Get Free eBook Sample
Kathleen MacMahon is a former radio and television journalist with Ireland's national broadcaster, RTE. The granddaughter of the distinguished short story writer Mary Lavin, Kathleen lives in Dublin with her husband and twin daughters. This is How it Ends, her first novel, was published in 20 countries and was a #1 bestseller in Ireland.
The Long, Hot Summer: A Novel
eBook
$1.99
-
ISBN-13:
9781455511334
- Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
- Publication date: 07/05/2016
- Sold by: Hachette Digital, Inc.
- Format: eBook
- Sales rank: 244,490
- File size: 2 MB
Available on NOOK devices and apps
Want a NOOK? Explore Now
1.99
In Stock
Nine Lives. Four Generations. One Family. The MacEntees are no ordinary family.
Determined to be different from other people, they have carved out a place for themselves in Irish life by the sheer force of their personalities.
There's Deirdre, the aged matriarch and former star of the stage. Her estranged writer husband Manus now lives with a younger man. Their daughter Alma is an unapologetically ambitious television presenter, while Acushla plays the part of the perfect political wife. And there's Macdara, the fragile and gentle soul of the family. Together, the MacEntees present a glamorous face to the world. But when a series of misfortunes befall them over the course of one long, hot summer, even the MacEntees will struggle to make sense of who they are.
From Kathleen MacMahon, the #1 bestselling author of This is How it Ends, comes this powerful and poignant novel, capturing a moment in the life of one family.
Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought
-
- This Is How It Ends: A Novel
- by Kathleen MacMahon
-
- The Perfect Recipe for Love…
- by Shirley Jump
-
- The Ramblers
- by Aidan Donnelley Rowley
-
- The Tiger in the House
- by Jacqueline Sheehan
-
- Waiting For You
- by Catherine Miller
-
- Harriet Wolf's Seventh…
- by Julianna Baggott
-
- The Fifth of July: A Novel
- by Kelly Simmons
-
- Barefoot Beach
- by Toby Devens
-
- Losing the Light: A Novel
- by Andrea Dunlop
-
- Five Fortunes
- by Beth Gutcheon
-
- The Trouble with Lexie: A…
- by Jessica Anya Blau
-
- Moon Women
- by Pamela Duncan
-
- The Longings of Women: A Novel
- by Marge Piercy
-
- Between Sisters
- by Cathy Kelly
-
- The Best Day of Someone…
- by Kerry Reichs
-
- A Dangerous Age
- by Kelly Killoren
-
- The House on Coliseum Street
- by Shirley Ann Grau
Recently Viewed
From the Publisher
"Masterful and starkly brilliant, THE LONG, HOT SUMMER is a fierce, gorgeous work of fiction that explores the secrets, intricate passions, and heartbreak of one unforgettable family. Like other great contemporary Irish novelists, KathleenMacMahon is a gifted storyteller, and her new novel is by turns bold, funny,
wicked, unflinching, tender, wise-shot through with moments of luminous grace and a haunting revelatory power. There is a relentless sense of life within these pages. THE LONG, HOT SUMMER is one of the most thrilling novels you'll read all year."—Dawn Tripp, bestselling author of Georgia
"Kathleen McMahon is a natural and incredibly talented storyteller whose rich characters, full with yearning and the heartbreak of what it is to have experienced disillusionment and grief, are in full scope in this remarkable novel of the
MacEntee family; they remind us of what it is to be human and more, in the absence of those who are no longer with us, what it is to have loved."
—Thomas O'Malley, author of This Magnificent Desolation and In the Province of
Saints
"Three generations of MacEntees explode onto the page with charm,
vulnerability, and dark humor, as they struggle through a summer of unexpected trials. Reinventing themselves, refusing to be ignored, they will win your heart."—Tracy Guzeman, author of The Gravity of Birds
"THE LONG, HOT SUMMER is a wholly unique multi-generational story, a darkly funny commentary on the price of fame and fortune, and a heartrending look at overcoming loss in its many forms. Add in Kathleen MacMahon's sparkling humor and lush prose, and this is a must read."—Deborah Copaken, New York Times bestselling author of The Red Book and Shutterbabe
"Showbiz, politics, sex and death - this gorgeously written story tackles a lot of themes, all brilliantly done."—Sunday Mirror
"Breezy, perceptive, light-footed"—Metro
"A book you pray never to finish."—Irish Country Magazine
"The characters are so real that you become part of their lives and tragedies."—Sainsbury's Magazine
"This book romps along at pace that you can't help but get caught up with."—Irish Independent
Praise for THIS IS HOW IT ENDS:"
A story of people who are easy to believe in and hard to forget."—Maeve Binchy
"An unforgettable story of love and hope."—Cecelia Ahern
"With great wit and humor, Kathleen MacMahon skillfully captures the nuances and complexities of relationships old and new."—
Catherine O'Flynn, author of What Was Lost
Kirkus Reviews
2016-05-03Multiple generations of an Irish family reluctantly come together to support each other through a summer of trials. Multigeneration novels can sometimes feel too full of characters, heavy in a way that the plot cannot move beyond. Such is not the case in MacMahon's hands, as she deftly manages a shifting third-person perspective to give the reader a measure of insight into each of the central characters. Dierdre and Manus MacEntee, though technically still married, have lived separately since Manus left her to move in with Sam, a man more than 20 years his junior. Each in their 80s, Dierdre and Manus are grappling with end-of-life issues, as Dierdre dreads getting older and facing the inevitable bodily failures, and Manus is now a full-time caregiver for Sam, who is increasingly losing his memory. Yet their children are also each at turning points in their lives as well: columnist and news anchor Alma is left traumatized after a physical attack, and her ex-husband seeks sanctuary at her house after an embarrassing political blunder; Acushla decides to publicly reveal a long-held secret despite the consequences for her politician husband (brother to Alma's ex); and Macdara contemplates whether to risk seeking feedback on his secret life's work. The novel moves along swiftly yet never feels rushed as long-held grudges, rifts between siblings, and tensions between romantic partners and adult children and their parents come to a head over the course of a summer. Though some characters are given more attention than others, MacMahon explores the motivation of each with humor and affection though never sentimentality. Further, although the characters address weighty issues, the novel never sinks into moodiness. As its title suggests, this book will be ideally suited for summer vacation. Engaging and immersive, this novel welcomes readers into the fascinating, dysfunctional heart of the MacEntee family.