Absolutely loved this book and wanted to hear more of each character. The empty years keeps the reader (well, me) hooked to find out more, and it's poignant that we have to fill those spaces in ourselves. The narrative jumps back and forth through time, and tells stories from different viewpoints. Very well written, and I appreciated how we aren't spoon fed every year and moment. Like life, the gaps we'll never know, those empty spaces, are bridged with snippets and imaginations to form a story. Will keep an eye out for more by the author!

I did like this but it left me feeling a little confused. The beginning is excellent - the story of Cora who, living in New York City, finds out her father has been killed in 9/11. She begins to exist as an orphan, as her mother has already passed away. After a while, she received a letter from her mother's sister, Roisin, in Country Donegal, Ireland, and she makes the trip to see her.

This is a story about family secrets, about things that people don't know but do, eventually, find out. Readers learn about Maire, Cora's mother, and latterly, Lyca, her daughter. Even though the writing is good, and its creation (written by Airey in a single bed in West Cork) is fascinating, the jumping around of time periods, and references to characters who are not that clear, left me confused to an extent. Having said this, I can see why this is popular and I do hope others enjoy it, too.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

This is the story of three generations of Irish women. I found the beginning a little slow going, which as it set in New York on September 11 2001, is a little odd. For me the book really got going with the stories of Maire and Roisin - I loved reading about their love, and annoyances with each other, and their rivalry for everything. This part of the story will resonate with anyone who has siblings. Maire's artistic talent takes her to America, which unfortunately for her, turns sour while Roisin stays at home in Ireland.

The story jumps around, which is a little distracting. I found it difficult to understand exactly who was speaking or being discussed. There are a couple of unlikely coincidences, which I won't share, so as not to spoil the story. In some respects this book would have worked perfectly well as the story of Maire and Roisin, without adding the additional generations. I would also have loved there to be more of Scarlett's story.

As a debut novel this is an impressive start but it could have done with a little light and shade by introducing a little levity. I will look out for more books from this author in the future.

This book pulled me in completely. The writing was so engaging that listening wasn’t enough—I had to read it myself. I was fortunate to have a Kindle copy, which allowed me to fully immerse myself in the story.

The cruelty and suffering the characters endured left me feeling heartbroken. I felt deeply for them and kept wondering how anyone could survive such experiences. There were many characters, each with their own story, and it was a lot to take in. Thankfully, my reading buddy Sharada helped me stay on track, making it easier to follow everything.

The story was unforgettable. The emotions, the depth, and the masterful writing left a lasting impression. It’s the kind of book that stays with you long after you’ve finished reading.

After reading, I found myself wanting to visit New York so much. The way the city was described made it feel alive and full of possibilities. I can’t wait to experience it for myself one day.

This original and sweeping novel was full of surprises. Taking us from the 1980s to the 2020s, from New York to Donegal, I enjoyed the way the story unfolded, part mystery, part multi-generational family saga, part historical fiction. A great debut, I'll look forward to future work by Catherine Airey.

Confessions by Catherine Airey
This is a strange book where I found myself enjoying the opening of the book and then finding myself a bit confused about where the story was going in the middle and then quite enjoyed how it ended. It did not feel as if I could follow the thread through the middle and the sections about the computer game seemed odd to me. They were there it seemed simply to show that the sisters made the wrong choices and so therefore did not gain a happy ending.
It is about Cora who is living in New York with her father after her mother’s apparent suicide. He then dies in the twin towers and she spends weeks on her own before admitting that he is dead. She has been hanging out with a guy who dabbles in drug dealing and he does not even bother to contact her despite knowing her father must be dead.
She leaves to live with her aunt in Ireland and we then find out about her mother, Maire and he aunt Ro and what happened before her mother left for New York. It is a novel about the way in which women are manipulated and used and it is also about mental illness.
Thank you to the author, publisher and Net Galley for the opportunity to read the book in return for an honest review.

This is an impressive debut - it is well written and complex with characters that are deeply layered. You do need to really make sure you keep track of the backwards and forwards nature of the story telling which can sometimes be a bit confusing. Overall this was a gripping read and I would certainly recommend and look forward to more from this author. Many thanks.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Confessions is a family drama, framed by key world events, which takes in 3 generations of women, their heartbreak and their trauma. It moves between Ireland and New York starting in the 1970s and ending in 2018. Each of the women have vastly different experiences and their stories intersect and influence each other in the most intricate way. Reading this book, I felt immersed in the complex family dynamics and the lives of the characters which is made it exactly the type of book love best. I also loved the non- linear timeline and the changing POVs which were not restricted to the main female characters. The story is messy, emotional and bursting with life, love and loss. It kept me up late, consumed my every thought and introduced me to characters I will not forget. It deserves to be flying off the shelves and I'd love to see it nominated for the Women's Prize for fiction.

SHE HERSELF IS A HAUNTED HOUSE.

It's been a while since I was utterly absorbed by a book from the very first words. I completely lost myself in the stories of Cora, Máire, Róisín and Lyca. Three women living at different times between New York and rural Ireland, each going through similar yet very distinct experiences. A remarkable literary debut emcompassing themes that are dear to my heart such as sisterhood, transmission, families being trapped by secrets, feminism and women's rights (trying to stay vague so I don't spoil!)
I know we say covers don't matter but let's face it, they do. The UK cover is a picture taken by Bruce Davidson (Magnum Photos) and even though it doesn't feel like an obvious choice or directly connected to the story, it somehow illustrates the narrative perfectly. This young woman who seems to be carrying a big sleeping bag as well as a kitten, on the street, looks lost and deeply sad. She is Máire, Cora, Róisín and Lyca. She is all the women in the book and none of them at once, the same way I feel profoundly connected to them and all the women around me, carrying the same secrets and violence inflicted by men and the patriarchy.
This review is all over the place because I'm just moved by the book and it made me want to go and talk to other women in my family before t's too late.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC

Couldn't get into the story nor connect with the character so unfortunately a DNF for me. The premise did sound interesting to me and it was promoted for fans of the goldfinch with I enjoyed a lot.

Confessions by Catherine Airey has been widely trailed as one of the debut novels to watch this year. In New York in 2001, 16-year-old Cora Brady’s mother has recently died by suicide and her father is missing after the 9/11 attacks when she is contacted by an estranged aunt living in Ireland inviting her to stay. The plot oscillates back and forth, following three generations of women in the family over several decades, with a particular focus on Cora’s mother Máire, aunt Róisin and daughter Lyca. There are lots of mirrorings and patterns throughout as the repercussions of various traumatic events gradually become clear. ‘Confessions’ is an assured debut which is sprawling in scope and melancholy in tone with a challenging structure. Many thanks to Penguin UK for sending me a review copy via NetGalley.

This is such a unique read and one I was not anticipating at all. I really loved how different the tones of voice were for the different perspectives, and I found it to be a breath of fresh air. The exploration of such a range of topics hit me hard, and the way in which they were explored was so honest and raw. As the narrative progressed, I found myself wanting to know even more about the characters, and I was really rooting for them.

To its core this book was heartbreaking.

While there are some major hardships and tragedies, I would say throughout it is made up of a thousand tiny paper cuts of grief, hurt, anger, resentment and love.

Centrally following four women over three generations, you see how their stories and decisions intertwine, some things having a knock on effect even decades down the line.

The running theme wrapped around these characters either directly or not, are women’s reproductive rights, particularly in Ireland.

Some perspectives I liked better than others, with a slight eye roll of a coincidence happening later on.
However, this is a thoughtful read and I’m very glad I did read it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher
4/5 ⭐️

The story two sisters, and the family and relationships that grow around and in between each; it pulls in 9/11, abortions, adoptions, relationships and more, in a beautiful and compelling writing style that kept me hooked til the end.

A brilliant family saga, I really enjoyed this book. I connected with the characters and was totally invested in what happened to them. Very well written, I found it hard to put down. Definitely recommend this book. Thank you #netgalley

Irish writers are thriving and the reason is that they are so blinkin good. Confession’s is Airey’s debut and another novel on my 2025 list.
It starts on 9/11 with a teenage Cora as the twin towers collapse and the realisation that her father will never return home. What now for this lost, trauma filled teen? A message from an unknow Aunt Roisin in Ireland sees Cora return to her dead mother home, and the unravelling of her mother, Marie’s history.
It’s the story of an artist that struggled with her mental health, that left for New York to study art only to find that it wasn’t the course she wanted it to be. What she did find was misplaced love with her college lecturer, a baby and a spiral into the New York’s underground world of drugs and addiction.
At home in Ireland Roisin remained the dutiful daughter, caring for their mother friends and later lovers with Michael from next door. Micheal, the only thing the two sisters had in common, Michael devastated by Marie’s disappearance, Roisin second best, convenient.
When Michael leaves to chase Marie in New York, Roisin is left alone until she meets Scarlett in the scream house, their lives cemented together over a shared secret.
The novel jumps back to Cora and 2018, and her own daughter, Lyca. Cora’s a mother but perhaps not the best mother, her true passion, overturning the Irish laws on abortion. It isn’t until Lyca discovers letters that maybe she begins to finally understand her mother and herself. There’s that awful decision of what to tell her mother, Airey waits us wait until she takes them back to New York, to meetings with people that have a significance they never dreamt off
Confessions was a wonderful mix of love, grief, passion, the ravages of mental health but also one full of hope.

Screaming.
What tentative threads throughout the novel. I had to remind myself who was who and got the family line sorted, the only one I was not absolutely sure about was Lyca's Father.
Depiction of hardship in Ireland and sibling rivalry between Roisin And Maire, excellent. Michael is taken on as a farm hand by the girls Father and stays with them after their Father dies.
In the village there is a large house which is inhabited by a sect of screaming women, the village residents are suspicious of the house and its occupants. Rosin and Michael trick Maire into getting a job there using her artistic talent. An opportunity to go to University in New York comes up for Maire and she takes it. After being raped by her room mates Father, Maire has help from one of the lecturers who realises she is pregnant, this ends in heartbreak for her.
Back in Ireland Roisin is in love with Michael, she now lives with Scarlet in the screamers house.
Michael and Maire have a daughter called Cora, Maire suffers from mental health issues and Michael gets killed in the 9/11 tragedy.
So much in this book, abuse, abortion, coercion, racial prejudice, homophobia all skilfully and sympathetically described.
Thank you Catherine, NetGalley and Viking for this ARC.

Confessions by Catherine Airey is a fascinating, emotional family saga debut.

The novel starts in 2001, New York, right after 9/11. The atmosphere is sinister, as can be expected after the chaos the city was in during and after the attacks. Character Cora takes the reader with her in her quest to find herself and her family, going back to Ireland.
The novel then highlights the perspectives of Cora's family members, past and present, in Ireland and New York, and tells the reader which secrets have been buried long ago.

What kept me reading were intricate details connecting the different storylines and perspectives, the way that everything adds up beautifully in the end. The story is raw, emotional, and a joy to read. The ending is somewhat open, although the reader may be able to imagine how the characters' lives will unfold in the future. Seeing this book in its published form in bookstores makes me want to cling to other bookshoppers and tell them "please buy this book, you will not regret it."

Thank you Netgalley and Penguin General UK for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

What an emotional rollercoaster. This sits in two world of a quiet tale of place and identity, and a cross-generational epic. Not an easy read but a worthwhile one. Confessions starts with Cora whose father has died in the towers on 9/11. She receives a letter from her aunt in Ireland, inviting her to come and stay with her.

From there, we zoom out across the lives of Cora's family. How she came to be and the difficult life her mother had in New York. Her mother and aunt's upbringing in Ireland and the need to escape vs the pull to stay. And eventually to the story of Cora's own daughter and the differences in modern Ireland.

In some ways this is a conventional story dealing with relationships, heartbreak, young pregnancy, sibling rivalry, mental illness and more. It definitely strays into melodrama at times and tackles perhaps more than it's able for. But there's a real heart at the centre of it. I felt deeply for these characters and for the sense of place.

Confessions has lots that I love in a book; a sprawling timeline (1970s to the present), set in Ireland and New York (LOVE a book set in NY), two sisters and family secrets. It examines some big and oftentimes difficult themes, including 9/11, racism, sexual violence and serious mental illnes which for the most part were well explored, but at times it felt a little melodramatic.

On occasion it felt like everything but the kitchen sink had been thrown at the book with the multiple traumas, multiple character viewpoints, chapter styles and game, and ended up feeling a little congested .

Saying that, it's an impressive debut and Airey creates a wonderful sense of time and place and great characterisation.