Alison Walsh
Photo by Circus Photography
Alison Walsh
Novelist Alison Walsh has worked in book publishing in the UK and Ireland for many years.
A contributor to the books page of the Sunday Independent, her first book, In My Mother's Shoes, a non-fiction account of three generations of mothers, was published in 2010 and became a number-one bestseller.
Her debut novel All That I Leave Behind which explores the complexities of mother love and the bonds of family was published in August 2015.
Her second novel The House on Seaview Road about first love, feminism, growing up and the sisterhood, was published in September 2016.
Her third novel The Weekend Dad, was set in the Irish community in London and looks at what it takes to be a good-enough parent. It was published in January 2018.
Her latest novel The Start Of Summer is the story of how today's women become mothers, the undercurrents of the group and the lives of four very different women over a long, hot summer. It was published in May 2019.
Alison lives in Dublin with her family.
Praise for The Start Of Summer
“Walsh writes with a warmth and humour about the disparate lives of four new mothers over one summer in Dublin. This is a touching, enjoyable tale of friendship in all of its complexities”
Anne Griffin. author of 'When All Is Said’
Praise for The Weekend Dad
“Warm and thought-provoking with a wonderful cast of characters”
Rachael English, author and RTE journalist.
Praise for The House on Seaview Road
“A brave and thought-provoking novel”
Irish Independent
Praise for All That I Leave Behind
“Beautifully told”
Sunday Independent
“A powerful story ... Walsh shows an innate understanding of people's lives, and the emotional truths that underpin them”
Kathleen MacMahon
Praise for In My Mother's Shoes
“Honest, funny, heartfelt ... I loved it”
Cathy Kelly
“Cheerful, intelligent, funny and shockingly sensible ... Buy it. Read it. Pass it on”
Judith O'Reilly, author of Wife in the North
'Honest and immensely readable ... many mothers will find themselves nodding along in recognition. I will be passing it on and - more tellingly - looking for it back'
Sunday Business Post
“Yay for Alison Walsh! ... An adroit, honest, account of having babies (in UK and Ireland), of bringing up babies (ditto), of being a Celtic Tiger mum, working all the hours God sends, to being a-stay-at-home mum, plus the messy compromises in between”
Sunday Independent
“If you're anything like me, you'll be desperate, especially in those early days of motherhood, to know two things. Firstly, that you're not alone, and secondly, that things get easier. Alison Walsh provides both. Writing honestly about her experiences as a mother...Walsh's descriptions of motherhood and its peaks and depths will have you howling with laughter , as well as nodding emphatically in recognition. Walsh's relationships with her mother and `Nana', and acknowledgment of how different things would have been for them as young mothers in Ireland, adds an extra layer of nuance to an already funny, touching memoir”
Modern Mum
Rights Sold
In My Mother's Shoes: Macmillan (UK, Ireland, Commonwealth)
All That I Leave Behind : Hachette Books Ireland (UK, Ireland, Commonwealth)
The House on Seaview Road Hachette Books Ireland (UK, Ireland, Commonwealth)
The Weekend Dad Hachette Books Ireland (UK, Ireland, Commonwealth)
The Start Of Summer Hachette Books Ireland (UK, Ireland, Commonwealth