The Book Club
The latest book releases from Irish authors
WE ARE THE BRENNANS TRACEY LANGE
When 29-year-old Sunday Brennan wakes up in a Los Angeles hospital, bruised and battered after a drunk-driving accident she caused, she swallows her pride and goes home to her family in New York. But it's not easy. She deserted them all, and her high school sweetheart, five years before, with little explanation and they've got questions. Sunday is determined to rebuild her life back on the East Coast, even if it does mean tiptoeing around resentful brothers and an ex-fiancé. The longer she stays, however, the more she realizes they need her just as much as she needs them.
Tracey Lange's critically acclaimed New York Times bestseller We Are the Brennans explores the staying power of shame and the redemptive power of love, in an Irish Catholic family torn apart by secrets.
ALL MY FRIENDS ARE INVISIBLE JONATHAN JOLY
Growing up in conservative 1980s Dublin, where there was little tolerance for children who were "different", Jonathan Joly was indeed a different sort of child: creative, expressive, and, on the inside, a girl. The limitations of the people around him to understand his differences led to years of tyrannical bullying and abuse, forcing him to withdraw within himself to the point of clinical absence. His only chance for survival was the inner world he created for himself, rich with loving and supportive friends and playmates, that only he could see. Jonathan’s invisible friends were his lifeline and have remained with him to this day.
A book that has been described as “a mesmeric, harrowing and uplifting childhood memoir that will open up much-needed conversations about identity and mental health” from half of one of Ireland’s most recognisable families.
THE DEADWOOD ENCORE KATHLEEN MURRAY
Frank Whelan is the seventh son of a seventh son, so by now should have inherited his father's legendary healing power, but still hasn't managed to graduate beyond small-time skin afflictions. He already feels adrift when his twin, Bernie, reveals a life-changing decision that calls into question everything Frank thought he knew about his place in the family. And then he discovers his father had been keeping secrets of his own. Frank turns to an unlikely source for guidance and finds himself on a quest for answers.
A brilliantly inventive and witty novel about legacy and birthright from Kathleen Murray, Ireland's brightest new literary voice.
IT COULD NEVER HAPPEN HERE EITHNE SHORTALL
If there's one thing Beverly Franklin knows, it's that if you don't at least try to get your kid into Glass Lake Primary, you're basically negligent. Determined to hang on to her crown as Queen Bee of the "Lakers", Beverley will do whatever it takes to protect the school's reputation. So when a scandal involving her own 12-year-old daughter threatens to derail the annual school musical's appearance on national television, Beverley goes into overdrive. But in her efforts to protect her daughter and keep the musical on track, she misses what's really going, both in her own house and in the insular Glass Lake community, with dramatic consequences...
THE LETTER HOME RACHEL ENGLISH
When journalist Jessie Daly loses everything she holds dear, she travels home to Ireland's west coast and helps an old friend researching life during the Famine. Jessie becomes drawn into the heartbreaking story of a brave young mother, Bridget Moloney, and her daughter, Norah. On the other side of the ocean, in Boston, Kaitlin Wilson is researching her family tree. She unearths a fascinating story but her research forces her to confront uncomfortable truths about the past, as she uncovers an unexpected connection to Ireland in Famine times. Inspired by true Famine-time events, the letter home interweaves the lives of three remarkable women, across time and tides, in an unforgettable journey of the heart.
RACHEL, AGAIN MARIAN KEYES
In her twenties, Rachel Walsh was a mess. Since her spell in rehab, though, she's come a long way on the road to recovery - and now, she's ready to go back to where it all began. But this time, the student has become the teacher. She used to hate the staff in charge of treating her addiction. Now, she's one of them. Rachel's finally got herself on track - but life never stops being messy. And when an old flame resurfaces, will she go back to who she once was? Or at 50, can she find herself all over again? Sparkling form from one of Ireland’s most beloved authors.
DUFFY AND SON DAMIEN OWENS
Eugene Duffy is turning 70; his son Jim is turning 40. For decades now, they’ve been running the family hardware shop and living in good-natured bachelor harmony. But time is marching on and with thoughts of old age weighing heavily on his mind, Eugene is growing increasingly concerned about his son’s future. He resolves to help in the best way possible: by finding Jim a wife.
A heart-warming and hilarious novel about life, love and the weight of all we leave unsaid, Duffy & Son is a quietly moving masterpiece from one of Ireland’s most gifted comic writers.
IRELAND: THE BEST 100 PLACES JOHN AND SALLY MCKENNA
John and Sally McKenna have selected 100 extraordinary places throughout Ireland that epitomize what is unique and entrancing about the beautiful island of Ireland. Enrapturing, personal and diverse, the 100 Places is illustrated with gorgeous and evocative images. The Best100 Places is also extremely practical and features an exhaustive directory which tells you everything you need to know in order to have the very best experience whilst visiting these unforgettable destinations.