Himself
-
- £4.99
-
- £4.99
Publisher Description
A BBC Radio 2 Book Club Choice
Shortlisted for the Irish Book Awards 2016
Shortlisted for the Authors' Club Best First Novel Award 2017
Longlisted for the John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger 2017
1950. A teenage girl is brutally murdered in a forest. But, somehow, her baby survives.
1976. A mysterious and charming young man returns to the remote coastal village of Mulderrig, seeking answers about the mother who, it was said, had abandoned him on the steps of a Dublin orphanage.
With the help of its oldest and most eccentric inhabitant, he will force the village to give up its ghosts. Nothing, not even the dead, can stay buried forever.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
For a debut novel, Himself is astonishingly accomplished. It’s also a great many other things: a fearsome murder mystery laced with jet-black wit and fairytale elements split between 1950 and 1976. Our rambunctious anti-hero is Mahony, a roguish thief (and accidental am-dram star) who returns to his Irish village of birth determined to uncover just how his mother was killed 26 years ago. We adore Kidd’s precocious blend of comedy, suspense and fantasy—Himself is an endlessly fascinating tale we didn’t want to end.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In her exceptional debut novel, Kidd explores the dark corners of the human mind in small-town 1970s Ireland, creating a haunting story that moves between the supernatural and the mundane. A murder mystery on the surface, the story digs past the traditional whodunit structure to paint a rich portrait of village life. Mahony, a charming young man who can communicate with the dead, returns to Mulderrig, Ireland, his birthplace, in search of the truth about his mother's mysterious disappearance. As he dredges up the town's best-kept secrets, the line between past and present blurs, ghosts of the departed shadowing the footsteps of those still living. Mahony's quest is, at its core, a journey of self-discovery, yet his presence, much like his mother's, creates a ripple that churns into a tempest, ultimately threatening the stability of the town as a whole. The lavishly populated cast of characters boasts unique quirks, hidden motivations, and a dangerous instinct for self-preservation. In Mulderrig, Mahony learns, all is not as it seems; the departed prove to be the least of his worries. While the plot hurtles along at a rapid pace, leading inexorably to the heart-pounding final conflict, Kidd injects ample doses of macabre humor and lyrical description in this memorable story from a strange, bold new voice.
Customer Reviews
Himself
Fabulous, wittily, humanly observational while seamlessly combining the mystical with the prosaic. Being inside the imagination of Jess Kidd is a savagely wonderous wee treat and I thank her for inviting me in.
Himself
I found the reviews misleading as there was no mention of the foul language and crude descriptions. I should have sampled the book first and saved my money.
Himself
Full of humour and sadness, as well as magic. Darkness and greyness and light abound. Unable to put this book down.