‘I said it before. Madness comes circling around. Ten-year cycles, as true as the sun will rise…’ Some things can send a heart spinning; others will crack it in two. In 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. But 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… A stunning, lyrical novel told in twenty-one voices, Heart, be at Peace can be read independently, or as a companion to Donal Ryan’s multi-award-winning novel, The Spinning Heart, voted ‘The Irish Book of the Decade’.
Donal Ryan Ordre des livres
Donal Ryan crée des récits qui explorent la complexité des relations humaines et des vulnérabilités, y infusant souvent à la fois humour et empathie. Son écriture se caractérise par un aperçu vif de la psychologie des personnages, révélant les profondeurs émotionnelles de leurs vies. Ryan explore fréquemment des thèmes tels que la perte, la rédemption et la recherche de sens dans les circonstances quotidiennes. Sa prose est riche, rythmique et fluide, attirant profondément les lecteurs dans ses histoires.







- 2024
- 2023
Fünf Jahre war Moll Gladney verschwunden. Fünf Jahre, in denen ihre Eltern versucht haben, die Trümmer ihres Lebens zusammenzuhalten. Doch plötzlich ist ihre Tochter wieder da, 25 inzwischen. Ohne ein Wort, wo sie gewesen ist, einen Hinweis, warum sie sich nie gemeldet hat. Gerade als sich die Wogen aus Klatsch und Tratsch in der kleinen irischen Gemeinde beinahe wieder gelegt haben, klopft die Polizei an die Tür der Gladneys – mit unfassbaren Neuigkeiten.
- 2022
An Irish Times Number 1 bestseller from an award-winning, Booker longlisted author, this novel showcases a musical writing style that captivates readers. Praised as a haunting masterpiece, it presents a generous mosaic of love, pride, history, and family. The Aylward women share a deep bond, often misunderstood by outsiders who only see the raised voices and dramatic scenes. Their home, however, is a sanctuary filled with love, contrasting the world's sadness and cruelty. The narrative unfolds from an ending to a beginning, exploring themes of betrayal, loyalty, isolation, and forgiveness. It delves into the complexities of family dynamics, celebrating the fierce love that endures and the powerful stories that transcend generations. Critics highlight the book's beautiful prose, emotional depth, and the author's compassionate storytelling. The novel is described as beautifully poised, sad, and poetic, with every line resonating with readers. It is both endlessly surprising and incredibly moving, showcasing a life-enhancing talent that stands out in contemporary Irish literature. The work reflects a profound understanding of human experiences, making it a remarkable addition to the literary landscape.
- 2020
Strange Flowers
- 240pages
- 9 heures de lecture
In 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. Five years later, Moll returns. What - and who - she brings with her will change the course of her family's life forever. Beautiful and devastating, this exploration of loss, alienation and the redemptive power of love reaffirms.
- 2018
From a Low and Quiet Sea
- 192pages
- 7 heures de lecture
'An engrossing, unpredictable, beautifully crafted novel' RODDY DOYLE Farouk's country has been torn apart by war. Lampy's heart has been laid waste by Chloe. John's past torments him as he nears his end. The refugee. The dreamer. The penitent. From war-torn Syria to small-town Ireland, three men, scarred by all they have loved and lost, are searching for some version of home. Each is drawn towards a powerful reckoning, one that will bring them together in the most unexpected of ways.
- 2016
A Slanting of the Sun: Stories
- 240pages
- 9 heures de lecture
An old man looks into the fearful eyes of a burglar left to guard him while his brother is beaten; Donal Ryan's short stories pick up where his acclaimed novels The Spinning Heart and The Thing About December left off, dealing with the human cost of loneliness, isolation and displacement.
- 2016
All We Shall Know
- 256pages
- 9 heures de lecture
Résumé sur la quatrième de couverture : "Melody Shee is alone and in trouble. Her husband doesn't take her news too well. She doesn't want to tell her father yet because he's a good man and this could break him. She's trying to stay in the moment, but the future is looming - larger by the day - while the past won't let her go. What she did to Breedie Flynn all those years ago still haunts her. It's a good thing that she meets Mary Crothery when she does. Mary is a young traveller woman, and she knows more about Melody than she lets on. She might just save Melody's life."
- 2015
A Slanting of the Sun
- 204pages
- 8 heures de lecture
An old man looks into the fearful eyes of a burglar left to guard him while his brother is beaten; an Irish priest in a war-torn Syrian town teaches its young men the art of hurling; the driver of a car which crashed, killing a teenage girl, forges a connection with the girlâe(tm)s mother; a squad of broken friends assemble to take revenge on a rapist; a young man sets off on his morning run, reflecting on the ruins of his relationship, but all is not as it seems. Donal Ryanâe(tm)s short stories pick up where his acclaimed novels The Spinning Heart and The Thing About December left off, dealing with the human cost of loneliness, isolation and displacement. Sometimes this is present in the ordinary, the mundane; sometimes it is triggered by a fateful encounter or a tragic decision. At the heart of these stories, crucially, is how people are drawn to each other and cling on to love, often in desperate circumstances. In haunting and often startling prose, Donal Ryan has captured the brutal beauty of the human heart in all its hopes and failings.
- 2013
'He heard Daddy one time saying he was a grand quiet boy to Mother when he thought Johnsey couldn't hear them talking. Mother must have been giving out about him being a gom and Daddy was defending him. He heard the fondness in Daddy's voice. But you'd have fondness for an auld eejit of a crossbred pup that should have been drowned at birth.' While the Celtic Tiger rages, and greed becomes the norm, Johnsey Cunliffe desperately tries to hold on to the familiar, even as he loses those who all his life have protected him from a harsh world. Village bullies and scheming land-grabbers stand in his way, no matter where he turns. Set over the course of one year of Johnsey's life, The Thing About December breathes with his grief, bewilderment, humour and agonising self-doubt. This is a heart-twisting tale of a lonely man struggling to make sense of a world moving faster than he is. Donal Ryan's award-winning debut, The Spinning Heart, garnered unprecedented acclaim, and The Thing About December confirms his status as one of the best writers of his generation.
- 2013
The Spinning Heart
- 160pages
- 6 heures de lecture
Winner of the Guardian First Book Award 2013 Shortlisted for the Dublin IMPAC Literary Award 2014 Longlisted for the Man Booker Prize 2013 Winner of Book of the Year at the Irish Book Awards 2012 'Funny, moving and beautifully written’ Edna O'Brien In 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. The Spinning Heart 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. 'Filled with light and shade, love and tragedy ... if it was a song you could sing it’ Anne Enright ‘Donal Ryan is the real deal. … a brilliantly realised, utterly resonant state-of-the-nation landscape’ Sunday Independent ‘I can’t imagine a more original, more perceptive or more passionate work than this. Outstanding’ John Boyne ‘It’s furious, it’s moving, it’s darkly funny, it punches you right in the gut’ New York Times



