The number 1 international bestselling, award-winning author of Snowflake returns with a luminous portrait of one complicated family riven by a great secret

'I absolutely loved it . . . So realistic about the complexity of loving people who will break our hearts'
Marian Keyes

For Niamh Ryan, the Foleys are family. Her childhood flew by on their farm, playing with her best friend Peter and his sister Kate - all the while being doted on by their mother Helen and coached by their father Liam, a legendary former hurling player.

Now, following a distressing series of events, the family ties are strained. Niamh receives drunken phone calls and messages from Peter who can't understand what derailed their burgeoning relationship three years ago. Meanwhile, Helen Foley is trying her best to escape her life by checking into guesthouses under the names of women she went to school with. In her life in Belfast, Kate is attempting to hold down a job and a relationship while carrying the weight of the family's secrets, and feeling like she is the one to blame.

As a family wedding looms, and the women find themselves face to face, the knotty love that still binds Niamh, Helen and Kate might just bring them back together again.

Told through the perspectives of three very different women, Everything That Is Beautiful unfolds the story of one complicated family in startlingly honest prose. By turns funny and deeply moving, and with unmatched emotional intelligence, this is an unforgettable story of love and family, heartbreak and hope - and who we might become after we pick up the pieces.

'Intimate and panoramic, tender-hearted and clear-eyed, poignant and laugh-out-loud funny, this dazzling novel brims with compassion and unforgettable characters. A book you'll read and love, then immediately buy for those you love' Colin Walsh, number 1 bestselling author of Kala

'A deeply moving exploration of all the joys and pains of living in community. Beautifully written, funny, emotionally complex and always quietly hopeful. I loved it' Niamh Ní Mhaoileoin, award-winning author of Ordinary Saints

Details

ISBN13: 9781786581716
Format: Paperback / softback
Number of Pages: 304
Edition:
Publication Date: 28 Jul 2026
Publisher:
Publication City, Country: United Kingdom
Dimensions (cm): 23.4(H)x15.4(L)x2.3(W)378
Weight (gm): 378

Author Biography

Louise Nealon is a writer from County Kildare, Ireland. Her debut novel, Snowflake, was the winner of Newcomer of the Year at the An Post Irish Book Awards and was chosen for the One Dublin One Book campaign in 2024. She lives in Belfast.

Reviews

Masterful. Louise Nealon is a writer on form . . . Everything That is Beautiful masterfully explores self-deception, the preservation of a family's legacy, and the stories we tell ourselves to keep life comfortable. * Irish Independent *
I absolutely loved it . . . So realistic about the complexity of loving people who will break our hearts. * Marian Keyes *
Intimate and panoramic, tender-hearted and clear-eyed, poignant and laugh-out-loud funny, this dazzling novel brims with compassion and unforgettable characters. A book you'll read and love, then immediately buy for those you love. * Colin Walsh, author of KALA *
A deeply moving exploration of all the joys and pains of living in community. Beautifully written, funny, emotionally complex and always quietly hopeful. I loved it. * Niamh Ní Mhaoileoin, award-winning author of Ordinary Saints *
Told through three women's perspectives, the novel explores the power of love, blame and fragile family bonds in a tightly knit rural setting * Woman Magazine *
Everything That Is Beautiful is as funny as it is achingly moving. A compassionate, clear-eyed portrait of the ties that hold - and haunt - us * Louise O'Neill, bestselling author of Whatever Happened to Madeline Stone? *
I couldn't put this novel down. So full of empathy and understanding about what it means to love people and how to belong to a family, even when you're on the outside looking in. * Ciara Geraghty, bestselling author of Late Learner *
It's rare to read a novel where rage and compassion are so delicately balanced on each page. This book made me want to open a window and shout. * Sheila Armstrong, author of How To Gut A Fish *
Fresh and engaging . . . Her characters are alive and real, and the familial relationships, with all their petty cruelties and their bumbling acts of love, are so acutely observed * Claire Gleeson, author of Show Me Where It Hurts *
A striking portrait of three women and their strength and devotion in the face of devastation. Everything That is Beautiful is wrought with tension, humour, irreverence and warmth. Louise Nealon captures so well the nuances of Irish family life - the chaos, the imperfections, and the unconditional love. I felt I was in the family kitchen, experiencing their laughter and celebrating their triumphs - and heartbreak. The Foleys will inhabit your heart long after the last page. * Charleen Hurtubise, author of The Polite Act of Drowning *
Utterly immersive and beautifully told. The Foley household comes to life on the page. Family secrets reveal the complexities of loving those who betray us. This big, boisterous, Irish family will make you laugh and break your heart. * Carmel McMahon, author of In Ordinary Time *
I was deeply touched by this warm, funny, complex novel. Louise Nealon is a writer attuned to the nuances and contradictions of life. In Everything that is Beautiful, Nealon writes with a deftness of touch and an eye for beauty. An immensely rewarding read * Danielle McLaughlin, author of The Art of Falling *
'From the first beguiling sentence, you know as a reader that you are in safe hands. Everything is Beautiful is a book that you won't be able to put down, and will give to everyone you love. This masterful novel is by turns dark and funny, intimate and worldly. Louise Nealon writes with stunning emotional clarity, delivering a rich and complex portrayal of family life and sporting community, with characters that stayed with me long after I'd finished reading. An instant classic. I adored it * Olivia Fitzsimons, author of The Quiet Whispers Never Stop *