A character-driven, Irish-set story laced with wit, heartbreak, and redemption.

​

Out of the frying pan, into the fire—Shibby Magee throws her heart into finding her place in the world.

 

When their mother, Vera Coffey, disappears after announcing she's a Traveller, Shibby and her twin sister, Dorah, are abandoned to a settled family already cracking at the seams. Under the iron rule of their viciously prejudiced grandmother and their emotionally absent father, the two girls grow up on opposite tracks: Dorah, arrogant and bold; Shibby, bruised and quietly resilient.

 

As Shibby stumbles into adulthood, she's drawn to men who either abuse or dump her. She finds fleeting stability in the fast-paced chaos of a restaurant kitchen—but a question gnaws at her: is her future in the rooted life of the settled or on the open road to God only knows where? With the fierce support of a chosen few—Alice Duffy, housekeeper turned surrogate mother; Moochie de Barra, an affectionate stand-in for her apathetic father; and Kitty Dooley, a Traveller whose loyalty never wavers—Shibby begins to uncover hard truths about identity, family, and what it truly means to belong.

 

Echoing the tones of the TV series, Fleabag, this novel is wry and beautifully irreverent while reflecting the sharp, dark dynamics of The Banshees of Inisherin. Full of texture and lyrical rhythm, it will appeal to fans of Claire Keegan, Donal Ryan’s All We Shall Know, Jeanine Cummins’ The Outside Boy, and Rebecca Hardiman’s The Good Eggs.