No catches, no fine print just unadulterated book loving, with your favourite books saved to your own digital bookshelf.
New members get entered into our monthly draw to win £100 to spend in your local bookshop Plus lots lots more…
Find out more
Is there such a thing as a perfect marriage?
David thought so. But when his wife Mary Rose dies suddenly he has to think again. In reliving their twenty years together David sees that the ground beneath them had shifted and he simply hadn't noticed. Or had chosen not to.
Figuring out who Mary Rose really was and the secrets that she kept - some of these hidden in plain sight - makes David wonder if he really knew her. Did he even know himself?
Nothing But Blue Sky is a precise and tender story of love in marriage - a gripping examination of what binds couples together and of what keeps them apart.
Kathleen MacMahon writes with a confidence and ease and with an unerring sense of timing - Irish Times
It's rare to read an account of a happy normal marriage and she does it brilliantly -- Sue Leonard Heart-wrenching ... Almost a parable, it's a cautionary tale for those failing to appreciate just how short life can be - RTE Culture
A tender portrait of a marriage and how we are formed by our closest relationships - Good Housekeeping
Stunning -- Henrietta McKervey - via Twitter
Touching and enthralling - Sunday Times
Full of humour and brims with the warmth of family, friendship and the possibility of second chances - Sunday Mirror
Excellent (and darkly funny) ... A sensitive, nuanced, and ultimately hopeful exploration of grief -- Eimear Ryan - Irish Examiner
An elegantly written and moving account of one man coming to terms with the sudden death of his wife - Irish Times Magazine
Full of humour and brims with the warmth of family, friendship and the possibility of second chances - Irish Sunday People
Kathleen MacMahon sensitively explores the complexities of the human heart and reveals how even in the depths of grief, unexpected light can emerge from the darkness -- David Park
Kathleen MacMahon has written an absorbing, grave, and emotionally resonant study of a marriage, of a life, of masculinity and of grief. A marvellous achievement -- Neil Hegarty
Sure and subtle, MacMahon holds the reader in her spell. She is a born storyteller -- Mike McCormack
Beautiful ... A gentle but deeply affecting read, and the perfect reminder of how sadness and hope can sometimes live side by side - Woman's Way
I've been recommending Nothing But Blue Sky to anyone who'll listen ... It's about grief and eulogising and getting into the habit of happiness and I just loved it -- Emer McLysaght - Irish Times, Best Books of 2020
The most beautiful prose I have read in years ... Not only my favourite novel of the year, but possibly of the decade -- Margaret Madden - Sunday Independent
Gentle and triumphant, MacMahon offers us a novel steeped in beautiful prose and poignant tenderness -- Anne Griffin A beautifully written and powerful tale - Woman & Home
This elegant, tender novel is an absolute pleasure - Best
A tender dissection of marriage - Independent
Heart-rending ... a tender and beautiful [love story] ... MacMahon's words ring with the honesty of truth, offering genuine insight into the human condition - Business Post
Kathleen MacMahon's prose could not appear more effortless or beautiful - Sunday Independent
Skilfully written with a wonderful lightness of touch ... An acutely observed portrait of a relationship ... filled with astute observations of human behaviour - Irish Times
Insightful and deeply moving, this is a story of one man's grief that somehow manages to hold onto its sense of humour. I loved this book -- Christine Dwyer Hickey
What a beautiful novel ... elegant, understated, subtly powerful, and rings so perfectly true ... Beautiful, poignant moments, drawn with such quiet power. And that quiet power is alive and at work on every page -- Donal Ryan
A piece of perfection - a subtle, thought-provoking investigation of a marriage. It rings true. It's the best book I've read all year - Irish Examiner
A poignant, gentle and astutely observed novel about marriage and the evolution of love - Sunday Times, Novels of the Year 2020
ISBN: 9781844884759
Publication date: 30/07/2020
Publisher: Penguin Ireland an imprint of Penguin Books Ltd
Format: Paperback
| ISBN: | 9781844884759 |
| Publication date: | 30th July 2020 |
| Author: | Kathleen MacMahon |
| Publisher: | Penguin Ireland an imprint of Penguin Books Ltd |
| Format: | Paperback |
| Pagination: | 320 pages |
| Genres: | Relationship Stories, |
| Categories: | Modern & contemporary fiction (post c 1945), Adult & contemporary romance, Dating, relationships, living together & marriage, |
Kathleen MacMahon is a former radio and television journalist with Ireland's national broadcaster, RTE. The grand-daughter of the distinguished short story writer Mary Lavin, Kathleen lives in Dublin with her husband and twin daughters. The hardback edition of This is How it Ends, her first novel, was a No.1 bestseller in Ireland for five consecutive weeks and spent nine weeks in the Top Ten bestseller list.
More About Kathleen MacMahon
