Kathleen MacMahon – författare

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 & 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

"MacMahon writes with such beautiful simplicity, conjuring real and complex people straight off the page ... subtle and authentic" - 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._________"Her beautifully simple style belies psychological complexity ... and her tone is wryly accepting" - Big Issue "Quiet and bleakly beautiful ... like the siblings and Ireland, it will leave a permanent mark on those who venture into its depths" - Buzz "Picks at the wounds only a mother can inflict ... ambitious ... intricate" - Sunday Independent "An exceptional novel about a brother and sister returning to the west of Ireland and to a summer of their past." - Anne Griffin, Sunday Independent "A powerful story about legacy and loss and the possibility of reconciliation" - Irish Times

This is when it begins Autumn, 2008. This is where it begins The coast of Dublin. This is why it begins Bruno, an American, has come to Ireland to search for his roots. Addie, an out-of-work architect, is recovering from heartbreak while taking care of her infirm father. When their worlds collide, they experience a connection unlike any they've previously felt, but soon their newfound love will be tested in ways they never imagined possible. This is how it ends ...

From the author of Nothing But Blue Sky, longlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction, 2021Nine Lives.Four Generations.One Family.The MacEntees are no ordinary family. Determined to be different to other people, they have carved out a place for themselves in Irish life by the sheer force of their own personalities. But when a horrifying act of violence befalls television star Alma, a chain of events is set in motion that will leave even the MacEntees struggling to make sense of who they are.As media storms rage about them and secrets rise to the surface, Deirdre the flamboyant matriarch is planning a birthday party for herself, and with it one final, shocking surprise. From Kathleen MacMahon, the Number One bestselling author of This is How it Ends, comes this powerful and poignant novel capturing a moment in the life of one family.

‘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. It's a crisis of confidence that tests her in surprising and transformational 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.

‘A brilliantly observed, funny, poignant and utterly real portrait of a mid-life woman and her family. I loved it.’ Claire Fuller‘An elegant and beautifully-observed novel by one of our finest contemporary writers’ Louise Kennedy‘I found myself taking screenshots to send to friends because MacMahon nails it over and over again’ Claire Kilroy---‘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.---‘An insightful page-turner … MacMahon writes of harried midlife with devastating accuracy’ Irish Times‘In the lightness of touch, the quality of the writing, and the perceptive characterisation, I reached the final pages ready for more too. This is a fine novel by a hugely gifted writer.’ John Boyne, Irish Independent‘A book to inhale’ Belinda McKeon'Warm-hearted and relatable, perfectly captures the messiness of modern family life' Aingeala Flannery‘MacMahon is an astute chronicler of modern life’ David Park'A tender-hearted portrait of modern life, told with MacMahon’s trademark wit and warmth. I flew through it’ Louise Nealon‘Beautiful’ Hilary Fannin‘Incisive, witty and tender, there’s not a woman in the country who won’t relate to this fine and thought-provoking novel.’ Christine Dwyer Hickey‘Thoughtful and provocative, a beautifully narrated story of friendship and marriage’ Anna Fitzgerald'Simply exquisite. MacMahon is one of Ireland's finest writers.’ Anne Griffin‘Perceptive, tender, astute, beguiling’ Martina Devlin‘Just wonderful . . . reminded me of Ann Patchett . . . couldn’t recommend it highly enough’ Today with David McCullagh, RTÉ Radio 1 ‘I really and truly loved this tender, deeply satisfying novel’ Orla Mackey‘I’ve always adored MacMahon’s perceptive novels – and this is her most accomplished and comprehensive yet … her most complex yet.’ Sue Leonard, Irish Examiner‘So beautifully observed, so penetrating, so coolly aware of the texture of people’s lives.’ Neil Hegarty‘This wise, truthful novel explores brilliantly all the complexity of women's lives’ Anne Tiernan‘Thought-provoking and utterly absorbing’ Sinéad Crowley

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 & 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

"MacMahon writes with such beautiful simplicity, conjuring real and complex people straight off the page ... subtle and authentic" - 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._________"Her beautifully simple style belies psychological complexity ... and her tone is wryly accepting" - Big Issue "Quiet and bleakly beautiful ... like the siblings and Ireland, it will leave a permanent mark on those who venture into its depths" - Buzz "Picks at the wounds only a mother can inflict ... ambitious ... intricate" - Sunday Independent "An exceptional novel about a brother and sister returning to the west of Ireland and to a summer of their past." - Anne Griffin, Sunday Independent "A powerful story about legacy and loss and the possibility of reconciliation" - Irish Times

"MacMahon writes with such beautiful simplicity, conjuring real and complex people straight off the page ... subtle and authentic" - 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._________"Her beautifully simple style belies psychological complexity ... and her tone is wryly accepting" - Big Issue "Quiet and bleakly beautiful ... like the siblings and Ireland, it will leave a permanent mark on those who venture into its depths" - Buzz "Picks at the wounds only a mother can inflict ... ambitious ... intricate" - Sunday Independent "An exceptional novel about a brother and sister returning to the west of Ireland and to a summer of their past." - Anne Griffin, Sunday Independent "A powerful story about legacy and loss and the possibility of reconciliation" - Irish Times

‘A brilliantly observed, funny, poignant and utterly real portrait of a mid-life woman and her family. I loved it.’ Claire Fuller‘An elegant and beautifully-observed novel by one of our finest contemporary writers’ Louise Kennedy‘I found myself taking screenshots to send to friends because MacMahon nails it over and over again’ Claire Kilroy---‘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.---‘An insightful page-turner … MacMahon writes of harried midlife with devastating accuracy’ Irish Times‘In the lightness of touch, the quality of the writing, and the perceptive characterisation, I reached the final pages ready for more too. This is a fine novel by a hugely gifted writer.’ John Boyne, Irish Independent‘A book to inhale’ Belinda McKeon'Warm-hearted and relatable, perfectly captures the messiness of modern family life' Aingeala Flannery‘MacMahon is an astute chronicler of modern life’ David Park'A tender-hearted portrait of modern life, told with MacMahon’s trademark wit and warmth. I flew through it’ Louise Nealon‘Beautiful’ Hilary Fannin‘Incisive, witty and tender, there’s not a woman in the country who won’t relate to this fine and thought-provoking novel.’ Christine Dwyer Hickey‘Thoughtful and provocative, a beautifully narrated story of friendship and marriage’ Anna Fitzgerald'Simply exquisite. MacMahon is one of Ireland's finest writers.’ Anne Griffin‘Perceptive, tender, astute, beguiling’ Martina Devlin‘Just wonderful . . . reminded me of Ann Patchett . . . couldn’t recommend it highly enough’ Today with David McCullagh, RTÉ Radio 1 ‘I really and truly loved this tender, deeply satisfying novel’ Orla Mackey‘I’ve always adored MacMahon’s perceptive novels – and this is her most accomplished and comprehensive yet … her most complex yet.’ Sue Leonard, Irish Examiner‘So beautifully observed, so penetrating, so coolly aware of the texture of people’s lives.’ Neil Hegarty‘This wise, truthful novel explores brilliantly all the complexity of women's lives’ Anne Tiernan‘Thought-provoking and utterly absorbing’ Sinéad Crowley