The Irish Goodbye
08 October 2026Synopsis
'Absorbing, sharply funny and thoroughly satisfying' – Daily Mail
The US bestseller and Spotify Book of the Year
Three adult sisters reunited at their childhood home must confront a shared tragedy in The Irish Goodbye - the devastatingly beautiful debut novel form Heather Aimee O'Neill.
It's been years since the three Ryan sisters were all home together at their family's beloved house on Long Island. Two decades ago, their lives were upended by a tragic accident on their brother Topher's boat that drove him to suicide. Now, the Ryan women are back for Thanksgiving, but each carries a heavy secret.
The eldest, Cait, is still holding guilt for the role no one knows she played in the boat accident, when she rekindles a flame with her high school crush, Topher's best friend. Middle sister, Alice, has been thrown a curveball threatening her career and, potentially, her marriage. And the youngest, Maggie, is finally taking the risk to bring the woman she loves home to her devoutly Catholic mother.
When Cait invites a guest to Thanksgiving dinner, old tensions boil over and new truths surface. Far more than a family holiday will be ruined unless the sisters can find a way to forgive themselves – and each other.
'With beautiful writing and a cast of memorable characters, this is another debut you won't be able to put down' – The Mirror
'A sparkling debut' – Jenny Jackson, author of Pineapple Street
'The family saga we all need' – Jessica Soffer, bestselling author of This Is a Love Story
Details
08 October 2026
9781035074587Reviews
Absorbing, sharply funny and thoroughly satisfying
With beautiful writing and a cast of memorable characters, this is another debut you won't be able to put down
An extraordinary book about the power of family and sisterhood . . . shows how the ripples of loss and grief can shape even our closest relationships
The Irish Goodbye has it all: a lovable cast of complex characters; forbidden affairs; a stately, crumbling beach house; a doomed sailboat; long-suppressed family secrets; and one pressure-cooker of a holiday weekend. Above all, this finely-crafted novel explores what it means to be a family, and what we owe each other and ourselves
