‘An unforgettable story of two families riven by one great secret’
[ About Everything that is Beautiful ]
For Niamh Ryan, the Foleys are family. Her childhood flew by on their farm, playing with her best friend Peter and his sister Kate – all the while being doted on by their mother Helen and coached by their father Liam, a legendary former hurling player.
Now, following a distressing series of events, the family ties are strained. Niamh receives drunken phone calls and messages from Peter who can’t understand what derailed their burgeoning relationship three years ago. Meanwhile, Helen Foley is trying her best to escape her life by checking into guesthouses under the names of women she went to school with. In her life in Belfast, Kate is attempting to hold down a job and a relationship while carrying the weight of the family’s secrets, and feeling like she is the one to blame.
As a family wedding looms, and the women find themselves face to face, the knotty love that still binds Niamh, Helen and Kate might just bring them back together again.
Told through the perspectives of three very different women, Everything That Is Beautiful unfolds the story of one complicated family in startlingly honest prose. By turns funny and deeply moving, and with unmatched emotional intelligence, this is an unforgettable story of love and family, heartbreak and hope – and who we might become after we pick up the pieces.
[ My Review ]
Everything that is Beautiful by Louise Nealon (April 2026, Manilla Press/Bonnier) is described by author Roisin O’Donnell as ‘vivid and compelling. A big-hearted, immersive novel about the complex bonds of family and friendships’. With a family wedding on the horizon, three women are forced to think back on their past history and the reasons why their once close relationship is fractured.
When researching her second novel Louise Nealon was inspired by the MeToo movement and the experiences of women living in a rural environment. She sets her characters in a GAA town where hurling is central to the community. Helen loved being the wife of Liam Foley, a celebrated ex-county hurler who, in later years, became a hurley maker. With Mary Ryan, Helen’s best friend, as her neighbour, they had enjoyed years of harmony. Liam was looked up to by the entire county and beyond for his skill on the pitch as a younger man. His reputation was solid making him a legend among fans and also a respected club coach on retirement.
Niamh Ryan, Mary’s daughter, loved calling to the Foleys. She had a great touch with the sliotar (hurling ball) and was in awe of Liam Foley. With Peter Foley by her side, they would puck back and forth in the hope of catching Liam’s eye. Local players would drop by to get their hurleys from Liam leaving Peter and Niamh dazzled by stardom. These were their idols. These were the lads they wanted to emulate. As the years passed, the children grew up. Niamh became a popular camogie player (female hurling), with her leadership and expertise on the field recognised by many. But, as the years past, circumstances changed and the dynamic between the two families became fragmented
Niamh and Peter were always considered a likely match, a couple who would surely walk up the aisle together. Peter wanted their relationship to develop but Niamh, after a brief time together, kept him at a distance for reasons he could never fathom. Peter left for Australia but Niamh was always on his horizon.
With Maria Foley on the cusp of her wedding day tensions rise and secrets begin to unravel. Helen has taken to heading off on solo trips and ordering new clothes online. Kate Foley, now in Belfast, has had her own personal issues but she also carries a secret that weighs heavily on her heart. Niamh has faced her own demons, attempting over the years to move forward but the upcoming wedding is now bringing everything to the forefront and the house of cards is slowly starting to topple.
Everything that is Beautiful is an intimate and sensitive tale, one that vividly captures a rural community and it’s passion for the game. There are villages, towns and crossroads throughout the country where the GAA (football, hurling and camogie) is the life and breath of the local environs. There is a pitch in every parish and for many it is a religion, with the players venerated for their prowess and touch. Community is everything. The parish is everything. Reputation is everything. It is into this environment that Louise Nealon has set her novel. The dynamic between genders is well drawn, with fascinating insights into the different perspectives across various themes. This is an emotive read with a specific, yet quite subtle, thread that both angers and saddens in equal measure. There is a lot to be unpicked within these pages which makes it an excellent book club choice. A lingering novel with a very authentic feel Everything that is Beautiful is a pensive and stirring read.
[ Thank you to Gill Hess/Manilla Press for a copy of Everything That is Beautiful in exchange for my honest review ]
[ Bio ]
Louise Nealon is a writer from County Kildare, Ireland. Her debut novel, Snowflake, was published in 2021. It won the Newcomer of the Year at the An Post Irish Book Awards and was chosen for the One Dublin One Book campaign in 2024.
Her second novel, Everything that is Beautiful, will be released in April 2026 in Ireland and the UK, and in August 2026 in the USA.
