Other People's Lives

De: Kathleen MacMahon

Brought to you by Penguin.

'Marriage was the biggest decision of their lives and yet they made it so lightly it was barely a decision at all’

As schoolgirls, Justine and her best friend Iseult dreamed of a future that revolved around marriage. They saw it as a happy ending, never imagining for a moment that the reality would be more complicated.

Coming up to fifty, they're still best friends. Justine has been married to Iseult’s brother for twenty-five years and lives in her childhood home. Iseult has spent her adult life abroad, her marriage clearly unhappy for reasons she won't discuss.

When Justine’s daughter suddenly announces her engagement, Justine is thrown into planning a big family wedding. Afraid that her daughter is making a mistake, she finds herself questioning the choices she and Iseult made. It's a crisis of confidence that extends to the institution of matrimony itself.

From the Women’s Prize longlisted author of Nothing But Blue Sky and The Home Scar, Other People’s Lives is a captivating story about the decisions we make in a heartbeat, and their lifelong consequences.

© Kathleen MacMahon 2026 (P) Penguin Audio 2026

Reseñas de la Crítica

Warm-hearted and relatable, a book that perfectly captures the messiness of modern family life

Radiant novel that casts a tender yet unflinching eye upon the golden cage that is love. I found myself taking screenshots to send to friends because MacMahon nails it over and over again

MacMahon is an astute chronicler of modern life, its loves and losses’

Incisive, witty and tender, there’s not a woman in the country who won’t relate to this fine and thought-provoking novel

I adored this novel. It asks difficult questions, unveils uncomfortable realities, and nudges forth unsettling answers, all while keeping the reader so engaged and so entertained that they simply don't want this narrative to end. A book to inhale.

MacMahon writes with precision and tenderness about quietly complex lives. Beautiful.

Simply exquisite, proving once again that MacMahon is one of Ireland's finest writers.

This wise, truthful novel explores brilliantly all the complexity of women's lives – with a brutal honesty but also a great tenderness and lightness of touch.

Thoughtful and provocative, a beautifully narrated story of friendship and marriage

So beautifully observed, so penetrating, so coolly aware of the texture of people’s lives.