Service95 Recommends is the home of the books we love and reviews from our contributors. Mouthing by Orla Mackey traces the story of one Irish village through the mid-20th century to the early 21st century from a sensational new talent in literary fiction.
What We Say:“Narrated by several generations of villagers, Mouthing traces the fortunes of one small community from the mid-20th century to the early 21st, in a series of highly confessional and darkly hilarious monologues. The good people of Ballyrowan delight in twisting the knife, in tormenting one another, in perfecting the art of schadenfreude. And, it becomes clear, none of them are entirely reliable witnesses. An acerbic, unsentimental love letter to rural Irish life, where everyone knows everyone else’s business and everyone has an opinion on it – where ‘community’ is both a lifeboat and a life sentence” – Maria Padget
What They Say: “Orla Mackey writes with tenderness, honesty and caustic wit. Mouthing is full of characters who’ll simultaneously make your blood boil and break your heart into little bits. A novel for everyone who’s ever wondered what the neighbours are really up to behind closed doors . . .” – Jan Carson
Available on Bookshop.org and Waterstones
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Maria Padget is Service95 Book Club Director
