I’m a great fan of Irish writing but it seems to me that Irish women, in particular, have been excelling themselves over the past few years. Here are five favourites each with a link to a review on this blog. I’m sure there’ll be more to follow.
Sheila Armstrong’s first novel, Falling Animals, lived up to expectations raised by her short story collection, How to Gut a Fish. It spans a year in which the authorities try to trace the identity of a corpse found on an Irish beach one August morning, within sight of the shipwreck that caught fire some time ago, some say the work of the shipping company wanting to hurry along their long-drawn-out insurance claim. Witnesses come forward but details are sketchy. A year to the day after the discovery, a memorial is unveiled filled with names of those who’ve perished at sea. Armstrong’s novel is a mosaic of often strikingly poetic narratives from those connected to the dead man. A fine novel which reminded me of Jon McGregor’s Reservoir 13 both in its structure and the quality of its writing. High praise indeed.
Set in 1985, Claire Keegan’s Small Things Like These follows timber and coal merchant Bill Furlong who finds himself faced
with a moral dilemma. Bill has lived in New Ross all his life. His illegitimacy marks him out but he’s done well thanks to the generosity and kindness of Mrs Wilson, his mother’s employer. On the Sunday before Christmas, he delivers a load to the local convent and makes a dreadful discovery. There’s long been gossip in the town about the young girls taken in for ‘training’ in the convent laundry, often pregnant when they arrive, but the town’s people have looked the other way. Keegan tells her story from Bill’s perspective, a decent man well aware that life would have been very different had it not been for Mrs Wilson. Lyrical yet spare, Keegan’s empathetic, compassionate writing reminded me of both Colm Tóibín’s and John McGahern’s, two of my favourite writers.
I know many can’t stand Sally Rooney’s writing or avoid it like the plague based on her reputation as an introspective chronicler of her generation, but her influence on Irish women’s writing can’t be denied. Her award-winning debut, Conversations with Friends , follows Frances and Bobbi – once lovers – who are drawn into an older couple’s orbit, meeting their friends, attending dinner parties, bumping into them at Dublin’s arts events then invited to join them for a holiday. Bobbi develops a crush on Melissa, then Frances takes an initiative which leads to an affair with Nick. Rooney smartly captures the awkwardness of young adulthood. She has a knack of making the most mundane observations both interesting and amusing. I found her novel curiously addictive.
Orla Mackey’s Mouthingtells the story of Ballygowan, tucked away in rural Ireland, over several generations beginning in the 1960s when Joe and Mona Muldowney enjoy a brief period of happiness after their brutish father dies, liberating their mother. Mackey’s characters tell their stories in a vivid vernacular, much of it threaded through with an enjoyably dark humour. Each has their own distinct voice, most not short of opinions about their fellow villagers, some sharp-tongued and judgemental, others more forgiving. They take a lively interest in the business of others but many have secrets of their own to protect and there are tragedies whose effects are far reaching. I thoroughly enjoyed this cleverly constructed debut, told with a pleasingly acerbic wit and a sharp eye for human nature balanced with compassion.
The main protagonist of Sara Baume’s Spill Simmer Falter Wither is fifty-seven-year-old Ray, barely able to string a sentence
together in public, his greasy plait trailing down his back. On one of his weekly forays, he spots a notice in a shop window showing a dog as ugly as he thinks himself. At the pound he finds the terrier, bad-tempered and alone, about to face the chop and takes him on, more for practical than sentimental reasons. Soon this odd pair are inseparable. When One Eye’s terrier nature comes out, the dog warden knocks at their door. Appalled at the prospect of losing the only friend he’s ever had, Ray packs up the car and drives off into an unexplored world. As its title suggests, Baume’s novel is told in poetic, sometimes musical language. She paints gorgeous word pictures of the natural world, weaving observations of the changing seasons through Ray’s narrative The novel ends with a vivid epilogue which almost mirrors its gut-wrenching prologue.
Any novels by Irish women you’d particularly recommend?
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I really liked Spill, Simmer… great to see it included. Claire Keegan is wonderful, Foster remains my favourite of hers.
One recent novel by an Irish woman writer that I didn’t expect to particularly enjoy but really did, is Trespasses by Louise Kennedy. I’ve not watched the Channel 4 adaptation yet, but maybe over Easter I’ll get to it!
Mouthing is the only one of these I haven’t read yet – like Cathy, I shall check it out. and the new Sheila Armstrong. I wasn’t convinced by Conversations with Friends, I couldn’t see Melissa’s motive for befriending Bobbi and Frances.
I too loved your first two choices. I’m one of the Sally Rooney Refusers, and more worryingly, can’t seem to get on with Sara Baume. I think I need to give her another try. Maybe later …. But Orla Mackey’s been on my radar for a while. Let’s see how that goes!
I must watch out for Armstrong’s and Mackey’s books. Loved Keegan’s. I have just finished Anne Enright’s The Green Road. It’s very good. Recommend Cathy Sweeney’s Breakdown, Erskine’s The Benefactors and Caldwell’s These Days in particular.
The Benefactors will certainly be appearing in further posts – one of my books of 2025 – and Breakdown’s somewhere in my TBR. Thanks for the recommendations.
I’ve read 4 of your 5 (all but the Armstrong). I’m currently enjoying Show Me Where It Hurts by Claire Gleeson. We did Trespasses earlier in the month for book club; I’d already read it but skimmed back through and was impressed.
I hope this message finds you well. I’ve been following your work and I’m aware of the many challenges authors are navigating today, including AI copyright issues, market competition, and financial pressures.
I’d love to offer my support in any way I can whether that’s promoting your work on social media, writing an honest review, or simply being part of your reader community.
Please don’t hesitate to reach out if there’s something specific I can do to help. Keep writing your voice is needed!
Jan Carson is one of my favourite Irish authors. A good introduction to her work would be The Last Resort but really you can’t go wrong with anything she’s written.
I’ve read three of these – Falling Animals, Small Things Like These and Mouthing. I’m currently reading Walk the Blue Fields, Claire Keegan’s second short story collection. I see that the film adaptation of Small Things Like These is coming to Netflix in late April. (The Quiet Girl, the adaptation of Foster is on Channel 4.) I’ve seen them both, they are well worth watching and fully do the books justice.
I really liked Spill, Simmer… great to see it included. Claire Keegan is wonderful, Foster remains my favourite of hers.
One recent novel by an Irish woman writer that I didn’t expect to particularly enjoy but really did, is Trespasses by Louise Kennedy. I’ve not watched the Channel 4 adaptation yet, but maybe over Easter I’ll get to it!
I loved Trespasses which will no doubt appear in a second or third post on this theme. The adaptation was superb. I hope you enjoy it.
Forgot to add Trespasses to my list below.
Another favourite.
I didn’t realise Trespasses had been adapted for TV. Loved it.
I think Kennedy had a hand in the adaptation. Highly recommend it!
I loved Falling Animals and I think Armstrong has a new book out this month? I’m definitely going to check out Mouthing now. Sounds great.
She has – I have a review all ready to go. So loved Mouthing!
Mouthing is the only one of these I haven’t read yet – like Cathy, I shall check it out. and the new Sheila Armstrong. I wasn’t convinced by Conversations with Friends, I couldn’t see Melissa’s motive for befriending Bobbi and Frances.
I’d assumed she was having trouble facing up to middle age. Mouthing is superb and not much talked about when first published as I recall.
Christine Dwyer Hickey came immediately. Although not set in Ireland, Our London Lives was one of my favourite novels of last year.
(The Other) Cathy did a list quite a few years ago now that should keep you going… https://746books.com/2017/03/08/100-books-irish-women-writers-literature/
Mine, too. One that will feature in another post on this theme for sure. Thanks for the link!
I too loved your first two choices. I’m one of the Sally Rooney Refusers, and more worryingly, can’t seem to get on with Sara Baume. I think I need to give her another try. Maybe later …. But Orla Mackey’s been on my radar for a while. Let’s see how that goes!
You’re far from alone with Rooney. The Mackey’s a treat. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
I must watch out for Armstrong’s and Mackey’s books. Loved Keegan’s. I have just finished Anne Enright’s The Green Road. It’s very good. Recommend Cathy Sweeney’s Breakdown, Erskine’s The Benefactors and Caldwell’s These Days in particular.
The Benefactors will certainly be appearing in further posts – one of my books of 2025 – and Breakdown’s somewhere in my TBR. Thanks for the recommendations.
I’ve read 4 of your 5 (all but the Armstrong). I’m currently enjoying Show Me Where It Hurts by Claire Gleeson. We did Trespasses earlier in the month for book club; I’d already read it but skimmed back through and was impressed.
A great book club choice. Lots to discuss. Are you enjoying the Gleeson?
So far so good. I’d hoped to review it for Reading Ireland Month but may have bitten off more than I can chew.
I saw Claire Gleeson at the Ennis Book Club Festival recently. Very interesting writer. But I think I would find the theme of the book difficult.
Yes, it is very sobering.
Hello,
I hope this message finds you well. I’ve been following your work and I’m aware of the many challenges authors are navigating today, including AI copyright issues, market competition, and financial pressures.
I’d love to offer my support in any way I can whether that’s promoting your work on social media, writing an honest review, or simply being part of your reader community.
Please don’t hesitate to reach out if there’s something specific I can do to help. Keep writing your voice is needed!
Warm regards,
Varnell Penrose
Many thanks, Varnell. I’ll bear that in mind.
Mouthing and Spill, Simmer are two I haven’t heard of and sound very interesting, thanks!
You’re welcome, Jane.
Jan Carson is one of my favourite Irish authors. A good introduction to her work would be The Last Resort but really you can’t go wrong with anything she’s written.
I certainly enjoyed The Raptures. I’ll add The Last Resort to my list. Thanks!
I think I must be the last person left alive who hasn’t read Small Things Like These. Thanks for the reminder – really must get to it!
I hope it won’t disappoint after such a buildup.
Good reviews. Spill Simmer Falter Wither interests me.
Thank you. Pleased to hear that one caught your eye.
I’ve read three of these – Falling Animals, Small Things Like These and Mouthing. I’m currently reading Walk the Blue Fields, Claire Keegan’s second short story collection. I see that the film adaptation of Small Things Like These is coming to Netflix in late April. (The Quiet Girl, the adaptation of Foster is on Channel 4.) I’ve seen them both, they are well worth watching and fully do the books justice.
Both films manage that rare thing of complementing the books beautifully, don’t they. I thought the same about That They May Face the Rising Sun.
I’ve just finished reading Walk the Blue Fields, which I can highly recommend. I’ve also just read that the title story is being made into a film.
Thanks for letting me know, Wendy. Let’s hope it will be as sensitively adapted as the others.
Congratulations on your book! May I ask if all of your titles are available on Amazon or Goodreads?