The Coast Road Audiobook By Alan Murrin cover art

The Coast Road

A Novel

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The Coast Road

By: Alan Murrin
Narrated by: Jessica Regan
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About this listen

“The last great book I read . . . an early proof of debut novelist Alan Murrin’s The Coast Road, about women in ’90s Ireland negotiating the complexities of marriage in a country where divorce is illegal. It will no doubt be a bestseller.”—actor Gillian Anderson

A poignant debut novel about the lives of women in a claustrophobic coast town and the search for independence in a society that seeks to limit it.

Set in 1994, The Coast Road tells the story of two women—Izzy Keaveney, a housewife, and Colette Crowley, a poet. Colette has left her husband and sons for a married man in Dublin. When she returns to her home in County Donegal to try to pick up the pieces of her old life, her husband, Shaun, a successful businessman, denies her access to her children.

The only way she can see them is with the help of neighbour Izzy, acting as a go-between. Izzy also feels caught in a troubled marriage. The friendship that develops between them will ultimately lead to tragedy for one, and freedom for the other.

Addictive as Big Little Lies with a depth and compassion that rivals the works of Claire Keegan, Elizabeth Strout, and Colm Tóibín, The Coast Road is a story about the limits placed on women’s lives in Ireland only a generation ago, and the consequences women have suffered trying to gain independence. Award-winning Irish author Alan Murrin reminds us of the price we are forced to pay to find freedom.

©2024 Alan Murrin (P)2024 HarperCollins Publishers
Family Life Women's Fiction Marriage Ireland
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What listeners say about The Coast Road

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Touched my Heart

I loved this book. I could not put it down. I felt engrossed in the lives of the characters. It was sad but it was real. My overwhelming feeling was admiration for their survival and the emotional cost of a time gone by. I loved the Irish narration and am searching for similar books/stories. A great debut novel.

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Brilliiant, engaging and moving.

This is an very absorbing novel about three women with quite different personalities, whose lives become intertwined, in small town rural Ireland. Murrin really understands the Irish world of the 1990s and his writing is brilliant. The story is engaging, moving, and about real world situations in Irish society during that era. Jessica Regan does an excellent job in narrating the novel and really brings all of the characters alive. I highly recommend both this Audible novel and the original written novel.

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Fabulous

Beautifully written, this a story of flawed relationships and flawed people, doing their best to take care of their families. The author did a great job of taking you back to a recent but different time in Irish history. It's not a happy ever after type of story and that's the point. The end, particularly the final sentences, resonated deeply. I thoroughly enjoyed the journey, savored the book, and look forward to more by this talented author.

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4 people found this helpful

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So sad

Well written book but oh my goodness I found it to be rather depressing! I’m conflicted.

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1 person found this helpful

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The story

I loved all of it but I do not want to write fifteen plus words !

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Touching and very human

I like the very real characters, and how you can dislike nearly all of them but root for them to do better as partners and parents. all them are flawed and a bit fated to their circumstances. The end was perfectly done.

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Wow! What a compelling story!

It was compelling, I couldn’t stop listening,. I hope Allan Murrin writes many more books.

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Wonderful characters and narration

This turned out to be a very thoughtful exposition of politics and social issues, using small town Ireland. The interplay of lives and choices made for a compelling listen—- with great narration!

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Restriction of societal norms for women

I didn’t dislike it. It was sad. It was actually well written and performed. The characters were beautiful and tragic.

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