Life Without Children by Roddy Doyle

Ten stories by Roddy Doyle in one book – what a treat for fans of the Booker Prizewinning author. The short stories are told against the backdrop of the pandemic and portray many of the sad, desperate, heart-rending emotions sparked by the virus. The titles of some of the chapters give clues to Doyle’s take on events – The Curfew, Gone, Masks and The Funeral. But through the darkness, his lyrical style of wit, passion and occasional obscene outbursts shines through. The stories touch on many of the tragic scenes witnessed all too often over the past year, from an exhausted nurse losing a patient, to a son who can’t attend his mother’s funeral.