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Ordinary Saints

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Ordinary Saints

By: Niamh Ni Mhaoileoin
Narrated by: Roisin Rankin
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About this listen

 An unmissable, award-winning exploration of family, grief, queer identity, and the legacy of the Catholic Church in Ireland.

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

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?

More praise for Ordinary Saints:

'Stunning. A beautiful story about the awkward, often painful silences around dinner tables. A fresh funny, honest portrayal of familial love. I adored it' Louise Nealon, international bestselling author of Snowflake

'The best debut novel I've read in a long time. Niamh Ní Mhaoileoin is a writer of immense delicacy, perception and heart, drilling deep into questions of faith, family and love. A beautiful novel and a huge talent'
Jessica Moor

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

'Mesmerising and original, Ordinary Saints is quite a novel: an empathetic, heart-felt and nuanced exploration of the Catholic church in modern Ireland, queer identity, family and so much more. I absolutely loved it'
Victoria MacKenzie, award-winning author of For Thy Great Pain Have Mercy on My Little Pain

'An engrossing and absorbing read . . . Uplifting and absolutely gripping' Rachel Dawson, author of Neon Roses

'Ní Mhaoileoin's writing has a real magic to it that hits you right from the first sentence'
Okechukwu Nzelu

'I both learnt - and felt - a lot reading Ordinary Saints. An intriguing, compelling and deeply original debut'
Roxy Dunn, author of As Young As This

'An outstanding debut. Delicately woven through with the threads of modern Irishness. Emotionally intelligent, hilarious, superb'
Soula Emmanuel, author of Wild Geese

'A clever, emotionally complex, and unfailingly generous debut, I found Ordinary Saints both deeply moving and utterly gripping'
Kate Young, author of Experienced©2025 Niamh Ni Mhaoileoin (P)2025 Bonnier Books UK Coming of Age Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Literature & Fiction Heartfelt Funny LGBTQIA+

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All stars
Most relevant
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 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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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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I found this novel honest & heartfelt, and full of rich, realistic characters. The plot is original and the context so well crafted with relatable, universal central themes. Loved it!

Powerful, compassionate & uplifting

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