{"title":"Mary Costello","description":"\u003cp\u003eDiscover the captivating world of Mary Costello, an acclaimed author renowned for her poignant storytelling and beautifully crafted prose. Delve into our collection featuring some of her most celebrated works, each offering a unique exploration of human emotions and life’s intricacies.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAcademy Street\u003c\/em\u003e stands as a testament to Costello’s ability to weave deeply intimate narratives, following the life of Tess Lohan as she journeys from Ireland to New York. This evocative tale captures the essence of solitude, longing, and the enduring quest for belonging.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn \u003cem\u003eBarcelona, Barcelona\u003c\/em\u003e, Costello paints a vibrant picture of the eponymous city, weaving together stories that encapsulate the human experience against the backdrop of its historic streets. It’s a book that invites readers to immerse themselves in the sights and sounds of a bustling metropolis.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe short story collection, \u003cem\u003eThe China Factory\u003c\/em\u003e, introduces us to an array of characters, each with their own compelling stories and vivid experiences. This collection highlights Costello’s skill in crafting succinct yet powerful tales that resonate with emotional depth.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFinally, \u003cem\u003eThe River Capture\u003c\/em\u003e offers a rich exploration of identity, obsession, and familial ties. Through the story of a retired teacher, Luke O’Brien, and his deep connection to the works of James Joyce, Costello deftly navigates themes of love and loss.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eMary Costello’s works are a must-read for fans of general fiction who appreciate beautifully crafted narratives that delve into the complexities of the human soul. Explore her books today and embark on a literary journey that stays with you long after the last page is turned.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"academy-street-by-mary-costello-9781922182449","title":"Academy Street","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAcademy Street\u003c\/em\u003e is the heart-breaking and evocative story of one woman's life spanning six decades. Tess's childhood in 1940's rural Ireland is defined by the sudden death of her mother. Later, in New York, she encounters the ferocious power and calamity of love, and the effects of catastrophic fate.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe novel resonates with the rhythms of memory and home as well as those of America's greatest city. This is an intimate story about unexpected gifts and unbearable losses, and the perpetual ache for belonging. It is exquisitely written and profoundly moving.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Penguin Random House NZ","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46529134559468,"sku":"9781922182449","price":32.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/10235613482872.jpg?v=1749203941"},{"product_id":"the-china-factory-by-mary-costello-9781922147417","title":"The China Factory","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA collection of twelve exquisite stories that explore how ordinary men and women endure the trials and complexities of life and the ripples of disquiet that lie beneath the surface.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAn elderly schoolteacher recalls the single act of youthful passion that changed her life forever; a young gardener has an unsettling encounter with a suburban housewife; a wife who miscalculated the guarantees of marriage embarks upon an online affair. And in the title story, a teenage girl strikes up an unlikely friendship with a lonely bachelor.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eLove, loss, betrayal. Grief, guilt, longing. The act of grace or forgiveness that can suddenly transform and redeem lives. In these twelve haunting stories, Mary Costello examines the passions and perils of everyday life and relationships and, with startling insight, casts a light on the darkest corners of the human heart.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWith a calm intensity and an undertow of sadness, she reveals the secret fears and yearnings of her characters, and those isolated moments when a few words or a small deed can change everything, with stark and sometimes brutal consequences.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Penguin Random House NZ","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46671814000876,"sku":"9781922147417","price":27.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9885293482872.jpg?v=1752825894"},{"product_id":"the-river-capture-by-mary-costello-9781925355314","title":"The River Capture","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom the winner of the Irish Book of the Year Award comes this lyrical and quietly profound story of romance, family legacy and the enduring literary power of James Joyce.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThirty-four-year-old Luke O'Brien has left the city to live a quiet, bookish life on the River Sullane in County Waterford. Alone in his big house, he longs for a return to his family's heyday and turns to books—especially \u003cem\u003eUlysses\u003c\/em\u003e—for solace and sublimation. One morning, a young woman arrives at his door and enters his life, with profound consequences.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eA novel that pays glorious homage to Joyce, \u003cem\u003eThe River Capture\u003c\/em\u003e tells of a man's phenomenal descent into near madness when love is lost. It is about humanity's capacity for good and evil and what happens when Nature is thwarted. More than anything, it is a book about the life of the mind and the redemptive powers of art.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Penguin Random House NZ","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46672370041068,"sku":"9781925355314","price":34.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/13878473482873.jpg?v=1752843414"},{"product_id":"barcelona-by-mary-costello-9781805301844","title":"Barcelona","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn \u003cem\u003eBarcelona\u003c\/em\u003e, we meet a cast of characters who live turbulent inner lives. In a Spanish hotel room, a marriage unravels as a young wife is haunted by a past love.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eA father travels to Paris to meet his scientist son and is exposed to his son's true nature. A woman attends a reading by a famous author and comes to some painful realisations about her own marriage.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe stories in \u003cem\u003eBarcelona\u003c\/em\u003e reveal the underlying disquiet of modern life and the sometimes brutal nature of humanity. Whether on city streets, long car journeys, or in suburban rooms, we glimpse characters as they approach those moments of desperation—or revelation—that change or reshape fate.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Allen \u0026 Unwin","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46710926409964,"sku":"9781805301844","price":36.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/c6513a2d02de428959c552f6fc4c275a.jpg?v=1754213132"},{"product_id":"barcelona-by-mary-costello-9781837260362","title":"Barcelona","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eTHE \u003ci\u003eIRISH TIMES\u003c\/i\u003e BESTSELLER\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eA marriage unravels in a Spanish hotel room as a young wife is haunted by a past love. A father travels to Paris to meet his scientist son and is exposed to his son's true nature. A woman attends a reading by a famous author and comes to some painful realisations about her own marriage.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe stories in \u003ci\u003eBarcelona\u003c\/i\u003e reveal the underlying disquiet of modern life and the sometimes brutal nature of humanity. Whether on city streets, long car journeys or in suburban rooms, we glimpse characters as they approach those moments of desperation—or revelation—that change or reshape fate.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Allen \u0026 Unwin","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46997928837356,"sku":"9781837260362","price":27.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/3588443482842.jpg?v=1763198676"},{"product_id":"a-beautiful-loan-by-mary-costello-9781923058286","title":"A Beautiful Loan","description":"Exquisitely written and profoundly moving-the new literary novel from an award-winning Irish author.\n\n'An exceptional, compulsive novel of love, loss and courage. SINEAD GLEESON\n\n'Mary Costello is a writer of rare and exquisite sensitivity'  PAUL LYNCH\n\n'One of our foremost women writers' GUARDIAN\n\nThis is Anna's story.\n\nIn Dublin in 1985, nineteen-year-old Anna Hughes is in thrall to Peter Gallagher, an older, worldly man. Anna is introverted and naive, and Peter's experience, wide circle of friends and thirst for adventure captivate her. Her obsessive longing for him leads to marriage and, eventually, a crushing betrayal.\n\nWhen Anna meets a kind-hearted Algerian man, she finds herself falling in love with him. Life with Karim offers stability and renewed hope and, slowly, Anna begins to uncover deeper layers of herself.\n\nUnfolding over twenty-five years, this is a profound novel about the loss of innocence, the price of love, and the cost of seeking salvation in others. With her exquisite insight, Mary Costello tells a piercing story about longing, intimacy and the unpredictable road to discovery of the self.\n\n'Brings to mind the elegance of Colm T ibin and the insight of Alice Munro.' MAGGIE O'FARRELL\n\n'Mary Costello has a genius for taking ordinary, unheralded lives and discovering within them the disquiet, the disillusionment, concealed just below the surface.' AUSTRALIAN","brand":"Penguin Random House NZ","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47083834114284,"sku":"9781923058286","price":40.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/b86b1a0adc9fc03c78a4e4a5aaf77a81.jpg?v=1765310960"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.pro\/collections\/mary-costello.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}