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Ordinary Saints

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About this listen

 What if you had escaped your devout family in Ireland to live your best queer life - then your brother became a candidate for sainthood?

An unmissable, award-winning, moving and funny exploration of family, grief and queer identity.

*SELECTED AS A RADIO 2 BOOKCLUB PICK*
*WINNER OF THE INAUGURAL PFD QUEER FICTION PRIZE*
*SHORTLISTED FOR THE WOMEN'S PRIZE DISCOVERIES AWARD*

Can you imagine it? I'd say to them. Can you imagine me there in the front row in Saint Peter's Square? The lesbian sister of a literal saint.

Brought up in a devout household in Ireland, Jay is now living in London with her girlfriend, determined to live day to day and not think too much about either the future or the past. But when she learns that her beloved older brother, who died in a terrible accident, may be made into a Catholic saint, she realises she must at last confront her family, her childhood and herself . . .

Inspired by the author's own devout upbringing, Ordinary Saints is a brilliant debut novel from a fresh, exciting new voice which asks - who gets to decide how we are remembered - and who we will become?

*A BOOKSELLER PICK OF THE MONTH*

'Beautifully written and brilliant on grief, love and family expectations. Wonderful'
Daily Mail

'A sparkling debut. Absolutely brilliant'
Sara Cox

'Stunning. A fresh funny, honest portrayal of familial love. I adored it'
Louise Nealon, international bestselling author of Snowflake

'Funny and deeply moving. I adored it'
Chloe Michelle Howarth, author of Sunburn

'Mesmerising and original'
Victoria MacKenzie, award-winning author of For Thy Great Pain Have Mercy on My Little Pain©2025 Niamh Ni Mhaoileoin (P)2025 Bonnier Books UK Coming of Age Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Literature & Fiction Heartfelt Funny LGBTQIA+
All stars
Most relevant
Good story. Interesting and sad but with heart.
Liked to learn about how saints are ‘made’

Great narrator

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Thoroughly enjoyed this book; well-observed, wonderful characters, great descriptions. By turns sad and funny it was an excellent and very entertaining listen.

Beautifully written.

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The narrator did a great job with a range of characters and accents. Really enjoyed the writing. Couple of glitchy edits, but good production overall

Strong narration, good characterisation, clever story telling

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I love this story, brilliantly written and read. I couldn't stop listening through the heartbreak and joyful moments

Exceptional

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I loved the relatable family dynamics, the awkwardness of knowing you and your family are 'different' from your peers, the exploration of grief and the imposition of Catholicism in every private, personal moment, and how fervent belief creates a chasm between believer and non-believer. Really excellent book. I didn't like the girlfriend though, possibly because the narration made her sound very sneering. Top quality original debut, highly recommend.

An Explosion of Loss, Family, Self, Culture & Religion

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