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SHORTLISTED FOR THE KATE O’BRIEN AWARD

‘Heaven’ Katherine May, bestselling author of Wintering

‘A glowing, generous novel’ Irish Times

‘A warm, unsentimental and beautifully observed book for our times’ Lucy Caldwell, author of These Days

‘Grace is a fabulous character … there’s a touch of Olive Kitteridge in her’ Good Housekeeping

Grace lives alone in a coastal village in Northern Ireland, filling her days with wild swimming, fishing, quilting and baiting the tourists who blow in from the city.

One of the visitors is Evan, on an enforced holiday from his family in Belfast as he grieves the death of his infant daughter. But before a week is out, he is trapped there by lockdown. When Grace grudgingly saves Evan from drowning, and his reserved young son arrives unexpectedly, all three are startled into a reckoning with their past and a reconnection with the outside world.

Publisher Review

Beautifully written, full of wisdom and wonderful secondary characters. I loved it * Daily Mail * Maguire’s enthralling story is full of wonderfully deft touches … a sparkling exploration of mental health and loneliness in the time of lockdown * Independent * Vivid and lovingly drawn … radiates warmth — Suzi Feay * Financial Times * Full of heart and humour, with two wounded souls, Grace and Evan, at its centre and plenty to say about compassion, community and the power of cold water * Irish Independent * Grumpy, irascible, sharp-tongued but huge-hearted, utterly at home in her skin, Grace is a force of nature – it’s impossible not to be swept up in admiration for her, and for Roisin Maguire, who has written such a warm, unsentimental and beautifully-observed book for our times — Lucy Caldwell, author of These Days If I were in bother I’d want the Ballybrady bunch at my back. This is a truly heart-warming story of loss, recovery and above all, of community. Irreverent, unexpected, at times laugh-out-loud funny, it’s a joy of a read — Bernie McGill, author of The Watch House Exquisitely written, teeming with wonderfully relatable characters and sporting a gloriously eccentric, cranky and memorable 50-year-old heroine, Night Swimmers is one of the most emotionally intelligent novels I’ve read in a long time — Dr Sharon Blackie, author of The Enchanted Life Night Swimmers is superb: a tough, wise, redemptive novel from a writer who knows the perils of the Irish Sea as well as those of the human heart — Sam Thompson, author of Communion Town An utterly charming take on community and connection * Image * Fantastic hero … 50-year-old Grace is a fabulous character – there’s a touch of Olive Kitteridge in her rather misanthropic outlook, yet you can’t help but wish the best for her * Good Housekeeping * A fine debut, unmawkish, infinitely kind * Saga * Beautifully written * Telegraph Ireland * A debut that doesn’t feel like a debut, a funny, engaging read of life during Covid through the eyes of those already in the midst of personal issues … It’s difficult not to like Grace: irascible and surprisingly cool and warm at the most unexpected moments. Review defies you not to warm to Becky, particularly as she attempts to sign her name to Luca. Quite simply, it’s a joy to read * Belfast Telegraph * Introduces the deliciously scathing and cantankerous middle-aged voice of Grace Kielty … beautifully written and perfect for fans of Kathleen McMahon * Gloss Ireland * A wonderful evocation of a small community peopled by brilliantly drawn characters; their kindness to each other unites them. I adored it * Irish Examiner *