Description

Micheal Burns lives alone in his family’s bungalow at the end of Kerry Head in Ireland. It is a picturesque place, but the cliffs have a darker side to them: for generations they have been a suicide black spot. Micheal’s mother saw the saving of these lost souls – these visitors – as her spiritual duty, and now, in the wreckage of his life, Micheal finds himself continuing her work. When his sisters tell him that they want to sell the land, he must choose between his siblings and the visitors, a future or a past.

Publisher Review

Noel O’Regan writes beautifully. Though the Bodies Fall is a beautiful book — Audrey Magee I opened it up one evening and was instantly captivated… The atmosphere is haunting; the imagery so powerful that it gave me strange dreams. This novel is a little bit uncanny and a little bit archaic but also incredibly contemporary and prescient — Sara Baume I was immediately drawn into O’Regan’s delicately wrought debut by the tenderness he has for his characters, and by the quiet power that builds beneath the surface of his storytelling — Carys Davies O’Regan writes with compassion, humour and imaginative force, signalling the arrival of a major new voice in Irish writing — Claire Kilroy It is rare and wonderful to encounter a talent like O’Regan – his prose is poetic, sweeping yet also so intimate, speaking to the quietest parts of ourselves and exploring how we experience our humanity when no one is looking. I cannot shake this novel; it is haunting and beautiful — Victoria Kennefick An absorbing and tender novel written in nuanced, luminous prose. A stunning debut from a talented new voice in Irish fiction — Danielle McLaughlin Touching and insightful, O’Regan has penned a tender debut novel about one man’s struggle to save the many broken souls, including his own, on Kerry Head — Anne Griffin Written with tenderness and a starkly beautiful sense of place, Though the Bodies Fall grapples fearlessly with the most profound questions: what is the worth of a human life? What does it cost to be endlessly in service to others? Where is the line between devotion and obsession? A dark dream of a novel that holds you in its grip till the very last line — Eimear Ryan, author of Holding Her Breath Haunting and beautiful. Darkly compelling — Callan Wink [A] haunting debut * Electric Literature * An exciting new voice in Irish literature… Some books come and go in a heated rush. This novel is a slow burner, assured and measured * Kerry’s Eye * A quietly moving story of stalled lives and lost chances… O’Regan writes with marked authority… An arresting and original novel that is grounded in its locale * Irish Times * This debut novel from Kerry-raised author Noel O’Regan is impressive with its haunting quality, evocative prose and rather strange premise that offers plenty of potential for drama and reflection * Irish Examiner * A feeling of joy goes through me when I find a book I think is this special. This eloquently written debut is a contender for one of my books of the year * Prima Magazine * A stunning debut * Good Housekeeping * A beautiful, haunting tale that lingers in the mind. I loved it * Irish Examiner * O’Regan creates an evocative sense of place and depicts Micheal’s sense of duty, guilt and increasing self-neglect with unflinching honesty * Observer * Brilliantly realised… Heart-breaking… Very affecting, very moving; it’s difficult not to be swept along by the power of this… Its restraint is the thing I most admire about it * RTE Arena * Stunning… The prose is simple and highly effective… O’Regan writes with compassion and sensitivity about the people who Micheal tries to save… Hope comes with the morning light – and there is a lot of hope in Noel O’Regan’s enthralling debut novel, despite its dark subject * Sunday Business Post * Absolutely outstanding… a stunning debut * Offaly Independent *