FROM THE CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED AUTHOR OF TENNIS LESSONS
'Susannah Dickey is a phenomenal talent and I loved this novel.' ELIZABETH DAY
'I loved Common Decency . . . such a propulsive joy to read too.' MEGAN NOLAN
'One of the funniest and most insightful novelists writing today.' NELL FRIZZELL
In an apartment building in Belfast, two women wrestle with the sorrows and spectres of love and loss.
Since her mother's death, Lily has withdrawn from the world, trapped between grief and anger. She has to break out of this damaging cycle - but how?
Upstairs, Siobhan is consumed by her affair with a married man. Her days revolve around his sporadic texts and rare visits. She barely notices the strange girl who lives below and dawdles in the foyer.
But Lily is keeping a close eye on her neighbour, whose life seems so much better and more fulfilling than her own. When resentment evolves into something darker and more urgent, she decides to teach Siobhan a lesson...
From the critically acclaimed author of Tennis Lessons comes a darkly powerful novel about two lives running closely in parallel but divided by gulfs of misunderstanding. With boundless wisdom and deep empathy, Dickey charts the anonymity and hidden intimacies of modern existence, and our profound human need to connect.
'A treat...vividly compelling' Sunday Times
'Sharp as tacks, extremely funny and deeply moving. This novel is very good company.' JAN CARSON
