Overview

‘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. --- ‘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 ‘I really and truly loved this tender, deeply satisfying novel’ Orla Mackey ‘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

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9781844886739

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Reviews

Warm-hearted and relatable, a book that perfectly captures the messiness of modern family life * Aingeala Flannery * 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 * Claire Kilroy * MacMahon is an astute chronicler of modern life, its loves and losses’ * David Park * 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 * 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. * Belinda McKeon * MacMahon writes with precision and tenderness about quietly complex lives. Beautiful. * Hilary Fannin * Simply exquisite, proving once again that MacMahon is one of Ireland's finest writers. * Anne Griffin * 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. * Anne Tiernan * Thoughtful and provocative, a beautifully narrated story of friendship and marriage * Anna Fitzgerald * So beautifully observed, so penetrating, so coolly aware of the texture of people’s lives. * Neil Hegarty *

Author Information

Other People's Lives is Kathleen MacMahon's fifth 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. Her third, Nothing But Blue Sky, was longlisted 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.

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