An exemplary debut from Olivia Fitzsimons! What a writer! "The Quiet Whispers Never Stop" is simply stunning. It's beautifully written, moving, raw and real. It's about mothers and daughters, and how alike they can be, despite years of separation. Also, fathers and daughters who struggle to relate to one another. "The Quiet Whispers Never Stop'' reverberates with unfulfilled dreams and ennui, shot through with tiny slivers of hope and a whole lot of longing. Fitzsimons relays the horrors of the Troubles in Northern Ireland with stark honesty. She shows us how it feels to live in a community permanently steeped in fear. The central theme is an exploration of the old adage "every girl loves a bad boy". I felt so much compassion for both Sam and her mother - a testament to the skill of the author, as she strips back the layers of a character who isn't, on the surface, very sympathetic. I really loved everything about this book and can't wait to see what this author does next. An absolute belter of a debut and surely an award-winner.

A lyrical literary novel with wit and beautiful observations. The Quiet Whispers Never Stop is a coming of age story for Sam as she gets enchanted by the charms of an older man, Naoise, but it also tells the story of her absent mother Nuala, who battles overwhelming feelings of dissatisfaction, entrapment and claustrophobia in her small town life and makes plans to leave everything behind. The rhythm of the novel's smart dialogue drew me into these character's lives immediately and despite the central women sometimes making destructive choices, they are written with such empathy and vivacity you always wish for better for them. The Northern Irish setting made for an interesting and tension filled backdrop and the inclusion of historical context was subtly and skilfully done. Despite a sadness at the heart of the novel, I was left with a feeling of hope that Sam would manage to escape and live her life in a way her mother had not managed to. An incredibly strong debut. I can't wait to see what Olivia Fitzsimons writes next.