Sheila O’Flanagan’s first foray into historical fiction, THE WOMAN ON THE BRIDGE, has stormed into the Irish bestseller chart, landing at Number 5 after its first three days on sale, and in its second week conquering the top spot!
Inspired by her grandmother’s story and set in 1920s Dublin, The Woman on the Bridge marks the start of an exciting new branch of Sheila’s work. THE WOMAN ON THE BRIDGE is published by Headline in the United Kingdom and Ireland and was launched at an event at Dubray Books in Dublin last week. Mobius publish the novel in the United States and Canada and the audio edition is narrated by Grainne Gillis.
The novel has already been highly praised, with Electric Literature including it in ‘The Most Anticipated Irish Novels of 2023’, saying: ‘Braiding love, loss, and the sheer drama of war, O’Flanagan’s novel is redemptive in the way it peers into women’s lives, turns them right side up, and refuses to be forgotten.’ Peter Cunningham wrote in the Irish Independent that Sheila O’Flanagan ‘quickly establishes strong, credible characters and a clear sense of the city they live in… O’Flanagan’s legions of readers can look forward to yet another treat’ and Roddy Doyle praised THE WOMAN ON THE BRIDGE as ‘a great read… Winnie’s a great character, a terrific guide … She’s always real – she’s always human.’
Dublin. The 1920s. As war tears Ireland apart, two young people are caught up in events that will bring love, tragedy – and the hardest of choices. In a country fighting for freedom, it’s hard to live a normal life. Winnie O’Leary supports the cause, but she doesn’t go looking for trouble. Then rebel Joseph Burke steps into her workplace. Winnie is furious with him about a broken window. She’s not interested in romance. But love comes when you least expect it.
Joseph’s family shelter fugitives and transport weapons. Joseph would never ask Winnie to join the fight; but his mother and sisters demand commitment. Will Winnie choose Joseph, and put her own loved ones in deadly danger? Or wait for a time of peace that may never come? Ireland’s tumultuous independence struggle is the backdrop for an unforgettable story of courage and heartbreak, in which heroes are made of ordinary people.
Sheila is currently writing her next novel which will return to the present day, and will be published by Headline in 2024.
About Sheila O’Flanagan
Sheila O’Flanagan is an international bestselling novelist, with more than 9 million copies sold. Most of her novels have been immediate and long-lasting No 1s in Ireland, UK Top 10 Sunday Times Bestsellers and Kindle Bestsellers, and she is published in more than twenty languages around the world. She is the recipient of the prestigious Irish Tatler Literary Woman of the Year Award. Headline have acquired two new books from Sheila: THE WOMAN ON THE BRIDGE, a historical novel to be published in 2023 and a contemporary novel out in 2024.
Praise for THE WOMAN ON THE BRIDGE
An Irish Independent 2023 pick
‘The people were entirely of their time and their struggles, but they could also be you or me, or anyone suddenly caught up in the sharpness of political disputes and the machinations of people and governments struggling for control. It's the intimate stories painted on the wider canvas, and it brings history to life and into the home and the heart… filled with courage, heartbreak, optimism, and the strength of family bonds, both for good and ill.’ – Elizabeth Chadwick
‘A great read… Winnie’s a great character, a terrific guide. She brings us through big history but she has to feed the kids. She’s always real – she’s always human’ – Roddy Doyle
‘With a minimum of fuss, O’Flanagan quickly establishes strong, credible characters and a clear sense of the city they live in… O’Flanagan puts into play all the contemporary differences of class and political opinion, some of which are as fundamental today as they were a century ago… Whether Winifred and Joseph’s romance will survive in these circumstances is as fundamental to this warm-hearted story as are the survival prospects of the fledgling Free State. The emotional world of ordinary Dubs struggling to survive in a conflict whose consequences will take a century to resolve underpins this forthright tale of Ireland’s extremely complicated past. O’Flanagan’s legions of readers can look forward to yet another treat.’ – Peter Cunningham, Irish Independent
‘This is historical fiction at its best. So often I find this genre focussing on a single woman, when in reality women's lives were more rooted in the home and their families. This beautiful story shows the true power and influence of so called “ordinary” woman. Women like Sheila’s grandmother might not have instigated history, but they were forced to react to it, so their stories take the true temperature of the times. It was unputdownable, full of poignancy, warmth and real and relatable women.’ – Kate Thompson
‘Utterly captivating, a novel that resonates as a piece of history and yet also as a modern story of love, war and how women will fight for the people they love.’ – Cathy Kelly
‘Sheila has always been one of my go-to authors and THE WOMAN ON THE BRIDGE does not disappoint, beautifully rich in historical detail and drama. An irresistible story of a country torn apart, the bonds of family, and the enduring power of love.’ – Carmel Harrington
‘Winnie’s development, both emotionally and politically, is interesting… [A] gripping novel… nuanced in its telling of Ireland’s seismic historical period.’ – Colette Sheridan, Irish Examiner
‘Inspired by the true story of O’Flanagan’s grandmother, THE WOMAN ON THE BRIDGE is about a young woman’s commitment to the fight for Ireland’s freedom. Braiding love, loss, and the sheer drama of war, O’Flanagan’s novel is redemptive in the way it peers into women’s lives, turns them right side up, and refuses to be forgotten.’ – Electric Literature, ‘The Most Anticipated Irish Novels of 2023’
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