The powerful new literary thriller from bestselling author Joseph O’Connor, MY FATHER’S HOUSE, has flown straight to the Number One spot on the Irish bestseller chart after its first three days on sale. The novel is published by Harvill Secker in the United Kingdom and Ireland and is also just published in the US by Europa Editions. Two launch events for MY FATHER’S HOUSE took place this month, the first hosted at the Irish Embassy in London, featuring a Q&A between Andrew Holgate and Joseph O’Connor, and the second at the Pavilion Theatre in Dublin.
The audio edition features an exhilarating cast of narrators and UK-based listeners can also hear the Book at Bedtime abridgement of MY FATHER’S HOUSE, running over ten episodes on BBC Radio 4 over the next week, with catch-up possible on BBC Sounds: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001hp16
The first in a trilogy, MY FATHER’S HOUSE takes place in September 1943, while German forces occupy Rome and SS officer Paul Hauptmann rules with terror. An Irish priest, Hugh O'Flaherty, dedicates himself to helping those escaping from the Nazis. His home is Vatican City, a neutral, independent country within Rome where the occupiers hold no sway. He gathers a team to set up an Escape Line. But Hauptmann's net begins closing in and the need for a terrifyingly audacious mission grows critical. By Christmas, it's too late to turn back. Based on a true story, MY FATHER’S HOUSE is an unforgettable novel of love, sacrifice and what it means to be human in the most extreme circumstances.
MY FATHER’S HOUSE has been published to huge acclaim. Peter Kemp in the Sunday Times describes it as ‘a spectacular, thrilling novel… [which] celebrates triumphant against-the-odds camaraderie’ while Sarah Gilmartin in the Irish Times says it’s ‘a riveting tale about the power of community in the face of unfathomable evil… a seamless blend of fact and fiction by a master of the genre; a brisk polyphonic narrative that brings the heroism of ordinary people thrillingly to life.’ In the US, Martin Kemp says in the Washington Post that Joseph O’Connor brings Hugh O’Flaherty ‘vividly to life… His cat-and-mouse game with Hauptmann is expertly plotted; his desperate mission through the streets of Rome is brilliantly paced. It is hard not to be captivated by his presence throughout this hugely satisfying book, from its explosive opening to its bittersweet end.’ Further praise can be found below.
Last year, Joseph won the AWB Vincent American Ireland Fund Literary Award, one of Ireland’s most illustrious literary prizes given each year to a ‘promising or established writer in Ireland who best reflects the Irish literary tradition’. His previous novel, SHADOWPLAY, won Eason Novel of the Year Award 2019 and was shortlisted for Novel of the Year at the Dalkey Literary Awards 2020, the Kerry Group Irish Novel of the Year Award 2020, the Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction 2020, the Jean Monnet Prize 2020, the RTE Radio 1 Listeners’ Choice Award 2019, Book of the Year Award at the An Post Irish Book Awards 2019, the Costa Novel Award 2019, and the Polari Prize 2020.
Praise for MY FATHER’S HOUSE
‘A spectacular, thrilling novel… the novel offers much more than tensely plotted thrills. O’Flaherty’s deep and impressively detailed love of Rome is emphasised and handsomely conveyed by O’Connor, who shares his responsiveness to its majestic and crumbled splendours, and its “painter’s palette… of burnished pinks, old copper, walnut, honey, ivory, mocha”. Dawn is watched “purpling” statues on its church rooftops… MY FATHER’S HOUSE celebrates triumphant against-the-odds camaraderie. It would require a present-day Puccini to do operatic justice to its tremendous tale.’ – Peter Kemp, The Sunday Times
‘O’Connor’s imagining of the characters’ thoughts helps bring them to life, but he also allows himself to trade on what happened while improving it as suits his dramatic purposes. This remains a tale worth re-telling, adorned as it is by the brilliants of O’Connor’s impressionistic writing.’ – James Owen, The Times, ‘The best new thrillers for January 2023’
‘Confrontational dialogue is one of O’Connor’s great strengths, and the scenes in which O’Flaherty and Hauptmann give battle crackle… the diverse ventriloquism of O’Connor’s novel evokes a city in peril with wonderful vitality.’ – Luke Brown, The Financial Times
‘Joseph O’Connor’s new novel my father’s house is a riveting tale about the power of community in the face of unfathomable evil… a seamless blend of fact and fiction by a master of the genre; a brisk polyphonic narrative that brings the heroism of ordinary people thrillingly to life... Historical details are scattered like gems throughout my father's house… Where my father's house really shines is in O'Connor's assembly of the material and his ventriloquistic way with voice. From the map of Rome and the Vatican at the beginning that locates the action, to the classical three-act structure, to a central narrative that moves forward in time over one momentous day, there is a clear sense of authority, a composer at work. In the hands of a less experienced writer, the many metafictional devices – unpublished memoirs, letters, transcripts from BBC interviews, among others – could confuse or detract from the story. O’Connor keeps an admirable command of the various strains and voices, some fictional, others, such as the British diplomat Sir D’Arcy Osborne, drawn from reality… O’Connor is a visualist who revels in evocative cityscapes of a Rome under siege… readers will be too caught up in O’Connor’s writing, the delight in watching a plan come together, the tension of wondering whether it will succeed… MY FATHER’S HOUSE, the first in a trilogy, is a novel full of deft characterisation and knowledge, not just the historical facts, but the broader – grander? – wisdom to be found in excavating the past.’ – Sarah Gilmartin, The Irish Times
‘The novel’s evocative scene-setting, its propulsive narration and its powerful depiction of bravery and unity in extremis, all make for an engrossing read.’ – Houman Barekat, The Telegraph
‘Joseph O’Connor’s latest novel, My Father’s House, begins with a potent blend of excitement, suspense, and intrigue. After making his mark with his grand entrance, O’Connor’s priest goes on to steal many more scenes by showing not just the courage of his convictions but also courage under fire. The result is a gripping World War II-set drama featuring the unlikeliest of heroes, one whom the reader roots for every step of the way. For a while, the book feels like an ensemble piece. However, O’Flaherty (or as May calls him, “Hughdini”) emerges as the star of the show. O’Connor brings vividly to life a man who, despite his calling, stands up to be counted after witnessing Nazi atrocities. His cat-and-mouse game with Hauptmann is expertly plotted; his desperate mission through the streets of Rome is brilliantly paced. It is hard not to be captivated by his presence throughout this hugely satisfying book, from its explosive opening to its bittersweet end.’ – Malcolm Forbes, The Washington Post
‘If the story were told in typical thriller style, emphasizing action over language, it would still be good, but O’Connor’s phrasings are a special joy… A deeply emotional read. And when the action is over, the coda could water an atheist’s eye.’ – Kirkus Reviews
‘There have been many books written and films made about Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty, the Kerry-born Vatican priest who rescued thousands of Jews and Allied Prisoners of War during the Second World War. But his latest incarnation, as the hero of this fast-moving novel by Joseph O’Connor, is surely the most memorable… The use of so many different voices, more suited to the gentler pace of literary fiction, is a risky technique for a thriller writer, relying on the reader’s willingness to get to know each new character in turn, hence the description “literary thriller”. Only a highly skilled writer could carry it off, but it is no problem to Joseph O’Connor… a novel that triumphantly recreates the extraordinary human being that was Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty and his colourful co-conspirators.’ – Alannah Hopkin, Irish Examiner
‘Superb’ – Madeleine Keane, Irish Independent
‘The overall tone of Mr. O’Connor’s new novel, MY FATHER’S HOUSE is, by contrast, more urgent than elegiac, and its suspenseful plot has little time for bittersweet rumination… All of which Mr. O’Connor re-creates with consummate skill while painting a subtle portrait of an erudite scholar who was also a defi ant and formidable man of action… There is a boyish gusto in the staccato style he employs when describing a rescue being planned, for example, or a daring mission being executed… For all its thrills, however, MY FATHER’S HOUSE is primarily – and triumphantly – an intimate drama that illuminates both the fragility and the wonder of unlikely human connections forged in adversity and, in some cases, enduring for a lifetime.’ – Anna Mundow, The Wall Street Journal
‘O’Connor has a flair for spry historical fiction involving real-life figures… He’s on stellar form with this ensemble thriller… while the story’s inbuilt tension urges you on, it’s the sheer vigour of O’Connor’s beautifully turned phrases that really makes the book sing. Through the twists and turns, you feel in the safe hands of an expert story-teller dedicated to your pleasure… I can’t wait for part two.’ – Anthony Cummins, The Daily Mail
‘The riveting latest from O’Connor… Through wonderfully developed and varied characters, O’Connor conveys both the painful privations of life during wartime and the nobility of the Choir’s goals, and the unfolding of O’Flaherty’s marathon of undercover subterfuges that lay the groundwork for their mission in the middle section is a storytelling tour de force. This is top-drawer WWII fiction.’ – Publishers Weekly, starred review
‘A polyphonic retelling of how an Irish priest set out to rescue resistance fighters, PoWs and Jews from Nazi-occupied Rome… O’Connor rejects voyeurism or titillation. Violence is indirectly conveyed in the destruction of a fine piano, the appearance of a full set of teeth… O’Connor is playing with the possibilities of multiple narrators, and thinking also about plurality, reliability and the historical record: is a collection of witnesses more accurate than a solo narrator? … the final twist is satisfyingly theological.’ – Sarah Moss, The Guardian
‘MY FATHER’S HOUSE is a gripping, compelling and utterly brilliant read. O'Connor's gift for exquisite language shines through.’ – Liz Nugent
‘What a joy and privilege to be an early reader of a work of art from a towering figure in world literature. MY FATHER’S HOUSE is a masterwork. No writer in the world can tell a story the way Joseph O'Connor does. He can, without seeming effort, be all things to all readers, taking us by the hand and guiding us into the very heart of a story, his narrative techniques deployed with such unearthly skill that we're hardly aware that this was written at all, it feels so real, so urgent, so incredibly alive. This novel is a searing and beautiful example of storytelling's infinite importance, to our humanness, to our chances of learning from our most terrible and our most transcendent moments, and all our moments in between, to hold all life sacred, to see each other as brothers and sisters, to love and protect each other. No wonder he is so cherished and loved by his countless devotees across the earth. He is a national and international treasure, the most generous and noble of writers, a true master of the art.’ – Donal Ryan
‘I was utterly engrossed from start to finish. The writing hums with energy. Such a gloriously vivid depiction of a Rome that is both familiar and altogether strange. And a powerful story of ordinary humans showing extraordinary bravery and tenacity. Bravo!’ – Danielle McLaughlin
‘I can't begin to tell you how much I enjoyed MY FATHER’S HOUSE. Everything about it spoke to me. The characters, the location and the story itself. It is that rare thing, a literary page-turner. There were times when I was almost reading with my eyes closed because I couldn't handle the suspense! … O'Flaherty of course, is the star of the novel but he is probably upstaged just a little by Rome herself. Rome at such a difficult time in her history, bristling with fear and still full of beauty and courage. MY FATHER’S HOUSE is a terrific read and will stand among the best of World War 2 novels.’ – Christine Dwyer Hickey
‘Gripping… O’Connor is a masterful storyteller, weaving a violent, terrifying, suspenseful, yet ultimately uplifting story of one man’s courage and determination to fight back against Nazi brutality, whatever the risk. Superb!’ – Emily Melton, Booklist, Starred Review
‘Based on true events, this gripping narrative is rendered in beautifully evocative prose.’ – Simon Humphreys, Mail on Sunday
‘I cannot say enough good things about this World War II thriller... Readers will hold their breath if the Choir will fulfil their critical mission. It’s the first of a trilogy and a must read.’ – Elisa Shoenberger, Book Riot
‘I am enjoying this hugely. It's a great story and a real page-turner, but Joe O'Connor is such a beautiful writer that you can't help stopping sometimes, just to savour the words… a wonderful book.’ – Kathleen Mac Mahon
‘Pacy well-crafted historical thriller... Building moment by moment to an almost unbearably tense climax, it is a gripping story of what it means to keep your humanity, even in the most extreme circumstances. Joseph O'Connor's books have long been favourites at Daunt Books and MY FATHER’S HOUSE does not disappoint.’ – Daunt Books newsletter, ‘Our five favourite books of the week’
About Joseph O’Connor
Joseph O’Connor was born in Dublin, where he still lives. MY FATHER’S HOUSE is his tenth novel: he is also the author of film scripts, radio and stage plays, two collections of short stories, and several bestselling works of non-fiction.
2022 was the 20th anniversary of Joseph O’Connor’s novel STAR OF THE SEA which was an international bestseller, selling more than a million copies in the UK alone and being published in 38 languages. It won France’s Prix Millepages, Italy’s Premio Acerbi, the Irish Post Award for Fiction, the Nielsen Bookscan Golden Book Award, an American Library Association Award, the Hennessy/Sunday Tribune Hall of Fame Award, and the Prix Litteraire Zepter for European Novel of the Year.
His novel GHOST LIGHT was chosen as Dublin’s One City Book novel for 2011. Published in 2019, SHADOWPLAY, has won him extraordinary praise, was shortlisted for the Walter Scott Prize, The Dalkey Novel Prize, the Costa Novel Prize, among others, and won him Novel of the Year at the An Post Irish Book Awards. The French edition was shortlisted for the Jean Monnet Prize and the Vintage paperback was a Richard and Judy Winter 2020 pick.
He holds an honorary Doctorate in Literature from University College Dublin and received the Irish PEN Award for Outstanding Contribution to Irish Literature in 2012. He is the Inaugural Frank McCourt Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Limerick.
Visit Joseph O’Connor’s website