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Ordinary Saints

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What to expect

What if you had escaped your devout family in Ireland to live your best queer life - then your brother became a candidate for sainthood?

An unmissable, award-winning, moving and funny exploration of family, grief and queer identity.

*SELECTED AS A RADIO 2 BOOKCLUB PICK*
*WINNER OF THE INAUGURAL PFD QUEER FICTION PRIZE*
*SHORTLISTED FOR THE WOMEN'S PRIZE DISCOVERIES AWARD*

Can you imagine it? I'd say to them. Can you imagine me there in the front row in Saint Peter's Square? The lesbian sister of a literal saint.

Brought up in a devout household in Ireland, Jay is now living in London with her girlfriend, determined to live day to day and not think too much about either the future or the past. But when she learns that her beloved older brother, who died in a terrible accident, may be made into a Catholic saint, she realises she must at last confront her family, her childhood and herself . . .

Inspired by the author's own devout upbringing, Ordinary Saints is a brilliant debut novel from a fresh, exciting new voice which asks - who gets to decide how we are remembered - and who we will become?

*A BOOKSELLER PICK OF THE MONTH*

'Beautifully written and brilliant on grief, love and family expectations. Wonderful'
Daily Mail

'A sparkling debut. Absolutely brilliant'
Sara Cox

'Stunning. A fresh funny, honest portrayal of familial love. I adored it'
Louise Nealon, international bestselling author of Snowflake

'Funny and deeply moving. I adored it'
Chloe Michelle Howarth, author of Sunburn

'Mesmerising and original'
Victoria MacKenzie, award-winning author of For Thy Great Pain Have Mercy on My Little Pain

Critics Review

Beautifully written and brilliant on grief, love and family expectations. Wonderful.
Daily Mail
This debut is pretty perfect. It's informative, original, heartfelt, very real, and stunningly written.
Irish Examiner
Stunning. A beautiful story about the awkward, often painful silences around dinner tables. A fresh funny, honest portrayal of familial love. I adored it.
Louise Nealon, bestselling author of SNOWFLAKE
A moving novel love, loss and life's mysteries. As someone who isn't religious, I found the exploration of canonisation in the modern age fascinating and I think this will have wide appeal.
The Bookseller - Editor's Pick
[An] inventive exploration of identity, faith and family.
Irish Times
An exciting new voice on the Irish literary scene.
Image
Funny and deeply moving. I adored it.
Chloe Michelle Howarth, author of Sunburn
A truly extraordinary exploration of relationships, grief, queerness, and its relationship with the Catholic church in Ireland . . . fuelled by such complex emotions which are unpicked so delicately and fully . . . so deeply worth reading and impossible to not feel some emotional connection towards.
NB Magazine
Mesmerising and original, Ordinary Saints is quite a novel: an empathetic, heart-felt and nuanced exploration of the Catholic church in modern Ireland, queer identity, family and so much more. I absolutely loved it.
Victoria MacKenzie, award-winning author of Thy Great Pain Have Mercy On My Little Pain
Ordinary Saints is the best debut novel I've read in a long time. Niamh Ní Mhaoileoin is a writer of immense delicacy, perception and heart, drilling deep into questions of faith, family and love. A beautiful novel and a huge talent.
Jessica Moor, author of Hold Back the Night

User Reviews

Book 4.6
Narration 5.0
4.0
5.0
ellieann 04/11/2025
4.0
5.0
A touching read, reflecting on grief and family expectations.
It was great to see parts of Ireland I did recognise, more I didn't, and Jay's struggling through an unusual situation.
ahbuggrit 01/11/2025
5.0
5.0
Perfection
Jones_is_reading 07/10/2025
5.0
5.0
ruthyalice 07/09/2025
5.0
5.0
nottoobusy 30/07/2025

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