My mom is going to Ireland this summer and she loves reading books about the places she's going to visit, so I thought I'd see if any of yall have any recs. Would love an Irish author & set in Ireland, prefers a woman mc, fiction (historical or modern fiction or fantasy most often but open to other genres, not anything super heavy or super dark). If it's available through United States publishers that would also be lovely that way I can get it for her through our local bookshop 🙂
Thanks in advance!! <3
by Slow-Height6274
18 Comments
Claire Keegan is my favorite, I highly recommend her!
# McCarthy’s Bar: A Journey of Discovery In Ireland by Pete McCarthy
Anything by Sally Rooney I would recommend! She typically writes about complex relationships so they are not the most light hearted but still thoughtfully enjoyable.
If looking for something light hearted ‘Love Me or Leave Me’ by Claudia Carroll is an absolute favourite of mine. It keeps me grinning from page one until the end! It is such a cozy read!
The Aisling Series by Emer McLysaght and Sarah Breen is also meant to be very good but have not read it myself.
I loved The Rachel Incident by Caroline O’Donoghue.
And any book by Sally Rooney. My favorites are Intermezzo and Normal People. Note that the main characters of Intermezzo are brothers but the women characters are complex and well developed.
Brooklyn by Colm Toibin is partly set in Ireland
– The Green Road by Anne Enright
– Show Them a Good Time by Nicole Flattery (short story collection)
– Juno Loves Legs by Karl Geary
– Mouthing by Orla Mackey
Going back a bit, but Maeve Binchy novels are lovely. All set i Ireland, AFAIK.
The Irish Country Doctor series by Patrick Taylor
The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods
The Story Collector by Evie Woods
What the wind knows by Amy Harmon
One night on the island by Josie silver
The Lost Letters of Aisling by Cynthia Ellingsen
Angela’s Ashes Teacher Man ‘Tis basically anything Frank McCourt wrote
Elizabeth Bowen, *The Last September*, a classic about the period immediately before Ireland’s successful war for independence. Female MC, not too heavy/dark (but tension under the surface).
Sebastian Barry, *The Secret Scripture*, one of his novels on the McNulty family. Barry’s prose is just beautiful, and he is good at writing female main characters. Rose lives through almost the entirety of the twentieth century and is a slightly unreliable narrator. Terrific book.
Claire Keegan, *Small Things Like These*. Male MC, but an incredibly powerful novella set around 1980 dealing with the Magdalene Laundries. On the heavier side, but also really poignant and beautiful.
Deirdre Sullivan’s *Savage Her Reply*, a retelling of the Irish myth of the children of Lir. Gorgeous fantasy-adjacent novel, female MC.
Anything by Niall Williams, but especially Time of the Child. Small Things Like These or Foster by Claire Keegan.
Both Sebastian Barry and Niall Williams are gorgeously lyrical writers, in a very Irish way. I recommend anything by either of them.
Paul Murray – The Bee Sting
Normal People
Roddy Doyle’s books
The Bee Sting, bar none
Maeve Binchey (anything)
Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt
Tana French (also anything)