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Roddy Doyle

The Women Behind the Door

The Women Behind the Door

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  • More about The Women Behind the Door


Paula Spencer, a sixty-six-year-old woman, is living her life with a job, friends, and four grown children. However, her eldest daughter, Nicola, suddenly turns up on her doorstep and confides in her a secret that unleashes a crisis. Paula and Nicola untangle anecdotes, jokes, memory, and revelation to confront the bruised but beautiful symmetry of what each means to the other. The book has been praised for its storytelling genius and has been shortlisted for the Irish Book Awards Novel of the Year 2024.

Format: Hardback
Length: 272 pages
Publication date: 12 September 2024
Publisher: Vintage Publishing

‘The undisputed laureate of ordinary lives SUNDAY TIMES ‘A brilliant,one-of-a-kind writer DAVID NICHOLLS * * * At sixty-six,Paula Spencer – mother,grandmother,widow,survivor – is finally living her life. A job at the dry cleaners she enjoys,a man – Joe – with whom she shares what she wants,friends who see her for who she is,and four grown children. Despite its ghosts,Paula has started to push her past aside. That is until Paulas eldest,Nicola,turns up on her doorstep. Independent,a loving wife and mother,a "success" – Nicola is suddenly determined to leave it all behind. Over the next few days,as Nicola gradually confides in Paula the secret that unleashed this moment of crisis,mother and daughter find themselves untangling anecdotes,jokes,memory and revelation to confront the bruised but beautiful symmetry of what each means to the other. * * * ‘His best yet…full of energy and life OBSERVER ‘Reading [Paula Spencers] voice for the first time sent a pang of recognition through me,followed by love ANNE ENRIGHT ‘Storytelling genius i NEWS SHORTLISTED FOR THE IRISH BOOK AWARDS NOVEL OF THE YEAR 2024 ‘The undisputed laureate of ordinary lives SUNDAY TIMES ‘A brilliant,one-of-a-kind writer DAVID NICHOLLS * * * At sixty-six,Paula Spencer – mother,grandmother,widow,survivor – is finally living her life. A job at the dry cleaners she enjoys,a man – Joe – with whom she shares what she wants,friends who see her for who she is, and four grown children. Despite its ghosts,Paula has started to push her past aside. That is until Paulas eldest,Nicola,turns up on her doorstep. Independent,a loving wife and mother,a "success" – Nicola is suddenly determined to leave it all behind. Over the next few days,as Nicola gradually confides in Paula the secret that unleashed this moment of crisis,mother and daughter find themselves untangling anecdotes,jokes,memory and revelation to confront the bruised but beautiful symmetry of what each means to the other.

The Undisputed Laureate of Ordinary Lives


The Sunday Times

A brilliant, one-of-a-kind writer DAVID NICHOLLS

* * *

At sixty-six, Paula Spencer – mother, grandmother, widow, survivor – is finally living her life. A job at the dry cleaners she enjoys, a man – Joe – with whom she shares what she wants, friends who see her for who she is, and four grown children. Despite its ghosts, Paula has started to push her past aside. That is until Paulas eldest, Nicola, turns up on her doorstep. Independent, a loving wife and mother, a "success" – Nicola is suddenly determined to leave it all behind. Over the next few days, as Nicola gradually confides in Paula the secret that unleashed this moment of crisis, mother and daughter find themselves untangling anecdotes, jokes, memory and revelation to confront the bruised but beautiful symmetry of what each means to the other.

His Best Yet...Full of Energy and Life


The Observer

Reading [Paula Spencers] voice for the first time sent a pang of recognition through me, followed by love ANNE ENRIGHT

Storytelling genius i NEWS

SHORTLISTED FOR THE IRISH BOOK AWARDS NOVEL OF THE YEAR 2024

The Undisputed Laureate of Ordinary Lives


The Sunday Times

A brilliant, one-of-a-kind writer DAVID NICHOLLS

* * *

At sixty-six, Paula Spencer – mother, grandmother, widow, survivor – is finally living her life. A job at the dry cleaners she enjoys, a man – Joe – with whom she shares what she wants, friends who see her for who she is, and four grown children. Despite its ghosts, Paula has started to push her past aside. That is until Paulas eldest, Nicola, turns up on her doorstep. Independent, a loving wife and mother, a "success" – Nicola is suddenly determined to leave it all behind. Over the next few days, as Nicola gradually confides in Paula the secret that unleashed this moment of crisis, mother and daughter find themselves untangling anecdotes, jokes, memory and revelation to confront the bruised but beautiful symmetry of what each means to the other.

His Best Yet...Full of Energy and Life


The Observer

Reading [Paula Spencers] voice for the first time sent a pang of recognition through me, followed by love ANNE ENRIGHT

Storytelling genius i NEWS

SHORTLISTED FOR THE IRISH BOOK AWARDS NOVEL OF THE YEAR 2024

Weight: 470g
Dimension: 162 x 242 x 28 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781787334908

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