A Selection of the Best in Contemporary Irish Fiction
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William Wall - The Map of Tenderness
Sceptre

Of all the Irish writers to emerge in the last few years William Wall is my favourite. He has a rare ability to take a bleak, unthinkable subject, like infanticide or abuse and to write a novel that is not only bearable, but a sheer joy to read. I immersed myself in this novel, immediately taken over by his poetic lyricism and the multi layers of his brilliant writing.

The Map of Tenderness by William Wall

Writer Joe Lyons is called home by his father, finding the mother he is estranged from in the last, ghastly stages of Huntingdon’s disease. And when she dies, it seems his father has helped her along the way. Euthanasia is hardly a cheerful subject, yet Wall has produced a stunning, thoughtful novel that is ultimately uplifting.
He writes wonderfully about families, showing the intricacies that bind people together and equally throw them apart. The Map of Tenderness is, above all, a love story. This extraordinary novel, Wall’s best yet, confirms his literary talent.
Review by Sue Leonard, Books Ireland.

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