The Saint of Lost Things

Tish Delaney’s first novel, Before My Actual Heart Breaks, suggested that she was an author of rare promise and acuity. This follow-up confirms her as one of the most arresting voices of her generation. The tale of an aunt and niece living in uncomfortable proximity and mutual antagonism with each other in rural Donegal, it combines deep psychological insight with unexpected touches of lightness and humour. Delaney never succumbs to cliche, but creates a vividly realised narrative in which you long for her characters to break free and triumph * Observer *Reading The Saint of Lost Things was one of those perfect reading experiences that come along very occasionally; it’s moving, funny, tragic, triumphant, totally gripping, a pure gift of a novel – Donal RyanSuperb. An assured second novel. The destructive impulses driving Delaney’s characters reap a bitter harvest. Delaney has a long and fruitful career ahead of her * Financial Times *Delaney has an effortless skill to unlock the fabric and nuances of working-class family life. Thoroughly absorbing, it didn’t let me down – Alex Wheatle * Guardian *You’ll be moved, you might laugh and there may well be redemption * Evening Standard *An engrossing read * Image Magazine *This is a fantastic read * Henley Life *Striking. In creating a protagonist who is steely against the odds, Delaney shows deftly that our dreams need never abandon us * Irish Times *Novel never loses its humanity in portrayal of a troubled life: authentic and complex […] elegantly paced. [A] warm, truthful, character-driven novel worth a read for its unusual and entirely believable characters * Business Post *

Tish Delaney was born and brought up in Northern Ireland at the height of the Troubles. Like a lot of people of her generation, she left the sectarian violence behind by moving to England. After graduating from Manchester University, she moved to London and worked on various magazines and broadsheets as a reporter, reviewer and sub-editor. She left the Financial Times in 2014 to live in the Channel Islands to pursue her career as a writer. Before My Actual Heart Breaks, her debut novel, was published by Hutchinson Heinemann in 2021.

This item is eligible for free returns within 30 days of delivery. See our returns policy for further details.