The dazzling truth: a novel

In 1978, aspiring actress Maeve is spending the summer in Dublin when she meets art student Murtagh Moone. They're soon inseparable; marriage follows, and they move to a small island off the west coast of Ireland. But the joys of marriage and new motherhood are overshadowed by Maeve's increasing periods of mental instability, dark days that leave the family struggling to cope. Murtagh's deepest fears come to fruition when Maeve fails to return from a walk. After her body is found in a local lake, Murtagh and their four children must deal with the calamity and its aftermath. Cullen (The Lost Letters of William Woolf, 2018) once again explores the complexities of human relationships and the often tragic nature of love. With a group of well-crafted, intriguing characters, she realistically portrays a tight-knit group of people trying to grow up and grow old under the shadow of a tragedy they can never understand. Readers will enjoy experiencing a slice of life in this small Irish community, and embrace the very interesting characters who live there.

Cullen (The Lost Letters of William Woolf) reveals how an aspiring actor's losing battle with depression impacts the lives of those she loves. In 1978 Dublin, Maeve Moretti is attending Trinity College when she falls in love with fellow student Murtagh Moone, who is drawn to her "Technicolor" radiance without knowing about her dark episodes. When Murtagh is offered an apprenticeship with a potter living on the island of Inis Og after graduation, he accepts the position and asks Maeve to marry him. They wed and move to the island, and Maeve continues working on her acting career, while Murtagh takes over the potter's business. After the couple has four children, Maeve is overcome by her depression and drowns herself. Murtagh struggles with the motivation to continue his pottery business as the younger children try to understand why their mother left so abruptly. Ten years later, when the siblings come home for the 30th birthday party for the eldest daughter, Murtagh shares some surprising news, and they must decide whether to accept the changes in Murtagh's life. Cullen's lyrical prose drives the immersive and heart-wrenching narrative. This complex study of depression and its impact on family dynamics will lure readers. Agent: Kim Witherspoon, InkWell Management. (Aug)

When Maeve Morelli, a just-arrived Brooklyn student, meets Murtagh Moone outside Trinity College, Dublin, it starts a saga that will stay with readers long after they have followed the family's trail from 1978 to 2015. Murtagh, a potter, and Maeve, an aspiring actress, fall hard for each other and are quickly married and then move to Inis Óg, an island off the west coast of Ireland, where they raise twin sons and two daughters. The book opens with a search for Maeve, whose body washes ashore with stones in her pockets. The effect of the suicide on each family member and on the clan as a whole is perfectly drawn by Cullen (The Lost Letters of William Woolf), an Irish author living in London, whose time away has not dimmed her ability to write pitch-perfect rural Irish conversations and characters. Maeve's depression hangs over the book, but love is here in spades, too, and the twist in devotion that Murtagh takes to close the story is just right. VERDICT Warn your patrons to clear a weekend for this gorgeous read.--Henrietta Verma, Credo Reference, New York, NY

In 1978, aspiring actress Maeve is spending the summer in Dublin when she meets art student Murtagh Moone. They're soon inseparable; marriage follows, and they move to a small island off the west coast of Ireland. But the joys of marriage and new motherhood are overshadowed by Maeve's increasing periods of mental instability, dark days that leave the family struggling to cope. Murtagh's deepest fears come to fruition when Maeve fails to return from a walk. After her body is found in a local lake, Murtagh and their four children must deal with the calamity and its aftermath. Cullen (The Lost Letters of William Woolf, 2018) once again explores the complexities of human relationships and the often tragic nature of love. With a group of well-crafted, intriguing characters, she realistically portrays a tight-knit group of people trying to grow up and grow old under the shadow of a tragedy they can never understand. Readers will enjoy experiencing a slice of life in this small Irish community, and embrace the very interesting characters who live there. Copyright 2020 Booklist Reviews.

When Maeve Morelli, a just-arrived Brooklyn student, meets Murtagh Moone outside Trinity College, Dublin, it starts a saga that will stay with readers long after they have followed the family's trail from 1978 to 2015. Murtagh, a potter, and Maeve, an aspiring actress, fall hard for each other and are quickly married and then move to Inis Óg, an island off the west coast of Ireland, where they raise twin sons and two daughters. The book opens with a search for Maeve, whose body washes ashore with stones in her pockets. The effect of the suicide on each family member and on the clan as a whole is perfectly drawn by Cullen (The Lost Letters of William Woolf), an Irish author living in London, whose time away has not dimmed her ability to write pitch-perfect rural Irish conversations and characters. Maeve's depression hangs over the book, but love is here in spades, too, and the twist in devotion that Murtagh takes to close the story is just right. VERDICT Warn your patrons to clear a weekend for this gorgeous read.—Henrietta Verma, Credo Reference, New York, NY

Cullen (The Lost Letters of William Woolf) reveals how an aspiring actor's losing battle with depression impacts the lives of those she loves. In 1978 Dublin, Maeve Moretti is attending Trinity College when she falls in love with fellow student Murtagh Moone, who is drawn to her "Technicolor" radiance without knowing about her dark episodes. When Murtagh is offered an apprenticeship with a potter living on the island of Inis Og after graduation, he accepts the position and asks Maeve to marry him. They wed and move to the island, and Maeve continues working on her acting career, while Murtagh takes over the potter's business. After the couple has four children, Maeve is overcome by her depression and drowns herself. Murtagh struggles with the motivation to continue his pottery business as the younger children try to understand why their mother left so abruptly. Ten years later, when the siblings come home for the 30th birthday party for the eldest daughter, Murtagh shares some surprising news, and they must decide whether to accept the changes in Murtagh's life. Cullen's lyrical prose drives the immersive and heart-wrenching narrative. This complex study of depression and its impact on family dynamics will lure readers. Agent: Kim Witherspoon, InkWell Management. (Aug)