Hagstone

THE INSTANT TOP 5 IRISH BESTSELLER

SHORTLISTED FOR THE JOHN McGAHERN BOOK PRIZE 2025

‘Wild, singular…gripped me from the start’ — DOUGLAS STUART

‘Passionate, wild, hugely atmospheric’ — DAVID NICHOLLS

‘Intelligent, probing’ — MAGGIE O'FARRELL

‘A gorgeous, mysterious read’ — AISLING BEA

‘I adored it’ — LOUISE KENNEDY

LONGLISTED FOR THE 2025 DUBLIN LITERARY AWARD

A most anticipated 2024 debut in BBC, Daily Mail, Stylist, New Statesman, Sunday Independent, Irish Times and Irish Examiner

The haunting debut novel from acclaimed, Irish no. 1 bestselling author, Sinéad Gleeson.

The sea is steady for now. The land readies itself. What can be done with the women on the cliff?

On a wild and rugged island cut off and isolated to some, artist Nell feels the island is her home. It is the source of inspiration for her art, rooted in landscape, folklore and the feminine. The mysterious Iníons, a commune of women who have travelled there from all over the world, consider it a place of refuge and safety, of solace in nature.

All the islanders live alongside the strange murmurings that seem to emanate from within the depths of the island, a sound that is almost supernatural – a Summoning as the Iníons call it. One day, a letter arrives at Nell’s door from the reclusive Iníons who invite Nell into the commune for a commission to produce a magnificent art piece to celebrate their long history. In its creation, Nell will discover things about the community and about herself that will challenge everything she thought she knew.

Beautifully written and gripping, Sinéad Gleeson’s debut novel takes in the darker side of human nature and the mysteries of faith and the natural world. Perfect for readers of Margaret Atwood and Sarah Moss.

'Sublime' — OBSERVER

‘Original and captivating’ — BBC

'A gripping punch to the gut' — SUNDAY INDEPENDENT

‘Startling, engrossing, darkly playful’ — RODDY DOYLE

‘Magnificent…a literary page-turner’ — JENNIFER HIGGIE

Constellations: Reflections from Life by Sinéad Gleeson won Non-Fiction Book of the Year at the 2019 Irish Book Awards.