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Other People's Lives
- Author
- Kathleen MacMahon
- Narrator
- Karen Cogan
- Publisher
- Penguin Books Ltd
- Publish Date
- 7 May 2026
- Run Time
- 9 hours 54 minutes
- Format
- Audiobook
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What to expect
Brought to you by Penguin.
'Marriage was the biggest decision of their lives and yet they made it so lightly it was barely a decision at all’
As schoolgirls, Justine and her best friend Iseult dreamed of a future that revolved around marriage. They saw it as a happy ending, never imagining for a moment that the reality would be more complicated.
Coming up to fifty, they're still best friends. Justine has been married to Iseult’s brother for twenty-five years and lives in her childhood home. Iseult has spent her adult life abroad, her marriage clearly unhappy for reasons she won't discuss.
When Justine’s daughter suddenly announces her engagement, Justine is thrown into planning a big family wedding. Afraid that her daughter is making a mistake, she finds herself questioning the choices she and Iseult made. It's a crisis of confidence that extends to the institution of matrimony itself.
From the Women’s Prize longlisted author of Nothing But Blue Sky and The Home Scar, Other People’s Lives is a captivating story about the decisions we make in a heartbeat, and their lifelong consequences.
© Kathleen MacMahon 2026 (P) Penguin Audio 2026
Critics Review
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Warm-hearted and relatable, a book that perfectly captures the messiness of modern family life
Aingeala Flannery
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Radiant novel that casts a tender yet unflinching eye upon the golden cage that is love. I found myself taking screenshots to send to friends because MacMahon nails it over and over again
Claire Kilroy
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MacMahon is an astute chronicler of modern life, its loves and losses’
David Park
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Incisive, witty and tender, there’s not a woman in the country who won’t relate to this fine and thought-provoking novel
Christine Dwyer Hickey
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I adored this novel. It asks difficult questions, unveils uncomfortable realities, and nudges forth unsettling answers, all while keeping the reader so engaged and so entertained that they simply don't want this narrative to end. A book to inhale.
Belinda McKeon
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MacMahon writes with precision and tenderness about quietly complex lives. Beautiful.
Hilary Fannin
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Simply exquisite, proving once again that MacMahon is one of Ireland's finest writers.
Anne Griffin
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This wise, truthful novel explores brilliantly all the complexity of women's lives – with a brutal honesty but also a great tenderness and lightness of touch.
Anne Tiernan
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Thoughtful and provocative, a beautifully narrated story of friendship and marriage
Anna Fitzgerald
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So beautifully observed, so penetrating, so coolly aware of the texture of people’s lives.
Neil Hegarty
User Reviews
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Details
- Author
- Kathleen MacMahon
- Narrator
- Karen Cogan
- Duration
- 9 hours 54 minutes
- Release Date
- 7 May 2026
- ISBN
- 9781405988292
- Format
- Audiobook
- Publisher
- Penguin Books Ltd
- Genre
- Street fiction / urban fiction, Contemporary lifestyle fiction, Family life fiction / Stories about family, Narrative theme: love / relationships, Narrative theme: interior life / psychological fiction
Synopsis
Brought to you by Penguin.'Marriage was the biggest decision of their lives and yet they made it so lightly it was barely a decision at all’As schoolgirls, Justine and her best friend Iseult dreamed of a future that revolved around marriage. They saw it as a happy ending, never imagining for a moment that the reality would be more complicated.Coming up to fifty, they're still best friends. Justine has been married to Iseult’s brother for twenty-five years and lives in her childhood home. Iseult has spent her adult life abroad, her marriage clearly unhappy for reasons she won't discuss.When Justine’s daughter suddenly announces her engagement, Justine is thrown into planning a big family wedding. Afraid that her daughter is making a mistake, she finds herself questioning the choices she and Iseult made. It's a crisis of confidence that extends to the institution of matrimony itself.From the Women’s Prize longlisted author of Nothing But Blue Sky and The Home Scar, Other People’s Lives is a captivating story about the decisions we make in a heartbeat, and their lifelong consequences.© Kathleen MacMahon 2026 (P) Penguin Audio 2026
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