The Lodgers

Eithne Shortall is an author columnist and occasional broadcaster. Her debut novel <i>Love in Row 27</i> was a major Irish bestseller and the follow-up <i>Grace After Henry</i> was shortlisted for the Irish Book Awards and won Best Page Turner at the UK's Big Book Awards. Her third novel <i>Three Little Truths </i>was a BBC Radio 2 Book Club pick. <b>SHORTLISTED FOR POPULAR FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR AT THE IRISH BOOK AWARDS 2023</b><br><b></b><br><b>'I defy anyone to read this without turning the final page with a great big smile on their face!' - Ruth Hogan</b><br><b></b><br><b>One house. Three strangers. A second chance at happiness.</b><br><br>Tessa's life as an activist and volunteer worker takes a hit after a fall. At the ripe young age of 69 she's no longer able to live alone and decides to take in two lodgers for free.<br><br>After the recent death of his brother Conn is riddled with grief and determined to make amends. A free room seems too good to be true - until he meets the other lodger.<br><br>Chloe arrives at Tessa's house to deliver a package and leaves with a room. But she takes an instant dislike to Conn who refuses to say where he disappears to at night. <br><br>With everyone so busy keeping their own secrets the mysterious package is forgotten. It's addressed to Tessa's daughter who's been missing for 10 years - and only the contents have the answer to what happened...<br><br><b>'This moving funny and charming novel is reminiscent of Marian Keyes' Louise O'Neill</b> <b>An uplifting and heartwarming tale of friendship community and a mystery package... From the author of<i> Love in Row 27 </i>and <i>Grace After Henry</i></b> <b>Heartwarming</b> Such <b>a joyful read</b> written with wit compassion and humour - and the characters are all so relatable. Throughout the chaos sadness and uncertainty hope community and friendship shine through.<b> I defy anyone to read this without turning the final page with a great big smile on their face!</b> This <b>moving funny and charming</b> novel is <b>reminiscent of Maeve Binchy</b>; what <b>an absolute joy </b>it was to read <b>Romantic witty and very engaging. A heartwarming read. </b> <b>Both laugh aloud and emotional</b> ... epitomises true family friendship and home. It's <b>fabulous</b>. <b>A sumptuous holiday read</b> ... an endearingly oddball cast of characters a lovely romance and several intriguing mysteries all in one gorgeous package <b>Immersive captivating and full of heart</b> I fell in love with <i>The Lodgers</i>. A story that's <b>deeply moving but also laugh out loud funny</b> this is Eithne Shortall at the absolute top of her game. <b>Ideal summer read </b>... Expertly balances the joys and absurdities of everyday life with its tragedies ... <b>by turns hilarious and heartbreaking</b> ... Shortall excels in <b>witty</b> character-driven plots ... you will find it <b>hard to put down</b> I just adored <i>The Lodgers</i>. An evocative setting page-turning plot and characters that will stay with you long after you turn the final page. <b>Utterly wonderful</b>. <b>Packed with plot and character ... uplifting</b> ... full of faith in collective action and the power of the many With its rich cast of delightful characters and a plot that swoops effortlessly from humour to tragedy and back again<i> The Lodgers</i> is <b>a warm embrace of a novel. A wonderfully life-affirming read.</b> Shortall achieves that Marian Keyes feat of deftly weaving serious topics into her books with a lightness of touch that never feels preachy <b>A brilliantly observed life-affirming story of friendship</b> community and hope. Prepare to be touched and tickled in equal measure I adored this. I love how effortlessly Shortall writes different people and makes them so very real.