{"title":"Donal Ryan","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDonal Ryan\u003c\/strong\u003e crafts deeply empathetic narratives that explore the complexities of human relationships and the quiet struggles of everyday life. His novels, such as \u003cem\u003eThe Spinning Heart\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eHeart\u003c\/em\u003e, delve into the emotional landscapes of rural Ireland, offering intimate portraits of love, loss, and resilience.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eReaders can expect richly drawn characters and evocative storytelling that balances stark realism with moments of humour and hope. Whether set on the coast in \u003cem\u003eThe Queen of Dirt Island\u003c\/em\u003e or amid the changing fortunes of small communities, Ryan’s work resonates with profound insight into the human condition.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"the-queen-of-dirt-island-by-donal-ryan-9781804991077","title":"The Queen of Dirt Island","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA number one bestseller from the prizewinning author; a soaring novel about four generations of strong women and fierce love.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eDiscover the emotional, bestselling novel about four generations of women and the stories that bind them, from the Booker longlisted author of \u003cem\u003eStrange Flowers\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e'One of the finest novelists writing today... a haunting, exquisite masterpiece.'\u003c\/em\u003e RACHEL JOYCE\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e'Endlessly surprising and incredibly moving'\u003c\/em\u003e DAVID NICHOLLS\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e'Beautiful, compassionate ... Donal Ryan at his inimitable best.'\u003c\/em\u003e MAGGIE O'FARRELL\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003chr\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe Aylward women are mad about each other, but you wouldn't always think it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eYou'd have to know them—in spite of what neighbours might say about raised voices and dramatic scenes—to know that their house is a place of peace, filled with love, a refuge from the sadness and cruelty of the world.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe head of the family, Nana, is a woman who has buried two sons and whose life has been the family farm.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eHer daughter-in-law, Eileen, is estranged from her own parents, having 'shamed' them and given birth to Saoirse.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAnd then there's Saoirse herself, eavesdropping on lives she cannot comprehend.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIt is only when they must battle for the inheritance of Dirt Island—a narrow strip of land adjacent to Eileen's childhood home—that they truly understand the roots that bind their lives together.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003chr\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e'The prose drips like honey off a spoon'\u003c\/em\u003e SUNDAY TIMES\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e'Beautifully poised, sad, poetic and human....I loved every single line.'\u003c\/em\u003e IAN RANKIN\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e'A generous mosaic of a novel about the staying power of love and pride and history and family'\u003c\/em\u003e  COLUM McCANN\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e'His paragraphs are unnoticeably beautiful, his heart always on show'\u003c\/em\u003e ANNE ENRIGHT\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e'A life-enhancing talent'\u003c\/em\u003e SEBASTIAN BARRY\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e'I would struggle to think of any other Irish author working today who writes with as much compassion as Donal Ryan'\u003c\/em\u003e LOUISE O'NEILL\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Penguin Random House NZ","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46496232571116,"sku":"9781804991077","price":24.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/17925073482830.jpg?v=1748494689"},{"product_id":"the-spinning-heart-by-donal-ryan-9781784165000","title":"The Spinning Heart","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis stunning debut has won major acclaim, winning the Guardian First Book Award and Book of the Year at the Irish Book Awards; it was shortlisted for the Dublin IMPAC Literary Award and longlisted for the Man Booker Prize.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eWinner of the Guardian First Book Award 2013\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eShortlisted for the Dublin IMPAC Literary Award 2014\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eLonglisted for the Man Booker Prize 2013\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eWinner of Book of the Year at the Irish Book Awards 2012\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e'Funny, moving and beautifully written' EDNA O'BRIEN\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn the aftermath of Ireland's financial collapse, dangerous tensions surface in an Irish town. As violence flares, the characters face a battle between public persona and inner desires. Through a chorus of unique voices, each struggling to tell their own kind of truth, a single authentic tale unfolds.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Spinning Heart\u003c\/em\u003e speaks for contemporary Ireland like no other novel. Wry, vulnerable, all-too human, it captures the language and spirit of rural Ireland and with uncanny perception articulates the words and thoughts of a generation. Technically daring and evocative of Patrick McCabe and J.M. Synge, this novel of small-town life is witty, dark and sweetly poignant.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003chr\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e'Filled with light and shade, love and tragedy ... if it was a song you could sing it' ANNE ENRIGHT\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e'Donal Ryan is the real deal ... a brilliantly realised, utterly resonant state-of-the-nation landscape' SUNDAY INDEPENDENT\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e'I can't imagine a more original, more perceptive or more passionate work than this. Outstanding' JOHN BOYNE\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e'It's furious, it's moving, it's darkly funny, it punches you right in the gut' NEW YORK TIMES\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Gardners Books Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46496331333868,"sku":"9781784165000","price":23.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/6264833482823.jpg?v=1748497513"},{"product_id":"heart-be-at-peace-by-donal-ryan-9781529940138","title":"Heart, Be at Peace","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA stunning lyrical novel from the number one bestselling author Donal Ryan; with the intimacy of Claire Keegan's \u003cem\u003eSmall Things like These\u003c\/em\u003e or Louise Kennedy's \u003cem\u003eTrespasses\u003c\/em\u003e. A standalone novel that can also be read as a companion to Donal Ryan's multi-award-winning bestseller, \u003cem\u003eThe Spinning Heart\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe stunning new novel from the Booker Prize-listed, bestselling author of \u003cem\u003eStrange Flowers\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eThe Queen of Dirt Island\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eBeautiful...a book full of love and hope, more needed in these days than ever\u003c\/em\u003e - Kit de Waal\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eI am blown away by the ambition and scope of this exquisite piece of writing...sublime in both its sentiment and beauty\u003c\/em\u003e - Rachel Joyce\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eSome things can send a heart spinning; others will crack it in two...\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn a small town in rural Ireland, the local people have weathered the storms of economic collapse and are looking towards the future. The jobs are back, the dramas of the past seemingly lulled, and although the town bears the marks of its history, new stories are unfolding.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBut a fresh menace is creeping around the lakeshore and the lanes of the town, and the peace of the community is about to be shattered in an unimaginable way. Young people are being drawn towards the promise of fast money whilst the generation above them tries to push back the tide of an enemy no one can touch...\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eTold in twenty-one voices, \u003cem\u003eHeart, Be at Peace\u003c\/em\u003e is a heartfelt, lyrical novel that can be read independently, or as a companion to Donal Ryan's multi-award-winning novel, \u003cem\u003eThe Spinning Heart\u003c\/em\u003e, voted 'The Irish Book of the Decade'.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003chr\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePRAISE FOR DONAL RYAN\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eOne of the finest novelists writing today.\u003c\/em\u003e - Rachel Joyce\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eHis paragraphs are unnoticeably beautiful, his heart always on show\u003c\/em\u003e - Anne Enright\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eEndlessly surprising and incredibly moving\u003c\/em\u003e - David Nicholls\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eA life-enhancing talent\u003c\/em\u003e - Sebastian Barry\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eI would struggle to think of any other Irish author working today who writes with as much compassion as Donal Ryan\u003c\/em\u003e - Louise O'Neill\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eBeautiful, compassionate...Donal Ryan at his inimitable best.\u003c\/em\u003e - Maggie O'Farrell\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eBeautifully poised, sad, poetic and human....I loved every single line.\u003c\/em\u003e - Ian Rankin\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe prose drips like honey off a spoon\u003c\/em\u003e - Sunday Times\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Penguin Random House NZ","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46508180898028,"sku":"9781529940138","price":38.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/19823103482732.jpg?v=1748735058"},{"product_id":"strange-flowers-by-donal-ryan-9781784163044","title":"Strange Flowers","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe extraordinary story of a family devastated by a sudden disappearance and transformed by a miraculous return from the award-winning author loved by David Nicholls, Kamila Shamsie, and Sebastian Barry.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eWinner of the An Post Irish Novel of the Year 2020\u003cbr\u003e\nLonglisted for the International Dublin Literary Award\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e'You have to truly love people to write like this' RACHEL JOYCE\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e'One of the greatest novels of this century' SUNDAY INDEPENDENT\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e'Gorgeously wrought' GUARDIAN\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn 1973, twenty-year-old Moll Gladney takes a morning bus from her rural home and disappears. Bewildered and distraught, Paddy and Kit must confront an unbearable prospect - that they will never see their daughter again.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFive years later, Moll returns. What—and who—she brings with her will change the course of her family's life forever.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBeautiful and devastating, this exploration of loss, alienation, and the redemptive power of love reaffirms Donal Ryan as one of the most talented and empathetic writers at work today.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003chr\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e'Outstanding ... Tender and beautifully written' INDEPENDENT\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e'All the beauty and sorrow of life can be found in these pages' KATHLEEN MACMAHON\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e'Exquisite . . . Beautiful' ANNE GRIFFIN, author of WHEN ALL IS SAID\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e'Ryan gathers together the fragments of broken lives and makes us something new and beautiful from them' R N N HESSION, author of LEONARD AND HUNGRY PAUL\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Penguin Random House NZ","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46532862968044,"sku":"9781784163044","price":24.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/6245273482823.jpg?v=1749336929"},{"product_id":"heart-be-at-peace-by-donal-ryan-9781804994504","title":"Heart, Be at Peace","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA stunning lyrical novel from the Number one bestselling author Donal Ryan; with the intimacy of Claire Keegan's \u003cem\u003eSmall Things like These\u003c\/em\u003e or Louise Kennedy's \u003cem\u003eTrespasses\u003c\/em\u003e. A standalone novel that can also be read as a companion to Donal Ryan's multi-award-winning bestseller, \u003cem\u003eThe Spinning Heart\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWINNER OF THE IRISH BOOK OF THE YEAR\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWINNER OF THE ORWELL PRIZE FOR FICTION\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSHORTLISTED FOR THE NERO NOVEL OF THE YEAR\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSHORTLISTED FOR THE KERRY GROUP IRISH NOVEL OF THE YEAR\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e'Donal Ryan's writing has earned him a place among the greatest names in Irish literature and this lyrical novel speaks to the very heart of modern Irish society.' – Maria Dickenson, Chair of the IBA judges\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e'Beautiful...a book full of love and hope, more needed in these days than ever' – Kit de Waal\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e'I am blown away by the ambition and scope of this exquisite piece of writing...sublime in both its sentiment and beauty' – Rachel Joyce\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eSome things can send a heart spinning; others will crack it in two...\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn a small town in rural Ireland, the local people have weathered the storms of economic collapse and are looking towards the future. The jobs are back, the dramas of the past seemingly lulled, and although the town bears the marks of its history, new stories are unfolding.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBut a fresh menace is creeping around the lakeshore and the lanes of the town, and the peace of the community is about to be shattered in an unimaginable way. Young people are being drawn towards the promise of fast money whilst the generation above them tries to push back the tide of an enemy no one can touch...\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eTold in twenty-one voices, \u003cem\u003eHeart, Be at Peace\u003c\/em\u003e is a heartfelt, lyrical novel that can be read independently, or as a companion to Donal Ryan's multi-award-winning novel, \u003cem\u003eThe Spinning Heart\u003c\/em\u003e, voted 'The Irish Book of the Decade'.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003chr\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePRAISE FOR DONAL RYAN\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e'One of the finest novelists writing today.' – RACHEL JOYCE\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e'His paragraphs are unnoticeably beautiful, his heart always on show' – ANNE ENRIGHT\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e'Endlessly surprising and incredibly moving' – DAVID NICHOLLS\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e'A life-enhancing talent' – SEBASTIAN BARRY\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e'I would struggle to think of any other Irish author working today who writes with as much compassion as Donal Ryan' – LOUISE O'NEILL\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e'Beautiful, compassionate...Donal Ryan at his inimitable best.' – MAGGIE O'FARRELL\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e'Beautifully poised, sad, poetic and human....I loved every single line.' – IAN RANKIN\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e'The prose drips like honey off a spoon' – \u003cem\u003eSUNDAY TIMES\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eNero Book Awards Shortlisted, 2024\u003cbr\u003e\nAn Post Book Awards, November and December 2024\u003cbr\u003e\nIrish Times bestseller, August 2024\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Penguin Random House NZ","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46832859152620,"sku":"9781804994504","price":28.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/0f43d3a25f0273e9a6d110ad176dc079.jpg?v=1758436206"},{"product_id":"where-are-the-kings-by-donal-ryan-9780857529589","title":"Where are the Kings","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom the multiple award-winning, No 1 bestseller Donal Ryan, an unforgettable, intensely moving and uplifting novel about a young boy coming of age. No one captures the poetry of ordinary lives like Donal Ryan.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFrom the winner of the Orwell Prize for Fiction and the Irish Book of the Year...\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e'Beautiful, hilarious and completely gripping... a story filled with love that shines a light on all the hidden places'\u003c\/em\u003e RACHEL JOYCE\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e'Donal Ryan uncovers the poetry that hides within ordinary life. He also conjures up characters so solid, so complete and authentic, it immediately feels as though you have known them for your entire life'\u003c\/em\u003e JOANNA CANNON\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e'Warm, irreverent and humane'\u003c\/em\u003e JAN CARSON\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eJack is just twelve years old when he rushes down the hill after his mother's car on his bike, desperate to reach her before she reaches the lake.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWhat happens next cannot be undone. Jack's life changes just at the moment he is entering those dizzying years when he will transition from boy to man; when nothing makes sense at the best of times.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eYet Jack is not alone. Enveloped as he is by his extended family - his ferociously loving Nana; Grandad, given to sudden bursts of rage; his earthy uncles Haulie and Theo who want to show him what it means to be a man, and the irascible JJ who resents him deeply. Then there is beautiful aunt Rose, whose mere presence ignites every atom in his changing body.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBut how can a boy with so many questions, in a family with so many secrets, understand the person he is becoming? Without his mother to ground him on the earth, will he spin off into the stars?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Penguin Random House NZ","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47638535110892,"sku":"9780857529589","price":38.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9780857529589-where-are-the-kings.jpg?v=1779073690"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.live\/collections\/donal-ryan.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}