Confessions by Catherine Airey

Confessions by Catherine Airey

*SHORTLISTED FOR THE WATERSTONES DEBUT FICTION PRIZE 2025*


‘A remarkable debut’ MIRANDA COWLEY HELLER, bestselling author of THE PAPER PALACE

'A cool, bold image of female pain and liberation' GUARDIAN

It is late September in 2001 and the walls of New York are papered over with photos of the missing. Cora Brady’s father is there, the poster she made taped to columns and bridges. Her mother died long ago and now, orphaned on the cusp of adulthood, Cora is adrift and alone.

Soon, a letter will arrive with the offer of a new life: far out on the ragged edge of Ireland, in the town where her parents were young, an estranged aunt can provide a home and fulfil a long-forgotten promise. There the story of Cora's family is hidden, and in her presence will begin to unspool…

An essential, immersive debut from an astonishing new voice, Confessions traces the arc of three generations of women as they experience in their own time the irresistible gravity of the past: its love and tragedy, its mystery and redemption, and, in all things intended and accidental, the beauty and terrible shade of the things we do.

'An irresistible read' YAEL VAN DER WOUDEN, Booker-shortlisted author of THE SAFEKEEP

'Propulsive and utterly captivating . . . airey has shades of the American novelists Donna Tartt and Jeffrey Eugenides in her style' IRISH TIMES

'An intricately woven epic, Confessions is both intimate and expansive, a novel that teems with raw, hungry life' COLIN WALSH, author of KALA

A saga: its serious pleasures are its expansiveness and range, and Airey’s rare, particular instinct.. a cool, bold image of female pain and liberation * Guardian *
The narrative zips along with the crackling intelligence of Donna Tartt, full of twists and zips, and genuine surprises... Confessions is an astonishing and remarkable novel, and truly deserving of all the accolades coming its way * Irish Independent *
An intricately woven epic, Confessions is both intimate and expansive, a novel that teems with raw, hungry life -- Colin Walsh, author of KALA
Propulsive and utterly captivating … Airey has shades of the American novelists Donna Tartt and Jeffrey Eugenides in her style * Irish Times *
The beautifully written narrative goes on to reveal the secrets of three generations of women. It’s an epic family saga involving a host of mysteries and I galloped to the end. I loved it. * Daily Mail *
An ambitious debut * Sunday Times, Books to look forward to in 2025 *
CONFESSIONS is a beating heart of a novel, intricate both in its weaving and its unspooling. An irresistible read -- Yael van der Wouden, author of THE SAFEKEEP
Confessions certainly hails the arrival of a new literary talent. She has a beautiful turn of phrase, enormous compassion for her characters and is not afraid to dig into themes both big and small – of legacy and belonging, mental illness, bodily autonomy and the long, messy tail of grief in all its forms… Confessions really excels. * iPaper *
Three generations’ worth of secrets unravel in this magnificent debut * iPaper, Books to read in 2025 *
This ambitious novel, the subject of a fierce bidding war, is sure to show up on award shortlists * RED *

Catherine Airey grew up in England in a family of mixed English-Irish descent, and now lives in Bristol. Confessions is her first novel.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780241728079
ISBN 10	024172807X
Title	Confessions
Author	Catherine Airey
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Penguin Books Ltd
Year published	2025-01-23
Number of pages	480
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.