Let Me Go Mad in My Own Way

A multi-generational family story of the west of Ireland and its women and a love story of second chances from the Booker-longlisted author of How to Build a Boat

Claire O’Connor’s life has been on hold since she broke up with Tom Morton and moved from cosmopolitan London back home to the rugged West of Ireland to care for her dying father. But snatches of her old life are sure to follow her, when Tom unexpectedly moves nearby for work. As Claire is thrown back into a love she thought she’d left behind, she questions if Tom has come for her or for himself.

Living in her childhood home brings its own challenges. While Claire tries to maintain a normal life – obsessing over the internet, going to work and minding her own business – Tom’s return stirs up haunting family memories trapped within the walls of the old house that looms nearby.

Let Me Go Mad in My Own Way is a story of love and resilience, rich with history and drama, and the legacies of violence and redemption. As the secrets of the past are revealed, Claire must confront whether she can escape her history to make a future for herself – and whether finding yourself means facing yourself too.

‘A superb, multi-generational story told in stunning, poetic prose. Elaine Feeney is one of Irish literature’s most gifted and persuasive storytellers.’ SIN AD GLEESON

Format: Paperback
Pages: 352
Imprint: Harvill Secker UK
Publication date: 27/05/2025