*The Coast Road* by Alan Murrin is an emotionally rich, quietly devastating read that totally pulled me in—it’s small-town Ireland, 1994, just before divorce was legal, and the mood is thick with gossip, faith, and frustrated dreams. You’ve got Colette, the rebellious poet banned from her kids, and Izzy, the caring yet suffocating housewife—watching their friendship deepen was everything. Murrin’s writing strikes the perfect tone: compassionate, atmospheric, with that hint of tragedy lingering just below the surface .


If you’re into deeply felt stories, memorable characters, and that bittersweet edge that stings long after you turn the last page, *The Coast Road* is a must-read.

“It was his experience that a man often thought his wife insane when she expressed unhappiness with her lot.” This quote from Father Brian in the novel sums up a lot of how women are looked at in the time period of The Coast Road. Izzy and Colette are women feeling trapped in their marriages. Colette makes a choice that she regrets, since she loses her relationship with her son. Izzy has chosen to stay in her marriage. But life soon brings them together, and life won't be so kind to one of them. Part mystery, part slow burn, part commentary on society...I really enjoyed this novel. Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read it as an ARC.

Alan Murrin’s The Coast Road is a quietly powerful novel that captures the mood and rhythms of small-town life with great care and detail. Murrin has a way of making everyday moments feel meaningful, focusing on the connections between people and the subtle shifts that happen over time.

The writing is straightforward but thoughtful, with characters who feel real and relatable. The story moves at a steady pace, letting you settle into the setting and really feel the atmosphere of the coast and the community.

If you like books that are low-key but emotionally resonant, The Coast Road offers a gentle, honest look at life’s ups and downs without needing big drama or twists.

A beautiful debut novel about women trapped in their marriages during the early 1990s when divorce in Ireland was illegal. Reflecting on a dark time, Murrin does a fantastic job capturing the depth and complexities of these women. Looking forward to his next novel!

Story is set in the 1990s in a small town in Ireland in a time when divorce was illegal. It follows three women who are each facing challenges within their marriages. It's very character driven, which I loved. It was an engrossing and emotional read. It was beautifully written and slow paced, which I didn't mind. Really enjoyable read!

The Coast Road is a fantastic book and I honestly feel terrible about how much I couldn't get into the first chapters. I had to go back and start over at a later date. This book, though, is full of observations about small-town Irish life, at the ways that women struggled for independence and are often punished for trying to attain it. The idea that Ireland did not allow divorce until the mid-'90s is unthinkable for me; I had no idea. I'm grateful to this book for teaching me about a period in Ireland I should have known about. The struggles of one woman are, in many ways, the struggles of all women. Highly recommend.

The Coast Road by Alan Murrin is a moving debut novel set in 1990s Ireland, a time when divorce was still illegal and the country is going through big changes. The story follows three women—Izzy, Delores, and Colette—each facing the challenges of strained or broken marriages. The themes of power, betrayal, and the feeling of being trapped in a society where separation was stigmatized, making their struggles real and heartbreaking.

While the pacing is slow at times, the emotional depth and vivid portrayal of small-town life kept me invested. Murrin's writing beautifully captures the sense of isolation, but also the hope that lingers amid the darkness. A thought-provoking and impactful read.

Alan Murrin's The Coast Road is a wonderful, compelling story from a new writer whose career I'll be watching. The strands of this story come together in a heartbreaking and thought-provoking conclusion. This is a story that makes the reader think about the repercussions of eliminating choice -- specifically, the choice to divorce or leave a marriage -- from the lives of women. A fantastic read.

A lovely debut set in a coastal town in Ireland in the period before divorce becomes legal. Murrin creates intimate portraits in gorgeous prose.

Alan Murrin’s The Coast Road, set in the small coastal town of Ardglas, Ireland in 1994, is the story of some families of that town, especially several women who are at important points in their lives. Ireland is also at an inflection point. There are rumors that a referendum on divorce might be considered in the near future though no one is seriously discussing it in public. The Church and men continue to have the upper hand.

The women we meet, chief among them Izzy, Colette and Dolores, are all married, in various states of unhappiness, with husbands who control their lives and happiness in different ways. The men, James, Shaun and Donal, are quite different from each other but they each assume what the role of men and women, husbands and wives is and should/must be. As the novel plays out, we follow both the expected and unexpected consequences as women talk and listen and judge and teach each other. There are some lovely contemplative moments but also some horribly sad ones.

This is a society where wives have few if any options: very often no money except from their husbands, no home except their husbands home and no legal way to leave their marriage. If they should leave, they have also are likely to lose their children. The Coast Road provides a portrait of several women trying to deal with less than happy marriages in those Irish times. A worthwhile read.

Thanks to Harper Via and NetGalley for an eARC of this book. This review is my own.

Set in Ireland in the 1990’s Murrin explores the lives of three women and their marriages. Ireland did not allow divorce till 1996 and we witness the dilemmas these women deal with as they leave their husbands or try to stay in unhappy marriages. Murrin creates detailed characters and simple lives that show us how complicated they still can be when relationships have failed. A thoroughly engrossing read. My thanks to #NetGalley and #HarperCollins for an ARC of #TheCoastRoad

I couldn't believe this was Alan Murrin's first novel. It was such so beautifully written, almost lyrical. This was a slow-paced, character-driven novel and I loved every page.

An amazing debut by Alan Murrin. I absolutely loved this book. Small town living where everyone gossips. Donegal in the 1990's before divorce was legal....
There are many positive reviews about this novel and I cannot add anymore words other than READ IT!
My favorite character was the poet Colette. She lived her life full of risk and heartache.

I had no idea divorce wasn’t allowed in Ireland until 1996.
I began this book with no expectations but it was hard to connect with any of the characters.
I disliked Colette and Donal the most and couldn’t elicit any sympathy for them to their predicaments they created for themselves.

This was one of my most anticipated reads of 2024. It did not disappoint and in fact exceeded my expectations. What an absolutely brilliant debut novel! A character driven, slow burn plot set in Ireland during the 1990s before divorce was legal that combines the best of literary fiction with some elements of historical fiction as well. I'm looking forward to more from Alan Murrin.

This debut is set in 1990 Ireland where divorce is not legal. It tells the story of three women. I really enjoyed the story.

When I first began reading The Coast Road by Alan Murrin, I thought the descriptions of dulcet, desperate motherhood were seducing me. A woman who just wants to see her sons! A woman balancing parenting differences with her husband! But the further I read, the more I understood this small-town Irish drama was subtly outlining a feeling even more full of familiarity and fear than motherhood: claustrophobia. One could very well argue these labels are different names for the same thing, or at least, for parenting as an antecedent, because what’s more binding than being trapped inside one’s love and the responsibilities that come out of it?

Published in the U.S. on June 4, The Coast Road follows two women in a small community immediately before Ireland legalized divorce in 1995. One woman, Colette, a poet, has returned head-hung to town after having left her husband and three sons; the other, curious Izzy, is in an unhappy marriage with an elected member of government. The two strike up an unexpected friendship: one carries the stigma of having left her family, the other wants to leave hers.

Although the chatty, occasionally eccentric townsfolk want to litigate the moral rectitude of Colette’s departure and subsequent return to grovel for access to her children, the story isn’t so much about passing judgment as it is about what happens to people — women — placed in impossible situations. It asks: how does one survive with her hands tied behind her back?

For Colette, some of this survival is literal — how safe is the rented winter cottage owned by a leering serial adulterer? In other ways, it’s more existential — what is a mother who isn’t allowed to see her children?

Neither Colette nor Izzy can be with their husbands, yet neither one can legally leave. What becomes of them is the novel’s heartbeat.

It’s heavy subject matter, but Murrin offers relief through a deep sense of atmosphere (darkly lit pubs, an ocean reverberating in the background, woodfires in seaside cottages) and also through a shifting POV that brings everyone from the landlord’s wronged wife to the local parish priest in on the conversation. This book was comp’d to Big Little Lies and it’s easy, just a few pages in, to see why.

"She was left wanting" is my favorite quote from " The Coast Road", by Alan Murrin. This book drew me in immediately and kept a good pace all the way through. I just loved the friendships/bonds between the women of this story. It gave me Maeve Binchy vibes. I absolutely loved this book and I can't wait to read this author's future books!

Coastal Roadblocks

In an interview with Library Love Fest, the HarperCollins YouTube channel, author Alan Murrin says that he has always “...had a thing for a female character that is difficult, but that you are rooting for.” In his debut novel “The Coast Road” he has nailed that. Colette Crowley is a character who would always stand out in a crowd, but in a rural Irish town in 1994 all eyes were on her.

Thanks to the stranglehold of the Catholic Church, divorce was still constitutionally illegal in Ireland, long after the rest of the world accepted it. Colette had left her emotionally dead marriage and ran off with another man– a relationship doomed to fail. When she returned to the small town of Ardglas, her husband forbade her from seeing her children. Not only was she cut off financially, but the town saw her as a jezebel and the gossip raged.

Colette’s neighbor, Izzy, had an up and down marriage of her own to a politician, a man who places appearances above all else. In order to get out of the house, she enrolled in a poetry class Colette was offering and the two bonded there. Izzy reluctantly agreed to set up a secret rendezvous for Colette and her son, something that held the possibility of a blow-up if their husbands found out about it.

Another family in this triangle is the Mullens. Delores Mullen, currently pregnant, rented their cottage out on the coast road to Colette. Her husband, Donal, took advantage of Colette’s solitude and state of mind– resulting in an affair. Delores had her suspicions but tried to ignore the reality of the situation.

…and then comes the plot development, an explosion that blows everything up and sparks a long overdue turn of events.

In this, his debut novel, Alan Murrin paints the picture of how claustrophobic things are for these women. They are trapped in a world limiting what they are allowed to do, what they are allowed to be. The subject of divorce is barely mentioned, but the fact that it is not accepted colors the way Colette is viewed and barricades the options these women have for their future. While Colette is the focus of everyone’s attention, so much is bounced off Izzy’s viewpoint and what she learns about herself. Delores, too– early on she is portrayed as so subservient– she is capable of surprising. The men, the husbands, are very believable– if not universally bad. Surprisingly (maybe refreshingly), the only male with any redeeming qualities is the village priest.

“The Coast Road” is a wonderful read with brilliantly realized characters. The landscape– you can feel yourself in the beautiful and rugged County Donegal. I highly recommend it and anticipate seeing it listed on end of year award nominations.

Thank you to HarperVia and NetGalley for providing an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review. #TheCoastRoad #NetGalley

HE COAST ROAD
BY: ALAN MURRIN

The Coast Road, is very hard to believe is a work of debut fiction by talented author Alan Murrin. I'm so grateful that I decided to read this outstanding and haunting novel after reading one five star review about it. It takes place in a very small and isolated town in Ireland where if my memory is correct the population is about 1,000, people. This is the type of novel that took me a few days in order to write my review since it's so haunting and unforgettable. I am going to now chime in with the few reviews that I've read in stating that I had no idea until reading this fantastic novel that until the 17th of June, 1996 the Irish had prohibited divorce in their constitution. There is a very short Authors Note that stated on November 25, 1995, the people of Ireland voted in a referendum to remove the constitutional prohibition regarding divorce. The amendment to the constitution making divorce legal was approved and signed into law on June 17, 1996. The law was passed by less than one percentage point. Shocking! I would have liked a longer Author's Note, but maybe his intent was to keep it short since for all of the unhappy marriages represented in this powerful novel that takes place in 1994-1995, that for all of the the couples he modeled long term marriages after. Still when the people of Ireland cast their ballots the legalization of divorce was passed by less than one percentage point.

The novel is very atmospheric to give a very claustrophobic and isolated feel as if it were a character itself. I hate to use a cliche such as atmospheric, but I can remember how I felt while reading it that gossip and rumors and some of the characters were overly concerned with what other people thought and said about them. I felt so bad for the character of Colette Crowley on so many different levels. The novel opens with her reading scripture at church because my impression was because she
you quickly learn, had recently returned to this small ocean community after leaving her rich husband Shaun and her three sons to move to Dublin with her boyfriend. It hadn't worked out with her plans in Dublin and she returned and was denied visitation with her sons. Her oldest son could have probably seen her since he was in school at Trinity. The novel doesn't explore that. What this novel does make clear is that she wanted to see her youngest son named Carl, who is only eleven, and her husband won't allow it. That to me is so heartbreaking and not in the best interest of their sons. Another heartbreaking aspect is that as soon as she was in Dublin and wanted eleven years old Carl to come and stay with her husband Shaun who is rich cuts her off financially as well. Colette was a poet and when she moved back she rented a cottage from Donal and his wife Delores on their property up on a steep hill. When she calls her former home her middle aged son named Barry who answered the telephone was so mean and disrespectful to his mother calling her names that aren't appropriate for me to repeat in this review my heart broke for her, also. For some reason which you learn later in the novel Colette isn't allowed back in her former home with her husband and two younger boys reside. Colette is forty-four years old and since she's separated she decides as money dwindles to teach a Creative writing course at the local community center.

Izzy who is in Colette's mind the most talented student is married to a politician who they both have two children and have been married for twenty years. The novel opens with Izzy attending the Sunday Catholic Mass and it is through her lens that I got the impression that by Colette reading Scripture that she is the subject of the town's gossip. Even though Izzy and her husband go weeks without speaking to each other over an argument. Izzy will move into the guest room for weeks if not months. Izzy and Colette's sons used to be close, but they got into a fight at school. Colette drove to Izzy's house one day asking if Izzy could be the go between by calling Colette's husband Shaun asking if Carl can join Izzy and her son Niall on an outing to an inside Water park. Izzy doesn't think that it's a good idea but reluctantly agreed to it. Colette got to spend some time with her son who was happy to see her. Colette mentions to her son Carl that she doesn't want him to lie, but for now if they are going to be able to keep these visits up for now it would be best not to tell his father he spent time with Colette.

It's near Christmastime and Izzy again agrees to take the boys further away to a shopping mall and as they are getting something to eat somebody spots them and tells Carl's father. It is Christmas Eve and Colette had plans of going to spend Christmas morning with her sons at their home with their dad. Her husband Shaun calls at Dolores and Donal's home telling Colette not to come over the next morning for Christmas to exchange gifts with her sons. I felt more heartbreak for Colette being kept away from her sons on Christmas. She had been drinking and her husband picks up on it and acts outraged about that, also.

There is a domino effect that gets put into motion and it's a very tragic outcome. There are more things going on which I haven't begun to mention. I don't think that Colette should've been sneaking to see her son. I also don't think that when there are problems between spouses that children should be kept from either parent. As I write this my thoughts prior to writing this were that I don't believe in divorce. Now, I think that it should be up to both spouses to think long and hard and in some cases it might be appropriate. It seems that when the vote to legalize divorce in Ireland to have the constitution amended having divorce become law only passed by less than one percent speaks volumes. I don't know what the answer is in my own mind anymore regarding whether divorce is helpful to society or not. The marriages portrayed here had people separating or almost separating and I just don't know enough about Ireland to have an opinion. I used to be totally against divorce in my own marital experience even though things weren't always perfect, but I do feel strongly that children need both parents. No matter what one spouse does, in my opinion it should stay between them and I feel the parents should never involve their children.

This character driven narrative was also a pulse pounding, fast paced plot that is so well written and what a page turner. I highly, highly recommend it. It is for sure a top read and one I'll never forget.

Publication Date: June 4, 2024! Available Now!

Thank you to Net Galley, Alan Murrin and HarperVia for generously providing me with my fantastic ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

#TheCoastRoad #AlanMurrin #HarperVia #NetGalleyHE COAST ROAD
BY: ALAN MURRIN

The Coast Road, is very hard to believe is a work of debut fiction by talented author Alan Murrin. I'm so grateful that I decided to read this outstanding and haunting novel after reading one five star review about it. It takes place in a very small and isolated town in Ireland where if my memory is correct the population is about 1,000, people. This is the type of novel that took me a few days in order to write my review since it's so haunting and unforgettable. I am going to now chime in with the few reviews that I've read in stating that I had no idea until reading this fantastic novel that until the 17th of June, 1996 the Irish had prohibited divorce in their constitution. There is a very short Authors Note that stated on November 25, 1995, the people of Ireland voted in a referendum to remove the constitutional prohibition regarding divorce. The amendment to the constitution making divorce legal was approved and signed into law on June 17, 1996. The law was passed by less than one percentage point. Shocking! I would have liked a longer Author's Note, but maybe his intent was to keep it short since for all of the unhappy marriages represented in this powerful novel that takes place in 1994-1995, that for all of the the couples he modeled long term marriages after. Still when the people of Ireland cast their ballots the legalization of divorce was passed by less than one percentage point.

The novel is very atmospheric to give a very claustrophobic and isolated feel as if it were a character itself. I hate to use a cliche such as atmospheric, but I can remember how I felt while reading it that gossip and rumors and some of the characters were overly concerned with what other people thought and said about them. I felt so bad for the character of Colette Crowley on so many different levels. The novel opens with her reading scripture at church because my impression was because she
you quickly learn, had recently returned to this small ocean community after leaving her rich husband Shaun and her three sons to move to Dublin with her boyfriend. It hadn't worked out with her plans in Dublin and she returned and was denied visitation with her sons. Her oldest son could have probably seen her since he was in school at Trinity. The novel doesn't explore that. What this novel does make clear is that she wanted to see her youngest son named Carl, who is only eleven, and her husband won't allow it. That to me is so heartbreaking and not in the best interest of their sons. Another heartbreaking aspect is that as soon as she was in Dublin and wanted eleven years old Carl to come and stay with her husband Shaun who is rich cuts her off financially as well. Colette was a poet and when she moved back she rented a cottage from Donal and his wife Delores on their property up on a steep hill. When she calls her former home her middle aged son named Barry who answered the telephone was so mean and disrespectful to his mother calling her names that aren't appropriate for me to repeat in this review my heart broke for her, also. For some reason which you learn later in the novel Colette isn't allowed back in her former home with her husband and two younger boys reside. Colette is forty-four years old and since she's separated she decides as money dwindles to teach a Creative writing course at the local community center.

Izzy who is in Colette's mind the most talented student is married to a politician who they both have two children and have been married for twenty years. The novel opens with Izzy attending the Sunday Catholic Mass and it is through her lens that I got the impression that by Colette reading Scripture that she is the subject of the town's gossip. Even though Izzy and her husband go weeks without speaking to each other over an argument. Izzy will move into the guest room for weeks if not months. Izzy and Colette's sons used to be close, but they got into a fight at school. Colette drove to Izzy's house one day asking if Izzy could be the go between by calling Colette's husband Shaun asking if Carl can join Izzy and her son Niall on an outing to an inside Water park. Izzy doesn't think that it's a good idea but reluctantly agreed to it. Colette got to spend some time with her son who was happy to see her. Colette mentions to her son Carl that she doesn't want him to lie, but for now if they are going to be able to keep these visits up for now it would be best not to tell his father he spent time with Colette.

It's near Christmastime and Izzy again agrees to take the boys further away to a shopping mall and as they are getting something to eat somebody spots them and tells Carl's father. It is Christmas Eve and Colette had plans of going to spend Christmas morning with her sons at their home with their dad. Her husband Shaun calls at Dolores and Donal's home telling Colette not to come over the next morning for Christmas to exchange gifts with her sons. I felt more heartbreak for Colette being kept away from her sons on Christmas. She had been drinking and her husband picks up on it and acts outraged about that, also.

There is a domino effect that gets put into motion and it's a very tragic outcome. There are more things going on which I haven't begun to mention. I don't think that Colette should've been sneaking to see her son. I also don't think that when there are problems between spouses that children should be kept from either parent. As I write this my thoughts prior to writing this were that I don't believe in divorce. Now, I think that it should be up to both spouses to think long and hard and in some cases it might be appropriate. It seems that when the vote to legalize divorce in Ireland to have the constitution amended having divorce become law only passed by less than one percent speaks volumes. I don't know what the answer is in my own mind anymore regarding whether divorce is helpful to society or not. The marriages portrayed here had people separating or almost separating and I just don't know enough about Ireland to have an opinion. I used to be totally against divorce in my own marital experience even though things weren't always perfect, but I do feel strongly that children need both parents. No matter what one spouse does, in my opinion it should stay between them and I feel the parents should never involve their children.

This character driven narrative was also a pulse pounding, fast paced plot that is so well written and what a page turner. I highly, highly recommend it. It is for sure a top read and one I'll never forget.

Publication Date: June 4, 2024! Available Now!

Thank you to Net Galley, Alan Murrin and HarperVia for generously providing me with my fantastic ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

#TheCoastRoad #AlanMurrin #HarperVia #NetGalley