Breeda Looney Steps Forth
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- $4.99
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- $4.99
Publisher Description
Breeda Looney tells herself she's content with her quiet life in a remote Irish fishing village. She has her routines, her cat, and the familiar rhythm of the sea. But beneath the surface, Breeda is barely holding things together. Her panic attacks have become public spectacles, her world has grown painfully small, and her sharp‑tongued Aunt Nora never lets her forget how little she's accomplished.
Then one discovery changes everything.
A long‑buried family secret suggests that Breeda's beloved father—said to have died when she was a child—might still be alive. The revelation cracks open the story she's lived by for decades, and Breeda finds herself drawn into a past no one ever intended her to uncover.
As she searches for the truth, Breeda stumbles into a tangle of old wounds, shifting loyalties, and unexpected connections. Along the way, she must confront the lies she inherited, the fears that have shaped her, and the possibility of a life larger than the one she's been surviving.
Heartfelt, compelling, and often darkly funny, Breeda Looney Steps Forth is a warm and deeply human story about family, identity, and the courage it takes to step into your own life. Set against the rugged beauty of Ireland's west coast and filled with memorable characters, this debut novel will stay with readers long after the final page.
Praise for Breeda Looney Steps Forth
"Set in modern Ireland and steeped in the beauty of the Wild Atlantic Way, this story is told with passionate and lyrical grace." — Goodreads
"[Oliver Sands'] lyrical prose consistently impresses… this is a worthy page‑turner." — Publishers Weekly
"Hilarious at times but ultimately totally heartwarming, Breeda Looney Steps Forth is an outstanding debut." — The Book Magnet
Perfect for readers of Graham Norton, Rachel Joyce, Roisin Meaney, and Carmel Harrington.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Irish writer Sands debuts with an enjoyable, bittersweet account of a woman's grief and longing to understand her family history. On Breeda Looney's 37th birthday, she's drunk and reeling in the street, grieving over her mother, Margaret, who recently died. Thoughts of an impending lunch date with her meddlesome Aunt Nora aren't helping: "tomorrow's lunch would likely involve a lecture on Breeda's many shortcomings, served with a side of hand-wringing, and a generous dollop of Catholic guilt," Sands notes. Breeda's grief triggers her depression and anxiety, while Nora, in chapters from her point of view, worries about Breeda tarnishing Margaret's memory. As Breeda looks through old family pictures, she notes that none exist of her father, Malachy. When Breeda was 12, she was told he'd drowned during a drunken night swim. But after Breeda stumbles upon an 18th birthday card addressed to her from Malachy, she confronts Nora the next morning, who tells her to "leave the past in the past." Breeda sets out to uncover the truth about Malachy, unaware that doing so will expose more, unexpected family secrets. Sands does an excellent job at using nuance to delve into the denser themes of mental health and grief, and his lyrical prose consistently impresses. Tense and affecting, this is a worthy page-turner. (Self-published)
