Description

The lives of a bereaved young woman and her neighbour who is consumed by her affair with a married man entwine in this dark, compelling and compassionate coming-of age novel.

‘A poignant, deft portrayal of love, obsession and grief’ STYLIST

‘Susannah Dickey is a phenomenal talent and I loved this novel.’ ELIZABETH DAY

‘I loved Common Decency . . . such a propulsive joy to read too.’ MEGAN NOLAN

FROM THE CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED AUTHOR OF TENNIS LESSONS

In an apartment building in Belfast, two women wrestle with the sorrows and spectres of love and loss.

Since her mother’s death, Lily has withdrawn from the world, trapped between grief and anger. She has to break out of this damaging cycle – but how?

Upstairs, Siobhan is consumed by her affair with a married man. Her days revolve around his sporadic texts and rare visits. She barely notices the strange girl who lives below and dawdles in the foyer.

But Lily is keeping a close eye on her neighbour, whose life seems so much better and more fulfilling than her own. When resentment evolves into something darker and more urgent, she decides to teach Siobhan a lesson…

‘Sharp as tacks, extremely funny and deeply moving. This novel is very good company.’ JAN CARSON

Publisher Review

Elizabeth Day's Book of the Year * Daily Mail, Best Books of 2022 * [A] treat . . . vividly compelling . . . a rare talent, and certainly one to watch * Sunday Times * A vivid and beautifully written novel that confirms [Dickey] as one of literature's major new talents ... its quiet despair is genuinely affecting * Observer * Common Decency is a study of alienation and connection, of love and grief, written by an author who truly cares about language and understands its power from within. Susannah Dickey is a phenomenal talent and I loved this novel. * Elizabeth Day * I loved Common Decency, a perfectly judged glimpse at two variations of loneliness and how they inform and relate to one another. Such a surprising, clever, sad and strange book which I am still thinking about long after finishing - and yet such a propulsive joy to read too. * Megan Nolan * Susannah Dickey has an uncanny ability to get right to the dark heart of her characters, blending acidic observation with a generous side of kindness. Common Decency is sharp as tacks, extremely funny and deeply moving. This novel is very good company.' * Jan Carson * With hints of Fleabag, Ottessa Moshfegh and Sally Rooney, it's strong, compelling and occasionally very funny stuff...seriously readable * Daily Mail * Quite simply, one of the funniest and most insightful novelists writing today. Her turn of phrase, ear for dialogue, wry humour and power of observation is masterful. * Nell Frizzell * A poignant, deft portrayal of love, obsession and grief * Stylist * Rich and absorbing . . . a writer coming into her own, assured in what it is she is trying to do. . . thrilling and engaging. We are carried along by the prose; we trust it knows where it's going. * Irish Times *