Ordinary Saints

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

Author Biography

Niamh Ní Mhaoileoin was the winner of the inaugural PFD Queer Fiction Prize and was also shortlisted for the Women’s Prize Trust Discoveries Prize in 2022. Her début literary novel Ordinary Saints was shortlisted for the 2025 Waterstones Debut Prize.