Hagstone
Description of book
THE INSTANT TOP 5 IRISH BESTSELLER
‘Wild, singular…gripped me from the start’ DOUGLAS STUART
'Passionate, wild, hugely atmospheric' DAVID NICHOLLS
‘Intelligent, probing’ MAGGIE O'FARRELL
‘A gorgeous, mysterious read’ AISLING BEA
‘I adored it’ LOUISE KENNEDY
LONGLISTED FOR THE 2025 DUBLIN LITERARY AWARD
*A most anticipated 2024 debut in BBC, Daily Mail, Stylist, New Statesman, Sunday Independent, Irish Times and Irish Examiner*
The haunting debut novel from acclaimed, Irish no. 1 bestselling author, Sinéad Gleeson.
The sea is steady for now. The land readies itself. What can be done with the women on the cliff?
On a wild and rugged island cut off and isolated to some, artist Nell feels the island is her home. It is the source of inspiration for her art, rooted in landscape, folklore and the feminine. The mysterious Iníons, a commune of women who have travelled there from all over the world, consider it a place of refuge and safety, of solace in nature.
All the islanders live alongside the strange murmurings that seem to emanate from within the depths of the island, a sound that is almost supernatural – a Summoning as the Iníons call it. One day, a letter arrives at Nell’s door from the reclusive Iníons who invite Nell into the commune for a commission to produce a magnificent art piece to celebrate their long history. In its creation, Nell will discover things about the community and about herself that will challenge everything she thought she knew.
Beautifully written and gripping, Sinéad Gleeson’s debut novel takes in the darker side of human nature and the mysteries of faith and the natural world. Perfect for readers of Margaret Atwood and Sarah Moss.
'Sublime'OBSERVER
‘Original and captivating’BBC
'A gripping punch to the gut' SUNDAY INDEPENDENT
‘Startling, engrossing, darkly playful’ RODDY DOYLE
‘Magnificent…a literary page-turner’ JENNIFER HIGGIE
'Constellations: Reflections from Life' by Sinéad Gleeson won Non-Fiction Book of the Year at the 2019 Irish Book Awards.
Ratings & reviews
3.8
★★★☆☆52 ratings
4.5
★★★★☆52 ratings
This had a dark and atmospheric feel to it, which I enjoyed. I am really interested in people who live in religious communities & Ashrams, so the subject matter of a community of women living isolated in a small Irish town was really fascinating to me. I felt this book had some deep and insightful themes and Nell’s life was not so different from the women she was writing about, she is also a woman living outside of the realms of normality and conventionality. I enjoyed the exploration of how we as people have a deep curiosity & fear about what we do not understand. I certainly enjoyed this book but I didn’t love it, so it’s a neutral 2.5 🌟 from me.
Danielle
★Book3
★Narration5
Otherworldly and incredibly real at the same time. Definitely one for the art history fans and the fans of weird and wonderful women
Carrie
★Book5
★Narration5
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