The Irish Goodbye

It’s been years since the three Ryan sisters were all home at the same time. Two decades ago, their lives were upended by an accident on their brother Topher’s boat: a boy was killed, the lawsuit nearly bankrupted their parents, and Topher spiralled into suicide. Now the Ryan women are back for Thanksgiving, hungry to reconnect – and each sister is carrying a heavy secret.

The eldest, Cait, feels responsible for the crash and is rekindling a flame with her high school crush Luke – Topher’s best friend and the brother of the boy who died. Middle sister Alice’s surprise pregnancy threatens the career she’s restarting after raising kids, but she worries her marriage will be equally doomed if she terminates. And the youngest, Maggie, is finally taking the risk of bringing a woman she loves home to her Irish Catholic mother. Infusing everything is grief for Topher, which none of the Ryans have figured out how to carry together instead of separately.

Author Biography

Heather Aimee O’Neill teaches creative writing at CUNY Hunter College of New York and is the assistant director of the Sackett Street Writers’ Workshop. She lives in Brooklyn with her partner and their sons.