On opposite sides of the world, half-siblings Cassie and Christo have built their lives around work, intent on ignoring their painful past.

When a dramatic storm in Galway hits the headlines, they’re drawn back there to revisit a glorious childhood summer, the last before their mother died. But their journey uncovers memories of a far less happy summer – one that had tragic consequences.

Confronted with the havoc their mother left in her wake, Cassie and Christo are forced to face their past and – ready or not – to deal with the messy tangle of parental love and neglect that shaped them.

The Home Scar is a luminous and precise story about the inheritance of loss and the possibility of finally making peace with it.
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“Her beautifully simple style belies psychological complexity … and her tone is wryly accepting” – Big Issue

“Quiet and bleakly beautiful … like the siblings and Ireland, it will leave a permanent mark on those who venture into its depths” – Buzz

“Picks at the wounds only a mother can inflict … ambitious … intricate” – Sunday Independent

“An exceptional novel about a brother and sister returning to the west of Ireland and to a summer of their past.” – Anne Griffin, Sunday Independent

“A powerful story about legacy and loss and the possibility of reconciliation” – Irish Times

‘Wait, they leave the rock?’

‘Of course. How else would they survive?

On opposite sides of the world, half-siblings Cassie and Christo have built their lives around work, intent on ignoring their painful past.

When a dramatic storm in Galway hits the headlines, they’re drawn back there to revisit a glorious childhood summer, the last before their mother died. But their journey uncovers memories of a far less happy summer – one that had tragic consequences.

Confronted with the havoc their mother left in her wake, Cassie and Christo are forced to face their past and – ready or not – to deal with the messy tangle of parental love and neglect that shaped them.

The Home Scar is a luminous and precise story about the inheritance of loss and the possibility of finally making peace with it.
_________

‘A powerful story about legacy and loss and the possibility of reconciliation’ Irish Times

‘Her beautifully simple style belies psychological complexity . . . and her tone is wryly accepting’ Big Issue

‘Subtle and authentic’ Claire Fuller

‘A gorgeous story of sibling love. I thoroughly enjoyed following Cassie and Christo’s quest to discover the tangled roots of a past that binds them together’ Louise Nealon

‘Kathleen MacMahon’s subject is memory itself: how we remember – and the impact upon our future lives when our memories deceive us. Compassionate and poignant, The Home Scar is a work of considerable moral power’ Neil Hegarty

‘An exceptional novel by one of Ireland’s foremost literary talents. A book not to be missed’ Anne Griffin

‘A very grown-up novel about life and love, of course, and above all, the repercussions of a disrupted childhood . . . a real tour de force’ Christine Dwyer Hickey

‘Picks at the wounds only a mother can inflict . . . ambitious . . . intricate’ Sunday Independent