Moving between 1980s small town Ireland and New York, Home Stretch is a searing story of responsibility, blame and a young man’s quest for oblivion, from the author of A Keeper.
Shame and longing can flow through generations, but the secrets of the heart will not be buried for ever.
It is 1987 and a small Irish community is preparing for a wedding. The day before the ceremony a group of young friends, including bride and groom, drive out to the beach. There is an accident. Three survive, but three are killed.
The lives of the families are shattered and the rifts between them are felt throughout the small town. Connor is one of the survivors. But staying among the angry and the mourning is almost as hard as living with the shame of having been the driver. He leaves the only place he knows for another life, taking his secrets with him. Travelling first to Liverpool, then London, he makes a home - of sorts - for himself in New York. The city provides shelter and possibility for the displaced, somewhere Connor can forget his past and forge a new life.
But the secrets, the unspoken longings and regrets that have come to haunt those left behind will not be silenced. And before long, Connor will have to confront his past.
Graham Norton's powerful and timely novel of emigration and return demonstrates his keen understanding of the power of stigma and secrecy - with devastating results.
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
ISBN: 9781473665187
Number of pages: 368
Weight: 520 g
Dimensions: 218 x 160 x 38 mm
Atmospheric, creepy and impossible to put down. - The TimesA compelling and moving story, expertly told, that will draw you in and keep you in its grip until the last page. - Daily ExpressMagnificent ... his writing is evocative and perfect. His grasp of human loneliness and longing is beautiful and comforting. - Marian KeyesI raved about Holding two years ago ... A Keeper is even better. A powerful, very sad story, beautiful writing, two time frames that are perfectly balanced. Outstanding. Will easily be one of my books of 2018. - John BoyneA gripping, thoughtful tale about the search for identity, belonging and self-possession. - ObserverMoving and darkly funny. - Good HousekeepingSmart, well-written and thoroughly entertaining. - Irish IndependentIt's a sad and lovely book, brimful of tenderness and compassion, where the revelations of the past upturn the perceptions of the present. - Sunday Express
Graham Norton’s third novel opens up with an accident that tears apart a small community, It is about how the tragedy affects so many lives and the secret of what really happened surfaces many years later to change... More
Another excellent fictional offering from the ever lovely Graham Norton. Starting in a small town in Ireland in 1987, this is a thought provoking and heart breaking story. Starting with a horrific traffic accident, we... More
I read and enjoyed Graham Norton's last book and was delighted to receive an ARC of his latest novel from the publisher and Netgalley.I wasn't disappointed in this book.Set in a small town in West Cork from... More
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