Book Review - Saoirse

Thank you @celandonbooks + @macmillan.audio for the gifted copies of Saoirse by Charleen Hurtubise. While this isn’t a debut author, having previously being published in the UK & Ireland, this is the author’s US debut. The audiobook is narrated by Roisin Rankin. Between the author’s beautiful writing and the exquisite narration I felt like I was transported to Ireland.

“What’s for you, won’t pass you by.”

Before I picked this book up, I didn’t really know what it was about. I didn’t even know how to say the title! (For the record, it’s pronounced Sear-sha.) It just seemed to check a lot of boxes for me: literary fiction, Irish author, and comps to Claire Keegan & Colm Toibin.

At just around 250 pages this is a very tightly written story about a girl on the run from a traumatic past and the secrets we keep to survive. It’s about a girl who once was defined by fear and silence, who finds healing through art, love, and being a mother.

Immersive and character driven—A character that it’s truly impossible not to root for. She exudes kindness, bravery, and strength. Through every difficult moment you will feel the struggle, successes, and heartbreak.

I personally think this is a book to just dive into, but if that’s not your thing I will attach the summary and content warnings below.

—BOOK SUMMARY + CW—

In Michigan, Sarah’s childhood was defined by fear and silence. As a teenager, she saw a chance to escape and took it. Now, in 1999, she is an artist living on the rugged coast of Donegal, Ireland, where she is known as Saoirse.

Her partner and two beloved daughters are regular subjects of her paintings, and together they have made the safe home she always longed for. But Saoirse’s secrets haunt her. No one must learn of the identity she has stolen in order to survive.

When her artwork wins unexpected acclaim at a Dublin exhibition, the spotlight of fame threatens to unravel the careful lies that hold her world together.

CW: Neglect, abandonment, parent drug addict, crimes, sexual assault, rape (all handled with care)