From the Women’s Prize-longlisted author of Nothing But Blue Sky

The Home Scar

&quot;MacMahon writes with such beautiful simplicity, conjuring real and complex people straight off the page ... subtle and authentic&quot; - Claire Fuller 
 
On opposite sides of the world, half-siblings Cassie and Christo have built their lives around work, intent on ignoring their painful past. 
 
When a dramatic storm in Galway hits the headlines, they're drawn back there to revisit a glorious childhood summer, the last before their mother died. But their journey uncovers memories of a far less happy summer - one that had tragic consequences. 
 
Confronted with the havoc their mother left in her wake, Cassie and Christo are forced to face their past and - ready or not - to deal with the messy tangle of parental love and neglect that shaped them. 
 
The Home Scar is a luminous and precise story about the inheritance of loss and the possibility of finally making peace with it. 
_________ 
 
&quot;Her beautifully simple style belies psychological complexity ... and her tone is wryly accepting&quot; - Big Issue 
 
&quot;Quiet and bleakly beautiful ... like the siblings and Ireland, it will leave a permanent mark on those who venture into its depths&quot; - Buzz 
 
&quot;Picks at the wounds only a mother can inflict ... ambitious ... intricate&quot; - Sunday Independent 
 
&quot;An exceptional novel about a brother and sister returning to the west of Ireland and to a summer of their past.&quot; - Anne Griffin, Sunday Independent 
 
&quot;A powerful story about legacy and loss and the possibility of reconciliation&quot; - Irish Times

A powerful story about legacy and loss and the possibility of reconciliation

Her beautifully simple style belies psychological complexity . . . and her tone is wryly accepting

Quiet and bleakly beautiful . . . like the siblings and Ireland, it will leave a permanent mark on those who venture into its depths

Picks at the wounds only a mother can inflict . . . ambitious . . . intricate

An exceptional novel about a brother and sister returning to the west of Ireland and to a summer of their past.

MacMahon writes with such beautiful simplicity, conjuring real and complex people straight off the page . . . subtle and authentic

Thoughtful, understated . . . it has a quiet power

A gorgeous story of sibling love. It reads like a psychological adventure story into memory

A spell-binding story of inherited grief and the unbreakable bond between siblings as they unpick memories of their shared past . . . [MacMahon's] characters feel authentic and relatable for all their flaws

Such a treat . . . another stunner from Kathleen MacMahon

With her usual effortless writing style and ability to make characters pop off the page, [The Home Scar] is a moving read

An intriguing, meticulous and generation-spanning story of love, loss and healing

Kathleen MacMahon's subject is memory itself: how we remember - and the impact upon our future lives when our memories deceive us. Compassionate and poignant, The Home Scar is a work of considerable moral power

A very grown-up novel about life and love, of course, and above all, the repercussions of a disrupted childhood . . . a real tour de force

The Home Scar once again displays Kathleen MacMahon's gimlet-eyed understanding of grown-up frailty

[MacMahon's] exploration of connection, to each other and the ones we've lost, is . . . sensitively done and wrapped in the rich storytelling that has made her a notable name in Irish literature

A love story to the west of Ireland as much as it is a family mystery, this beautifully written novel will entrance anyone who has memories of childhood holidays spent in the area.

MacMahon's fourth novel ... is another eloquently written and elegantly shaped novel that lays bare those scars that many of us carry and cover.

An exceptional novel by one of Ireland's foremost literary talents. A book not to be missed

One of Ireland's finest twenty-first century writers

The Home Scar is Kathleen MacMahon's fourth novel. Her debut, This is How it Ends, spent five weeks at the top of the Irish bestseller chart, and was a Richard and Judy Book Club choice. It was followed by The Long, Hot Summer, also an Irish bestseller, and Nothing But Blue Sky, longlisted for the 2021 Women's Prize for Fiction. Kathleen is a former broadcast journalist. She lives in Dublin with her family.

On opposite sides of the world, half-siblings Cassie and Christo have built their lives around work, intent on ignoring their painful past. 
 
When a dramatic storm in Galway hits the headlines, they're drawn back there to revisit a glorious childhood summer, the last before their mother died. But their journey uncovers memories of a far less happy summer - one that had tragic consequences. 
 
Confronted with the havoc their mother left in her wake, Cassie and Christo are forced to face their past and - ready or not - to deal with the messy tangle of parental love and neglect that shaped them. 
 
The Home Scar is a luminous and precise story about the inheritance of loss and the possibility of finally making peace with it.

Nothing But Blue Sky

Is there such a thing as a perfect marriage? 
 
David thought so. But when his wife Mary Rose dies suddenly he has to think again. In reliving their twenty years together David sees that the ground beneath them had shifted and he simply hadn't noticed. Or had chosen not to. 
 
Figuring out who Mary Rose really was and the secrets that she kept - some of these hidden in plain sight - makes David wonder if he really knew her. Did he even know himself? 
 
Nothing But Blue Sky is a precise and tender story of love in marriage - a gripping examination of what binds couples together and of what keeps them apart. 
 
______________ 
 
'Touching and enthralling' Sunday Times 
 
'What a beautiful novel ... Elegant, understated, subtly powerful, and rings so perfectly true' Donal Ryan 
 
'Heart-rending ... MacMahon's words ring with the honesty of truth, offering genuine insight into the human condition' Business Post 
 
'Beautiful and moving' Claire Fuller, author of Unsettled Ground 
 
'Skilfully written with a wonderful lightness of touch' Irish Times 
 
'Gentle and triumphant, MacMahon offers us a novel seeped in beautiful prose and poignant tenderness' Anne Griffin 
 
'A beautifully written and powerful tale' Woman &amp; Home 
 
'A tender dissection of a marriage' Independent 
 
'A piece of perfection ... the best book I've read all year' Irish Examiner 
 
'Sure and subtle, MacMahon holds the reader in her spell. She is a born storyteller' Mike McCormack

A poignant, gentle and astutely observed novel about marriage and the evolution of love

A piece of perfection - a subtle, thought-provoking investigation of a marriage. It rings true. It's the best book I've read all year

What a beautiful novel ... elegant, understated, subtly powerful, and rings so perfectly true ... Beautiful, poignant moments, drawn with such quiet power. And that quiet power is alive and at work on every page

Claire Fuller, author of Unsettled Ground

Insightful and deeply moving, this is a story of one man's grief that somehow manages to hold onto its sense of humour. I loved this book

Skilfully written with a wonderful lightness of touch ... An acutely observed portrait of a relationship ... filled with astute observations of human behaviour

Kathleen MacMahon's prose could not appear more effortless or beautiful

Heart-rending ... a tender and beautiful [love story] ... MacMahon's words ring with the honesty of truth, offering genuine insight into the human condition

This elegant, tender novel is an absolute pleasure

Gentle and triumphant, MacMahon offers us a novel steeped in beautiful prose and poignant tenderness

The most beautiful prose I have read in years ... Not only my favourite novel of the year, but possibly of the decade

I've been recommending Nothing But Blue Sky to anyone who'll listen ... It's about grief and eulogising and getting into the "habit of happiness" and I just loved it

Beautiful ... A gentle but deeply affecting read, and the perfect reminder of how sadness and hope can sometimes live side by side

Sure and subtle, MacMahon holds the reader in her spell. She is a born storyteller

Kathleen MacMahon has written an absorbing, grave, and emotionally resonant study of a marriage, of a life, of masculinity and of grief. A marvellous achievement

Kathleen MacMahon sensitively explores the complexities of the human heart and reveals how even in the depths of grief, unexpected light can emerge from the darkness

Full of humour and brims with the warmth of family, friendship and the possibility of second chances

An elegantly written and moving account of one man coming to terms with the sudden death of his wife

Excellent (and darkly funny) ... A sensitive, nuanced, and ultimately hopeful exploration of grief

A tender portrait of a marriage and how we are formed by our closest relationships

Heart-wrenching ... Almost a parable, it's a cautionary tale for those failing to appreciate just how short life can be

It's rare to read an account of a happy normal marriage and she does it brilliantly

Kathleen MacMahon writes with a confidence and ease and with an unerring sense of timing

Nothing But Blue Sky is quiet and thoughtful and very moving - Claire Fuller

The Home Scar is Kathleen MacMahon's fourth novel. Her debut, This is How it Ends, spent five weeks at the top of the bestseller lists in Ireland, and was a Richard and Judy Book Club choice in the UK. It was followed by The Long, Hot Summer, also a bestseller in Ireland, and Nothing But Blue Sky, which was nominated for the Women's Prize for Fiction in 2021. Kathleen is a former radio and television journalist with Ireland's national broadcaster, RTÉ, and she lives in Dublin with her family.

Is there such a thing as a perfect marriage? 
 
David thought so. But when his wife Mary Rose dies suddenly he has to think again. Figuring out who Mary Rose really was and the secrets that she kept - some of these hidden in plain sight - makes David wonder if he really knew her. Did he even know himself? 
 
Nothing But Blue Sky is a precise and tender story of love in marriage - a gripping examination of what binds couples together and of what keeps them apart. 
 
'Touching and enthralling' Sunday Times 
 
'A beautifully written and powerful tale' Woman &amp; Home 
 
'Not only my favourite novel of the year, but possibly of the decade' Sunday Independent

Kathleen MacMahon

Warm-hearted and relatable, a book that perfectly captures the messiness of modern family life

Radiant novel that casts a tender yet unflinching eye upon the golden cage that is love. I found myself taking screenshots to send to friends because MacMahon nails it over and over again

MacMahon is an astute chronicler of modern life, its loves and losses’

Incisive, witty and tender, there’s not a woman in the country who won’t relate to this fine and thought-provoking novel

I adored this novel. It asks difficult questions, unveils uncomfortable realities, and nudges forth unsettling answers, all while keeping the reader so engaged and so entertained that they simply don't want this narrative to end. A book to inhale.

MacMahon writes with precision and tenderness about quietly complex lives. Beautiful.

Simply exquisite, proving once again that MacMahon is one of Ireland's finest writers.

This wise, truthful novel explores brilliantly all the complexity of women's lives – with a brutal honesty but also a great tenderness and lightness of touch.

Thoughtful and provocative, a beautifully narrated story of friendship and marriage

So beautifully observed, so penetrating, so coolly aware of the texture of people’s lives.

I really and truly loved this tender, deeply satisfying novel about love, marriage and the decisions that follow us home.

An elegant and beautifully-observed novel by one of our finest contemporary writers

A tender-hearted portrait of modern life, told with MacMahon’s trademark wit and warmth. I flew through it

A brilliantly observed, funny, poignant and utterly real portrait of a mid-life woman and her family. I loved it.

‘Marriage was the biggest decision of their lives and yet they made it so lightly it was barely a decision at all’ 
 
As schoolgirls, Justine and her best friend Iseult dreamed of a future that revolved around marriage. They saw it as a happy ending, never imagining for a moment that the reality would be more complicated. 
 
Coming up to fifty, they're still best friends. Justine has been married to Iseult’s brother for twenty-five years and lives in her childhood home. Iseult has spent her adult life abroad, her marriage clearly unhappy for reasons she won't discuss. 
 
When Justine’s daughter suddenly announces her engagement, Justine is thrown into planning a big family wedding. Afraid that her daughter is making a mistake, she finds herself questioning the choices she and Iseult made decades earlier. This crisis of confidence tests Justine in new and unexpected ways. 
 
From the Women’s Prize longlisted author of Nothing But Blue Sky and The Home Scar, Other People’s Lives is a captivating story about the decisions we make in a heartbeat, and their lifelong consequences.

Kathleen MacMahon

Praise for Other People's Lives

Warm-hearted and relatable, a book that perfectly captures the messiness of modern family life

Radiant novel that casts a tender yet unflinching eye upon the golden cage that is love. I found myself taking screenshots to send to friends because MacMahon nails it over and over again

MacMahon is an astute chronicler of modern life, its loves and losses’

Warm-hearted and relatable, a book that perfectly captures the messiness of modern family life

Radiant novel that casts a tender yet unflinching eye upon the golden cage that is love. I found myself taking screenshots to send to friends because MacMahon nails it over and over again

MacMahon is an astute chronicler of modern life, its loves and losses’

Warm-hearted and relatable, a book that perfectly captures the messiness of modern family life

Radiant novel that casts a tender yet unflinching eye upon the golden cage that is love. I found myself taking screenshots to send to friends because MacMahon nails it over and over again

MacMahon is an astute chronicler of modern life, its loves and losses’

Books by Kathleen MacMahon

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