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This Is How It Ends
On sale
3rd May 2012
Price: £7.99
Kerry Group Irish Fiction Award, 2013
The Richard & Judy Bookclub pick from the author of Nothing But Blue Sky, longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction, 2021
This is when it begins
Autumn, 2008.
This is where it begins
The coast of Dublin.
This is why it begins
Bruno, an American, has come to Ireland to search for his roots. Addie, an out-of-work architect, is recovering from heartbreak while taking care of her infirm father. When their worlds collide, they experience a connection unlike any they’ve previously felt, but soon their newfound love will be tested in ways they never imagined possible.
This is how it ends . . .
This is when it begins
Autumn, 2008.
This is where it begins
The coast of Dublin.
This is why it begins
Bruno, an American, has come to Ireland to search for his roots. Addie, an out-of-work architect, is recovering from heartbreak while taking care of her infirm father. When their worlds collide, they experience a connection unlike any they’ve previously felt, but soon their newfound love will be tested in ways they never imagined possible.
This is how it ends . . .
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Reviews
Kathleen MacMahon's prose could not appear more effortless or beautiful . . . The twist in this tale is utterly unexpected and satisfyingly unpredictable . . . A bittersweet, engaging novel that will no doubt become a book-club darling
This is How it Ends is an unforgettable story of love and hope - a moving tale which touches the heart
Everybody in Addie's life, up to and including the dog, is given a full back-story, as her relationships with her dad and her married sister's family are explored with a winning mixture of thoughtfulness and warmth. And all that's before the crunchingly big finish which packs an undeniable punch
Good writing and realistic characters will see this warm-hearted novel riding the bestsellers lists
When you have long forgotten many other fictional lovers, there is something about Addie and Bruno, their past and their world, that will not go away
A tender love story. A book about love, family, children and that glorious sense of being alive
This book is as powerful in the early, glorious unfurling of an unexpected, unlooked for love as it is in the build to the gut-wrenching finale
Wonderfully written, MacMahon creates characters that will linger long in your mind. Keep the tissues nearby, you will need them
If you enjoyed One Day, you'll love this. Utterly charming and packed with humour, this novel is carried by its characters' charisma. Completely engrossing right up until the unbearably moving conclusion
Summer 2012's One Day, this is a love story with an ominous feel that haunts from page one
The characters are believable and the writing is elegant. This is a book with film rights written all over it
From the atmospheric description of the wet and windy Dublin beach to the gentle drawing out of the thaw of Addie's thoughts and feelings, MacMahon proves herself to have a sensitive and heartfelt understanding of human emotions and an ability to transcribe it with fine delicacy and beautiful simple writing. This is an outstanding debut novel which will linger long in your mind
An exceptional novel . . . It is truly a story for our time. This is How it Ends signals the belated arrival of a new Irish commercial writer with an extraordinary gift and a voice that is entirely her own
The beginning of bank protests, alongside the American election and how crucial it seemed, send a tremor through the narrative
It has 'future classic' written all over it
It's impossible to look away from this love story. Addie may be struggling when we meet her . . . but she's cool and funny and she carries this novel with the charisma of a classic heroine. It will leave you a weeping mess just as Em and Dex's story did. It will also leave you feeling utterly bereft to no longer be in its company