Duffy and Son

A heart-warming and hilarious novel about life, love, and the weight of all we leave unsaid, Duffy & Son is a quietly moving masterpiece from one of Ireland’s most gifted comic writers.

Eugene Duffy is turning 70; his son Jim is turning 40.

For decades now, they’ve been running the family hardware shop and living in good-natured bachelor harmony. But time is marching on, and with thoughts of old age weighing heavily on his mind, Eugene is growing increasingly concerned about his son’s future.

He resolves to help in the best way possible: by finding Jim a wife. And he’s not going to let anyone – let alone Jim himself – stand in his way.

Reminiscent of Fredrik Backman’s bestselling novel A Man Called Ove, Duffy and Son contains a likeable but curmudgeonly main character, wry humour, tremendous heart, as well as a strong sense of community. It is a funny and heartwarming novel which celebrates the messiness of ordinary lives and would make a perfect reading group choice.

Reviews

‘Funny, sweet, charming and just a little bit heart-breaking’ – Dara O’Briain

‘Immensely enjoyable … By turn, hilarious and heartbreaking, we rarely hear the perspective of the ageing working class man worrying about his bachelor son and I think that’s why it was such a refreshing read … It’s such a tender, warmhearted portrait of a man who has always thought he’d done his best and is now suddenly faced with the notion that he might have failed. Skilfully drawn characters jump to life and the storytelling is enormously entertaining … a universal story, told in a uniquely Irish way.’ – Liz Nugent

About the author

Damien Owens is the author of four novels — Dead Cat Bounce, Peter and Mary Have a Row, The Bright Side and Little Black Everything. The latter two were published under the pen name Alex Coleman. He is also the creator and writer of Trivia, a television comedy/drama which ran for two series on RTÉ.

Damien has contributed comic material to a number of other television and radio programmes, and to numerous magazines and newspapers in Ireland, Britain and Australia.

He lives in Dublin with his wife, two daughters and a small animal that is most likely a cat.