Other People's Lives

<p> A brilliantly observed, funny, poignant and utterly real portrait of a mid-life woman and her family. I loved it. <b>Claire Fuller</b><br><br> An elegant and beautifully-observed novel by one of our finest contemporary writers <b>Louise Kennedy</b><br><br> I found myself taking screenshots to send to friends because MacMahon nails it over and over again <b>Claire Kilroy</b><br><br>---<br><br><i><b> Marriage was the biggest decision of their lives and yet they made it so lightly it was barely a decision at all </b></i><br><br>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.<br><br>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.<br><br>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.<br><br>From the Women s Prize longlisted author of <i>Nothing But Blue Sky</i> and <i>The Home Scar</i>, Other People s Lives is a captivating story about the decisions we make in a heartbeat, and their lifelong consequences.<br><br>---<br><br> An insightful page-turner MacMahon writes of harried midlife with devastating accuracy <b><i>Irish Times</i></b><br><br> 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. <b>John Boyne, <i>Irish Independent</i></b><br><br> A book to inhale <b> Belinda McKeon</b><br><br>'Warm-hearted and relatable, perfectly captures the messiness of modern family life'<b> Aingeala Flannery</b><br><br> MacMahon is an astute chronicler of modern life <b>David Park</b><br><br>'A tender-hearted portrait of modern life, told with MacMahon s trademark wit and warmth. I flew through it <b>Louise Nealon</b><br><br> Beautiful <b>Hilary Fannin</b><br><br> Incisive, witty and tender, there s not a woman in the country who won t relate to this fine and thought-provoking novel. <b>Christine Dwyer Hickey</b><br><br> Thoughtful and provocative, a beautifully narrated story of friendship and marriage <b>Anna Fitzgerald</b><br><br>'Simply exquisite. MacMahon is one of Ireland's finest writers. <b> Anne Griffin</b><br><br> Perceptive, tender, astute, beguiling <b>Martina Devlin</b><br><br> Just wonderful . . . reminded me of Ann Patchett . . . couldn t recommend it highly enough <b>Today with David McCullagh, RT Radio 1 </b><br><br> I really and truly loved this tender, deeply satisfying novel <b>Orla Mackey</b><br><br> I ve always adored MacMahon s perceptive novels and this is her most accomplished and comprehensive yet her most complex yet. <b>Sue Leonard,</b> <b><i>Irish Examiner</i></b><br><br> So beautifully observed, so penetrating, so coolly aware of the texture of people s lives. <b>Neil Hegarty</b><br><br> This wise, truthful novel explores brilliantly all the complexity of women's lives <b>Anne Tiernan</b><br><br> Thought-provoking and utterly absorbing <b>Sin ad Crowley</b></p>