What do you do when you’ve ruined your life?
You go home to your mother, if you’re lucky enough still to have one.
Saoirse Maher wouldn’t recommend it.
– Sugartown
[ About Sugartown ]
Leaving home wasn’t supposed to be temporary. When she moved to London, Saoirse was leaving Ireland behind for good, and with it her messy, broken family. But it turns out that starting again isn’t as easy as she imagined, and when her five-year relationship goes south, Saoirse finds herself out of options. And so here she is, trudging back to her mother Máire’s house up a side road on the outskirts of Irish civilisation.
Except the world she comes back to is nothing like the one she left behind. Her mother has a new family, and everyone else seems to be moving on. But between the drinking, drugs, and an entirely healthy, not-problematic-at-all-thanks relationship with Charlie, there’s plenty to distract her.
Don’t look too closely, and everything’s fine. Saoirse is just fine.
[ My Review ]
Sugartown by Caragh Maxwell published September 18th with Oneworld and was shortlisted for the recent An Post Irish Book Awards 2025. It is described as ‘a remarkable new Irish debut about growing up and moving backwards‘ and is recommended for fans of Sally Rooney and Megan Nolan.
Recently I watched The Walsh Sisters (Marian Keyes screen adaptation) and Saoirse Maher reminded me in so many ways of Rachel Walsh. Saoirse Maher is lost. In her twenties, her relationship has crumbled and she has been left with no choice but to return home to Ireland. When she had emigrated to London, she thought she would never be back again but now, broke and defeated, her options are non-existent. Saoirse had a difficult childhood. Born to young parents, unable to fulfil their role, Saoirse watched her mother and father drink too much and fail to look after her, leaving her often in the care of her grandmother. As soon as she could Saoirse had turned her back on her Irish life ready to begin again but now, inevitably, she is sucked right back into life in a rural town with all that it entails.
Saoirse has little confidence and she hides behind any drink and drugs that she can get her hands on. Her mother, Máire, now in a new relationship, has three little girls and is struggling to accept Saoirse back into her life. Máire is very tightly strung and can’t abide the lack of motivation she recognises in Saoirse. Having made a mess of her own early years, it’s clear that having Saoirse back in her life, is something she could do without.
Saoirse tries really hard to fit back in. She gets a local job, she falls in love, she reconnects with old friends but her mind is too messed up to settle. Every night out results in Saoirse stumbling out the door of the pub, falling down the steps of a nightclub or blacking out.
Saoirse Maher has issues. With jarring descriptions her exploits and thought-processes are brilliantly depicted as she struggles to get out of bed every day. There is a lingering sense of loss surrounding her that permeates everything she does. It’s clear that she knows she should do better but she can’t. She is like a wrecking ball in so many aspects of her life and, while back home, the magnifying glass is focused on her every move.
Caragh Maxwell has written a very striking debut that lingers well after the final page. Her ability to pinpoint Saoirse’s thoughts and feelings with such clarity is expertly done and will resonate with many. Heart-breaking, raw, and intense Sugartown offers a tender yet unflinching look at addiction. It tracks a flawed protagonist spiralling through ever-evolving circumstances while desperately fighting to cope. Gritty and deeply moving, Sugartown is a cracking tale, one that promises great things for Caragh Maxwell’s future work.
[ Bio ]
Caragh Maxwell is a writer living in Sligo town. She graduated from the Trinity College MPhil in Creative Writing in 2023, and her essays, poems and stories have been published in The Irish Times, The Cormorant and other publications. Her writing focuses on the self, memory, and womanhood. Sugartown is her debut novel.
