The Woman at 72 Derry Lane

Quick Take

Gripping family drama – Deadly Disaster – Heartbreaking

Two women are prisoners in their neighbouring homes, trapped by fear, but has help been next door without them realising it?

Good to know

Themes explored: Life-affirming – Agoraphobia – Domestic Abuse

Locations: Thailand and Clontarf, Dublin

Key facts

Irish Times No2 Bestseller

Amazon No2 Bestseller

Shortlisted for Irish Book Award 2017

On sale now – UK/Ireland/Australia/New Zealand/USA/Canada Harper Collins

Carmel Harrington has surpassed herself with her latest novel. I both cried and laughed often at the same time. It is one of the best books I have ever read. A winner all round.

Woman’s Way

A gripping, emotional page-turner that will make you laugh and cry

On a leafy suburban street in Dublin, beautiful, poised Stella Greene lives with her successful husband, Matt. The perfect couple in every way, Stella appears to have it all.

Next door, at number 72 however, lives Rea Brady. Gruff, bad-tempered and rarely seen besides the twitching of her net curtains, rumour has it she’s lost it all…including her marbles, if you believe the neighbourhood gossip.

But appearances can be deceiving and when Stella and Rea’s worlds collide they realise they have much in common.

Both are trapped in a prison of their own making.

Has help been next door without them realising it?

And The Woman at 72 Derry Lane even found it’s way onto an episode of ITV’s Cold Feet

What Carmel says:

I hope you enjoy Rea, Stella and Skye’s stories. I suspect that parts of this book will be difficult to read. My editors have described scenes as raw, visceral and utterly heartbreaking. And, I have to confess, that in writing those parts, my heart splintered. I had to remove myself from my family, from the children in particular, so I could write them. It made me question life and death, the randomness of fate that allows some to survive and others to die. But it also made me hopeful, as I peeled back the layers of my characters and they revealed great strength, humanity, bravery, love and resilience.

My research also took me inside the doors of domestic abuse victims and agoraphobics. I am grateful to every single person who spoke so honestly about their lives, who taught me and are now teaching others.

Thank you for reading,

Carmel

One Comment

  1. Congratulations Carmel. So happy for you. x

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