In this gem of a debut, the reader meets an eclectic cast of characters - all residents of Ballyrowan. The story opens in 1962 and then it takes us through the decades to the early 2000s. Each section centres on three residents, and each chapter has at its heart one voice. Through these, the reader draws a clear and vivid picture of each narrator and the varying truths they hold. All in all this was a brilliantly crafted book, quite different in style but wholly appealing.

Set in the fictional rural village of Ballyrowan, “Mouthing” takes the form of short interviews or excerpts from the points of view of various characters living in the area, similar to an oral history. From the first of these excerpts, I was hooked. Mackey’s prose is evocative and realistic in a way that immediately grips the reader. The characters feel real, and I could almost hear their voices through her writing. The author has succeeded in not only creating well-developed characters, but an entire community, underpinned by an intricate web of relationships that weave through generations from the mid-twentieth century to the early 2000s. This web is uncovered gradually through the various insights and windows into the lives of individual families, friends, and neighbours over time. The format of this book gives us the opportunity to see characters through each other’s eyes as well as their own, and to hear different sides of the same stories, often coloured by rumour or perspective. This creates a sense of uncertainty at times as the reader is left to wonder which characters are reliable narrators. In the final section, we meet an older character who has lived in Ballyrowan throughout his life. He reminisces and shares his memories of many local characters, giving his own perspective of life in Ballyrowan over the years, and touching on several of the stories told throughout the book. I’m looking forward to seeing physical copies of this book on the shelves soon, and to reading more by Orla Mackey in the future. Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin General UK/Hamish Hamilton for the advance copy of this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

I liked the premise of Orla Mackey’s Mouthing. It put me in mind of Robert Seethaler’s The Field in which the dead remember their village, filled with all the gossip, machinations and scandalmongering you might expect from such a small community. Mackey’s debut tells the story of Ballygowan, tucked away in rural Ireland, over several generations beginning in the 1960s. The characters tell their own stories in a vivid vernacular, much of it threaded through with an enjoyably dark humour. Each has their own distinct voice and Mackey’s not afraid to take risks – a man watches his wife from the grave, hoping for her happiness while a little girl, desperate for her mother’s love is left alone to fend for herself – both tricky narrative tricks to pull off but Mackey does it beautifully. Characters are not short of opinions about their fellow villagers, some sharp-tongued and judgemental, others more forgiving. They take a lively interest in the business of others but many have secrets of their own to protect and there are tragedies whose effects are far reaching. Jim Hickey’s final section neatly brings the preceding narratives together, fleshing out a few of the minor characters. I thoroughly enjoyed this cleverly constructed debut, written with a pleasingly acerbic wit and a sharp eye for human nature balanced with compassion. Looking forward to whatever Mackey comes up with next.

Mouthing, the debut novel of Orla Mackey, is the story of a people, the inhabitants of the fictional Ballyrowan. It is a multi-generational series of monologues, soliloquies and tales which contrast, conflict and harmonise to build its portrait. Written through these series of short pieces, in Irish cadence, is the story of real people; by the end you feel like you've lived in Ballyrowan top. It reminded me often of Donal Ryan's early work, which is high praise for me. I really look forward to reading what she does next. Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC.

I feel like I have lived a life in this Irish village through the eyes of these characters. So clever to see the same events from different perspectives and as such change your opinion on them as it went along. Would love to read what the author does next!