Books published by Hachette Books Ireland

Meet Horace Winter and fall in love with life again in this bestselling novel - perfect reading for fans of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine'Horace Winter is a character who will linger long after you've finished this highly original, moving, funny and elegant book' Irish Independent'A journey that is both tender and sad, but a joy to witness. A moving and truly absorbing read' Image'A quirky, tender and compulsive read. Horace Winter will win your heart' Irish ExaminerHorace Winter doesn't have friends. Ever since the long-ago day when the Very Bad Thing happened, he prefers to spend his time studying butterflies - less intimidating, less likely to disappoint.The last thing he wants is to retire from his job at the bank, but he has no choice - and now faces an endless number of empty days where he has nowhere to go and no one to need him.Then he receives some surprising news. And he meets Amanda, and Max, and discovers a mysterious letter his father never posted. Suddenly he finds his previously unexceptional life filled with important things to do. Before he'd thought he had too much time. Now he may be looking at not enough. But can he find the courage he's sought for so long to finally start living?

'Grown up, intelligent fiction - she just gets better and better' Cathy Kelly'One of the smartest writers of popular fiction around' Irish IndependentWhen handsome American Daniel O'Connell arrives in Ballyanna to research an old cable station for a documentary he is making, he's hoping that a stay in a sleepy Irish seaside town will help him and his traumatised son move on from a terrible accident. But Daniel soon finds that summer in Ballyanna is anything but quiet ...Meanwhile Annie Sullivan, daughter of the local hotel owner, has moved back home to mend her broken heart, telling everyone that she's there to figure out her next career move.But as a secret threatens Annie's dysfunctional family, Daniel's past is about to catch up with him. Will the two be able to grasp the new future that lies ahead before summer ends?

The warmth of Maeve Binchy with the elegance of Maggie O'Farrell - an unforgettable story.

'Roisin Meaney is a skilful storyteller' Sheila O'Flanagan'Utterly irresistible' Irish IndependentWhen a heatwave coincides with rehearsals for an end-of-summer concert, temperatures soar - so too do the small town scandals ...It turns out that some members of the choir have secrets they are desperate to keep hidden.Christopher, the handsome and talented director, is embroiled in a steamy affair with someone who is strictly off-limits; Molly has become obsessed with a young boy whom she's convinced is her grandson; while Emily has just fallen in love - with the wrong man.As opening night approaches, it becomes clear that there are some tough decisions to be made. But until the curtain falls, you never know what might happen on The Street Where You Live.'A real treat ... Meaney wraps her readers in the company and comfort of strangers' Sunday Independent

An inspiring book of down-to-earth spirituality for anyone searching for a sense of peace in today's world

A warm, illuminating memoir full of wit and wisdom that doubles up as a life guide for millennials - by Irish YouTuber Melanie Murphy

'Harding writes like an angel' Sunday TimesTalking to Strangers, from the No.1 bestselling author of Staring at Lakes, Hanging with the Elephant and On Tuesdays I'm a Buddhist is a book about love, about the stories we share with others, and the stories we leave behind us.Too much wine and a casual browse of an airline website - this is how Michael Harding found himself in a strange flat in Bucharest in early January, which set the tone for the rest of that year.After an intense stint in a high-profile production of The Field, Harding returned to the tranquil hills above Lough Allen and started to plan some dramatic changes to his little cottage. Surely an extension would give him a renewed sense of purpose in life as he approached old age.But as the walls of his home crumbled, so too did his mental health, and he fell, once again, into depression -- that great darkness where life feels like nothing more than a waste of time.And yet, it is in that great darkness that we discover what really makes us human.'Michael Harding is no ordinary man or memoirist ... a book that champions the kindness (or at least company) of strangers as essential for that elusive state known as happiness' RT Guide

Three years ago, when Cavan footballer Alan O'Mara was twenty-two, he spoke out about his battle with depression which led him to contemplate suicide. Only the thought of his parents and the pain that they would experience in his death prevented him from taking his own life. Now, in The Best is Yet to Come, he tells his story.From the role the GAA played in his life, to the decision he made to share his journey, this is an account of an ordinary young man, a GAA star, who found a way to move past the dark thoughts that beset his mind during his worst days, and who discovered that the only way out of the darkness is to ask for help.'In summoning his courage and becoming the first active inter-county player to speak of his experiences with depression, Alan O'Mara gives a much needed voice to an aspect of human experience that has been cloaked in silence and stigma. This book, which is needed now more than ever, gives a rare glimpse into the complex inner world of depression and will give hope to those suffering in silence, guidance to those seeking solutions and inspiration for families and friends supporting loved ones.' Conor Cusack

'A thoughtful, engrossing read. Warm and insightful. Roisin Meaney is a skillful storyteller' - Sheila O'Flanagan, author of The Missing Wife, on The Reunion.It's their twenty-year school reunion but the Plunkett sisters have their own reasons for not wanting to attend ... Caroline, now a successful knitwear designer, spends her time flying between her business in England and her lover in Italy. As far as she's concerned, her school days, and what happened to her the year she left, should stay in the past.Eleanor, meanwhile, is unrecognisable from the fun-loving girl she was in school. With a son who is barely speaking to her, and a husband keeping a secret from her, revisiting the past is the last thing on her mind.But when an unexpected letter arrives for Caroline in the weeks before the reunion, memories are stirred.Will the sisters find the courage to return to the town where they grew up and face what they've been running from all these years?The Reunion is a moving story about secrets, sisters and finding a way to open your heart.

For Laura, feelings are things you learn. Revenge, though, is pure instinct.

A feel-good tale of magic, sparkle and new beginnings from Roisin Meaney, author of The People Next Door, The Anniversary and The Birthday Party.It's three days before Christmas ...Tilly boards a plane on the other side of the world. She's determined to reach Roone, a small island off the west coast of Ireland, in time for Christmas Day. Tilly carries a troubling secret and Laura, a woman she's never met, might be the only one who can help her.Except that Laura has no idea that Tilly exists. And with five children, a mother-in-law stranded on the island and a husband with whom she's barely on speaking terms, an unexpected Christmas guest is the last thing she needs . . .A storm is heading for the island, but will peace be restored before the snow melts?

Six million years ago, the evolving human brain existed only to instruct our bodies to move. In Mindful Walking, psychologist Hugh O'Donovan takes us back to this very basic connection between the brain and the body, and looks at how, by focussing on the simple act of moving, we can achieve better emotional and physical health.Uniting this concept of mindfulness in movement along with the three paths of change for a better life - walking, talking and meditation - this book shows us how we can better manage the distractions that clog our path to happiness, while also improving our physical well-being.Including simple exercises on how to incorporate mindful walking into our everyday lives, Mindful Walking is for seasoned walkers, city amblers or people learning how to walk again after illness.Take your first steps on the journey to physical health and mental happiness.

On a January morning, Beth and Steve bring three-day-old Ismae home from the hospital. A little girl to complete their suburban family.Except Beth knows that Ismae is different. And that, as she gets older and stronger, her difference will become more obvious.As the future Beth imagined grows even more out of reach, the walls of their vast house close in on her, isolating her from Steve.Then she makes a terrible discovery ...Will Ismae's difference break her family apart? Or will Beth be able to see that it's the one thing that can save her?'Little Ismae is an unforgettable character ... readers will be glad they've met her'BELINDA McKEON 'A novel about one woman's quest for an authentic life. When extraordinary new baby Ismae turns Beth's world inside out, she begins to understand the fierce power of mother-love and,through her daughter, learns to know and trust herself. A moving, convincing story of courage and burgeoning hope' NUALA O'CONNOR, AUTHOR OF MISS EMILY

Reading Roisin Meaney's novels is like 'sitting down with a good friend over a cup of tea' (Irish Mail on Sunday)It's Una Darling's seventeenth birthday, but nobody feels much like celebrating. It's been exactly a year since the tragic death of her father Finn, and the people he left behind have been doing their best to get on with things. But it hasn't been easy.Daphne is tired of sadness, of mourning the long life she and her husband were meant to share, but doesn't quite know how to get past it. And she can't seem to get through to her stepdaughter -- they barely speak anymore, so Daphne knows nothing of the unexpected solace Una has found, or of the risk she's about to take.When Una fails to appear for a birthday tea with her family, Daphne suddenly realises how large the distance between them has grown. Will she be given the chance to make things right?Roisin Meaney's new novel The Anniversary is now available for pre-order.

'If you are hungry for truth and beauty, read this book' Roisin Ingle, The Irish Times'A demonstration of a will to live that is breathtaking ... a work of documentary poetry ... an extraordinary read' The Herald'An unforgettable read about what it means to be alive' Woman's Way'The world "e;inspirational"e; is over-used, but if ever a book deserved this epithet, this is it' Sunday Independent'Sparsely and beautifully written .. the human spirit and will to live shines out of these pages' Irish IndependentA No.1 bestseller, It's Not Yet Dark is an unforgettable book about relationships and family, about what connects and separates us as people and, ultimately, about what it means to be alive.In 2008, Simon Fitzmaurice was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease (mnd). He was given four years to live. In 2010, in a state of lung-function collapse, Simon knew with crystal clarity that now was not his time to die. Against all prevailing medical opinion, he chose to ventilate in order to stay alive.Here, the young filmmaker, a husband and father of five small children draws us deeply into his inner world. Written using an eye-gaze computer and told in simply expressed and beautifully stark prose, the result is an astonishing journey into a life which, though brutally compromised, is lived more fully and in the moment than most, revealing at its core the power of love its most potent.

'We will never achieve true happiness if we continue to search for it outside the very source of love, which we know is God himself.'In Calm the Soul: A Book of Simple Wisdom and Prayer, The Poor Clares, an enclosed order of nuns based in Nuns' Island, Galway, draw on the fruit of their monastic lives and suggest simple practices to help nourish our souls and find a sense of calm in today's world.With practical advice in preparing for prayer, The Poor Clares look at ways we can slowly build up the amount of time spent in prayer and meditation in our daily lives, to achieve a sense of peace and well-being. They combine reflections on familiar prayers, such as the Our Father and Hail Mary, with meditations on Scripture, and prayers for specific needs such as depression, self-esteem and sickness.An inspiring book of simple spirituality which offers faith and hope to anyone seeking solace in today's world.

Vinnie is an ordinary man. Ellen is an ordinary woman. Ellen is unable to move on after a terrible accident that left her mentally and physically scarred. Taxi driver Vinnie is struggling to cope with bringing up two children on his own. Everyone deserves to find that one person who's meant for them, don't they? Fall in love with the story of Vinnie and Ellen. Because ordinary lives can be extraordinary.