Plunged prematurely into adulthood when their parents died in tragic circumstances, the foursome are now in their thirties and leading disparate, distanced lives. Until one day Olwen, a geologist haunted by a terrible awareness of the Earth’s future, abruptly vanishes from her home. Brought together for the first time in years, her three younger siblings descend on the Irish countryside to find her; confronting both old wounds and a desperately uncertain future. SJP recently posted about the book on her IG so it’s clear she’s a fan.
Evenings and Weekends by Oisin McKenna
It’s June 2019 and the entirety of London has converged on the city’s parks, beer gardens and street corners to revel in the collective joys of being alive. Centred on the characters of Maggie (30, pregnant, broke), her boyfriend Ed (trying to run from his past), her best friend Phil (in love with his housemate Keith) and Phil’s mother Rosaleen (has cancer), Evenings and Weekends tells the story of how everything can change over the course of one scorching summer weekend.
Reality Check by Vicki Notaro
Former magazine editor Vicki Notaro’s debut novel, Reality Check, introduces us to Portia Daniels; a TV writer who has it all… until she doesn’t. When a bombshell throws her life into disarray, she’s forced to move home to West Kerry where yet more scandal awaits – and she’s about to get as big a wake-up call as her famous mother and sisters are. Lifting the lid on the ‘glamour’ of celebrity culture, it’s giving Real Housewives drama with an Irish twist.
The Coast Road by Alan Murrin
It’s 1994 in County Donegal, Ireland, and everyone is talking about Colette Crowley – the writer, the bohemian, the woman who left her husband and sons to pursue a relationship with a married man in Dublin. But now Colette is back, and nobody knows why. A novel about a closed community and the consequences of daring to move against the tide, The Coast Road is, as Gillian Anderson puts it, “an addictive read”.
Exile by Aimée Walsh
Fiadh’s life is turned completely upside down on a night out in Belfast and it’s not long before everyone has heard what happened; such is the nature of small-town gossip in Ireland. Now, her life is in freefall. Brutally honest and at times, quite dark, Exile explores the chaos and volatility that often underlies the transition from adolescence to young adulthood.
Long Island by Colm Tóibín
The highly-anticipated sequel to Tóibín’s bestselling novel Brooklyn, in Long Island we are reunited with Eilis Lacey once again – this time 20 years later. Still married to Tony Fiorello, they live in a house in Long Island together with their children… perhaps a little too close to her in-laws. She’s quite content with her lot but when a man with an Irish accent knocks on her door, everything changes and for the first time in years, she suddenly feels very far from home. An exhilarating novel, it asks whether it is possible to truly return to the past and renew the great love that seemed gone forever. Fingers crossed we get a follow-up film too!
The Grateful Water by Juliana Adelman
When a young butcher spots a strange shape on the banks of the River Liffey, the city is gripped by a grimy case of infanticide. Detective Martin Peakin – an amateur entomologist and full of regret for his failed engagement – sets off in search of the murderer, eager to impress his superiors. But, as Peakin draws closer, he begins to realise that not all is as it seems. Sticky with blood, secrets and guilt, this mystery drama set in 1860s Dublin will suck you in until the last page.
Hey, Zoey by Sarah Crossan
When 43-year-old Dolores O’Shea finds an animatronic sex doll called Zoey hidden in her garage, initially, she does nothing – assuming it to belong to her husband, David, with whom her relationship is strained. But then, Dolores and Zoey start to talk… and what surfaces runs deeper than Dolores could have ever expected, with consequences for all of the relationships in her life, especially her relationship with herself. Is this where modern love is taking us?
Mouthing by Orla Mackey
Sharp-eyed and sharp-tongued, Mouthing is a multigenerational portrait of small-town life in Ireland. Set in the sleepy town of Ballyrowan, it may seem quiet at first glance but beneath the surface, there’s a thriving hotbed of gossip and intrigue – endless material for mouthing and plenty of people to perpetuate it. A biting, unsentimental love letter to rural Irish life, this is a story we’re all familiar with.
This Is How You Remember It by Catherine Prasifka
The second novel from Irish author Catherine Prasifka, This Is How You Remember It is about a life lived online and coming of age in the digital era. In Prasifka’s own words, “I think I am the way I am because of the internet. I think my generation was a sacrificial one, although we didn’t know it at the time… This is how we remember growing up, and if you don’t remember it, I invite you to.”
Somebody Knows by Michelle McDonagh
As her adoptive mother lies dying, journalist Cara Joyce overhears a shocking piece of information about her origins – something that connects her to the unsolved death of a young woman found in a Connemara bog nearly 30 years ago. Intent on solving the mystery of Lucia’s disappearance, the quest for truth takes over Cara’s life and she finds herself increasingly at odds with those around her. A story of dangerous secrets and the lengths people will go to keep them, Somebody Knows is a page-turner that will leave you itching for more.
When We Were Silent by Fiona McPhillips
A gripping debut novel from Fiona McPhillips, When We Were Silent is told through a dual narrative that flips between present-day and 80s convent school Dublin. Lou Mason sets out to expose a culture of silence, corruption and abuse at her elite Dublin school; and thirty years later, she gets a chance to hold the school to account once and for all.
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