An Irish Sunday Independent Book of the Year Pick for 2025! 'I loved this novel for its
rawness its assured writing and its empathetic characters. Caragh Maxwell is a writer to
watch.' Irish Examiner For fans of Sally Rooney and Megan Nolan comes a remarkable new
Irish debut about growing up and moving backwards What do you do when you've ruined your
life? You go home to your mother if you're lucky enough still to have one. Saoirse Maher
wouldn't recommend it. Leaving home wasn't supposed to be temporary. When she moved to
London Saoirse was leaving Ireland behind for good and with it her messy broken family. But
it turns out that starting again isn't as easy as she imagined and when her five-year
relationship goes south Saoirse finds herself out of options. And so here she is trudging
back to her mother Máire's house up a side road on the outskirts of Irish civilisation.
Except the world she comes back to is nothing like the one she left behind. Her mother has a
new family and everyone else seems to be moving on. But between the drinking drugs and an
entirely healthy not-problematic-at-all-thanks relationship with Charlie there's plenty to
distract her. Don't look too closely and everything's fine. Saoirse is just fine. 'This
is such an absorbing read shocking and brutal at times but incredibly tender at others. Fans
of Megan Nolan or Niamh Mulvey will love it.' NIAMH HARGAN
