I really enjoyed the beginning of this book about Cora and how she dealt with the attack of the twin towers.
When the story moved to the history of her mother and aunt I took me a while to get interested in their stories.
A book about family, relationships and the difficulties that women encounter during their lifetime.
Thank you to netgalley and Penguin General UK for my e- copy in exchange for an honest review.

A multi perspective and generational novel. This book was an engaging read and all the different characters felt very real. I thought the backdrop of 9/11 might initially be a bit ghoulish but it was sensitively covered. The different ages of the characters felt very real and being able to see the progression of Cora created a good conclusion.

"Confessions" by Catherine Airey is a poignant and intricately woven
narrative that spans several decades, exploring the lives and legacies
of three generations of women in a single family. The story begins
with Cora Brady, a sixteen-year-old girl grappling with profound loss
after her father is murdered during the tragic events of the 9/11
terrorist attacks in New York City. This catastrophic moment in
history becomes a pivotal point in Cora's life, shaping her journey as
she navigates the pain of losing both her parents—her mother having
committed suicide years earlier.

As she wanders the streets of New York, reminiscing about cherished
memories with her father, Cora finds herself increasingly isolated.
Her older boyfriend, Kyle, fails to reach out during her time of need,
leaving her feeling adrift. In a moment of serendipity, Cora receives
a letter from her aunt Róisín, her mother Maire's younger sister, who
resides in County Donegal, Ireland. Róisín's heartfelt invitation to
come and live with her offers Cora a glimmer of hope and an
opportunity for renewal, prompting her to embrace the chance for a
fresh start.

The narrative structure of "Confessions" is compelling, as it weaves
between present-day New York and the past, uncovering the stories of
Cora's mother, Maire, and aunt Róisín. The sections set in the 1970s
reveal the complexities of their lives—filled with secrets, familial
bonds, and the struggles typical of women of their time. Airey's deft
storytelling allows readers to delve into the emotional landscapes of
these characters, revealing how their experiences shape Cora’s
understanding of love, loss, and resilience.

Through alternating perspectives, Airey highlights the
intergenerational dynamics that influence Cora’s present. The novel
examines the weight of grief, the search for identity, and the
enduring connections that bind family members across time and space.
The evocative settings of New York City's bustling streets and the
serene beauty of rural Donegal enhance the narrative, juxtaposing
Cora’s chaotic urban life against the tranquil backdrop of her roots.

"Confessions" is a beautifully crafted exploration of healing and
forgiveness, where the past is never truly behind us but rather
informs every step forward. Catherine Airey captures the complexities
of womanhood and the instinctual drive to preserve family legacies,
making this book a deeply moving tribute to the strength of women and
the power of familial love.

It was a hard book at points.
The plot follows three women as they go through very different lives that aren't all that far apart after all. Getting snippets of their inner workings, how they manage challenges and what these in turn transform them into was a journey in of itself.
The narrative voice is quite unique, managing different POVs with care, all the while unearthing the most fundamental of emotions and feelings.
A gorgeous debut. One I will be thinking of for a long time

I would not be surprised if this very accomplished, multi-generational debut novel becomes something of a hit in 2025 and I would also not be surprised to see it featuring on a number of award lists (Women’s Prize, Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize for example or the Nero Awards at year end and even the 2026 Dylan Thomas Prize would all seem strong possibilities. Its treatment of hard hitting subjects like abortion rights in Ireland and the US and equal marriage rights could even make it an Orwell Prize contender).

The US publishers of the book compare it to “Goldfinch” and “Tomorrow & Tomorrow & Tomorrow” - the second is particular pertinent due to a computer game framing device, but more generally I would say that this novel, and not just due to its number of scenes set in New York reads more like an American novel than the Anglo-Irish one it is - really due to the expansiveness and confidence of its abilility to meld complex plot and characters with wide ranging themes (Nathan Hill was another author that came to mind).

The novel beings strikingly - first of all with the opening of what we discover over time a Commodore 64 text based choose-your-own-adventure game - Scream School, about two sisters at a mysterious school

And then continues with the story of Cora Brady in September 2001 (the morning of 9-11 to be precise) and a memorable opening in which Cora records the loss of both her parents (the loss of parents a rather deliberately recurring theme) - her often artist mother mother Máire to suicide, her father Michael (who works at Cantor Fitzgerald) to terrorism - in unemotional terms

16 year old Cora herself is a near high school drop out, taking acid and it seems abandoned by her much older drug dealing boyfriend and, shortly after printing some missing posters for her father (mainly as it’s what everyone else seems to be doing even thought she knows he must be dead) takes up an unexpected invite to the Donegal town of Burtonport (a name which rings a bell as the setting for the Scream School game) from an Aunt she did not even know she had - her mother’s younger sister Róisín. Arriving in Ireland (we later find out pregnant) she is shocked to find out that Róisín lives in the scream school.

The third-party point of view narrative then switches to Róisín in 1974-77 Burtonport. After the discovery of the body of their farmer father and with their mother suffering from depression/stress (as I said there is a recurring pattern, the calm Róisín and her volatile, cruel but artistically talented older sister Máire are having to move to a local estate, the only consolation is that it is next to their close friend (and Máire’s putative boyfriend) Michael - the only black person they know who moved to the town years back with his single, white mother (father unknown) when they were resettled from the North. Meanwhile the local ex boarding school - the setting for ghost stories Róisín writes and her sister appropriates has been taken over by a feminist Primal Therapy commune whose practices include therapeutic screaming (only adding to the local legend of the house). When they advertise for an in house artist Róisín and Michael apply successfully on Máire’s behalf.

We then switch to Máire in New York in 1979-81 on a scholarship at NYU (arranged by her mentor at the commune with a professor who is an old lover). This was a powerful and affecting section - the switch to both a continuous present tense and more effectively a second person adds both immediacy and slight distance to her complex often troubled account including a very odd predatory then supportive then controlling relationship with the professor and his wife which includes a disastrous pregnancy (from rape by the father of her dorm-mate) and unwitting surrogacy pregnancy.

Action then returns to Róisín in 1981 Burtonport (including a brief but important break where we read a gothic style story she has written called “What Happened to My Sister”). She and Michael start a brief relationship but more important is a close bond (and then relationship) she forms with Scarlett - adopted, her parents both dying after she studied medicine at University (again the the recurring dead parents and uncertain parentage) and who has used her inheritance to buy the old school - which with Róisín’s help she turns first to a coffee shop and then a mock Victorian school (which, the novel now taking its more political turn, is the cover for an illegal abortion clinic - her first patient Róisín herself with another unexpected pregnancy).

We then skip to the third generation. Lyca - Cora’s daughter - in 2018 and from there Lyca and we are in close to detective / mystery novel territory as Lyca partly deliberately and sometimes inadvertently starts to uncover the various secrets in her families history.

Scarlett by now is in jail for illegal abortions, Róisín is suffering from dementia in a nursing home, Cora is a feminist activist. Prompted by contact from a schoolgirl crush and a 9-11 memorial project based around the missing posters Lyca explores the mysterious attic of the old school (venue for a number of scenes over the years) and uncovers the Scream School game and a guide to it (Cora tells her that Róisín and Scarlett made a number of such games over the years) - she then playing the game - and a series of secret letters over 1992-2001 from Michael (who after her 1981 crisis flew out to be with and them married Máire) to Róisín. These letters break up Luca’s two main sections (and an epilogue five years later when she visits Scarlett, her mother by then protesting in the US against the Supreme Court’s ruling overturning Roe vs Wade).

These last sections will I think provide divisive in views on the books - as they feature a series of revelations. In terms of a memorable story or a book group discussion I suspect they will make the book, for me they came closer to breaking it (well at least losing the book a fifth star I expected to give it for perhaps 3/4 of its length) as they are both unnecessary and in one case I think too coincidental to be plausible.

And I must admit I would have preferred if instead the computer game had been integrated into the narrative better than I felt the author achieved.

But either way this will I am sure be one of the most discussed debuts of 2025.

Last January I kicked off my year of reading with Paul Murray's The Bee Sting and absolutely loved it. This year, as fate would have it, I've started with another Irish novel. If this is the beginning of a new tradition where my first book of the year is an Irish book that I love, then sign me up.

I really loved this book.

There's a lot going on here. We start in New York in September of 2001. The planes have just hit the Twin Towers, and Cora has become an orphan. From there we begin a generational journey that will take us back to 1974 and all the way to the present day as we spend time with all the people whose lives are impacted by this one death among thousands. Along the way we explore the generational impact of trauma brought on by poor mental health; the AIDS crisis; abortion rights in Ireland and, later, America; what it means to be gay in a country that won't legally recognise your relationships. The power of art to heal and to damage in equal measure. The way people come in and out of your life, and how once they're gone it's hard - if not impossible - to put things back the way they were. There's tragedy, and loss, and grief, but it's always threaded through and held together by love, and redemption, and the idea that you make your own family and hold on to the people you care for.

I read this in two sittings on consecutive days, but when I reached the end I was surprised by that fact. It felt like I'd spent a lot longer than six hours with this book. That's not to say that it's slow going, though. I would describe the pace as 'measured' - the narrative takes its time to reveal itself, but at the same time there are no wasted moments. I really felt like I was sinking into this world and these lives, wanting to learn everything I possible could about these characters and their complicated history.

In marketing material Confessions has been compared to Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and I think that's an apt comparison on the surface. I really enjoyed that book when I read it last year, but I found that even though I loved it while I was reading it I was left with a sense that none of it really mattered once it ended. Because it spans such a wide amount of time I never really felt able to get down in the dirt with the characters; everything felt very surface level, with no real depth. That's not the case here, and I feel like this is the sort of book that is going to reward rereading.

Without wanting to gush too much, this is one of the most assured debuts I've read in a long time, potentially up there with Yael van der Wouden's The Safekeep (which was my favourite book last year). Every character feels real and alive on the page, and each of them has a distinct voice, including some of the best use of the second person I've ever read. The plot slots together like the most intricate of puzzles Even when the novel feels like it's about to falter, Airey knows exactly what she's doing. There's a reveal in the finale (which I won't spoil here) that, when it was first hinted at - i.e. when we realise what's happening but before the characters do - felt a little contrived. I was seriously concerned that, with just 60 pages to go in the novel, the magic of the book had been ruined. But when the moment arrived it was perfect, and it brings everything to a beautifully satisfying close.

This was a book I was really excited about when I first saw it announced, and I'm very pleased to say that it lived up to my expectations entirely. This was a great way to start the year.

It’s been a long while since a book has captured me in this way, I was so invested in the characters, I was lost in the city of NYC, having visited for the first time last year, I could visualise Ground Zero and the memorial waterfalls. I loved the chapters of Michael’s letters to Roisin and the video game element reminded me of Tomorrow, Tomorrow & Tomorrow. I didn’t want this book to end, I feel like I could read about these characters forever. Brilliant debut and will definitely be recommending and buying a hard copy for the book shelf.

I went into Confessions interested to read a book from a debut novelist with no expectations other than the hope that I would enjoy the reading experience. Catherine Airey has Irish heritage and I don't know what they put in the waters over there out in Ireland but those people can write! Catherine Airey in her very first novel decided to go big or go home. She covers the full gamut of coming of age and womanhood. Oh and she also touched on 9/11, writing storylines for video games and spans both Ireland and the US across multiple generations because, as I said, Ms Airey did not come to play.

At the centre of Confessions is the story of two sisters and their different experiences of motherhood and relationships. One sister goes away to study while the other stays home to look after the family and those choices will go on to have far reaching consequences not just for them but for the generations that follow.

As the story drew to a close there were a few plot points that felt perhaps a little too convenient which is why I haven't given this book a full 5 stars but for the sheer ambition and breadth of this work, I have to give Catherine Airey her flowers. And the writing? Chef's kiss! If this is what Airey is doing with her first book, I am actually a little bit scared of what she might do for her second novel and third novel and beyond. She has such a phenomenal talent for storytelling and I hope this book and the its author gain the following and acclaim they deserve so she can continue writing for many years to come.

Huge thanks to the publisher for sending me this advance e-copy for free for the purposes of review.

This is a sprawling debut novel about three generations of an Irish family set in New York and the original family home in rural Ireland. It opens with Cora, suddenly orphaned by the 9/11 attacks in New York, swings back to the story of her mother Maire and her aunt Roisin in Ireland and ends with Cora’s daughter Lyca back in the USA and bringing all the pieces together.

That makes for a complicated narrative and posing elements of it alongside an old computer game – while making a point about the choices we make in life – is a cumbersome device.

There’s also the odd history of the house in Ireland which once housed a ‘screaming’ sect and then became an illegal abortion clinic so that the story can veer into that whole issue for a while. Finally, there are some extraordinary coincidences involved in wrapping the story up and a lot of letters have to be discovered and read to make things clearer.

Catherine Airey is a talented writer and brings her characters to life, although sometimes at the expense of making them clumsy and helpless. They get lost and kind of drift from reality at times and can never open an envelope or perform other simple tasks without stabbing themselves with the scissors and bleeding!

It all adds up to an interesting novel and an enjoyable read if you’re prepared to be taken down some odd alleys and have some time to spare!

I completely didn't get this book. I know it sounds daft but this maybe one book I buy in paperbook form. Sometimes it's easier to click with a book.
Felt a bit slow going

When Maire leaves Burtonport to study art in New York, she leaves behind her sister, Roisin, and her childhood sweetheart, Michael. Told over a number of decades, and split between rural Ireland and New York, 9/11 is a catalyst for a family’s secrets to surface. Confessions is a beautiful, complicated debut about sisterhood, loss and connection.

I love how this book is written. There is a strong sense of longing and nostalgia as the narrative unfolds from the different family member’s perspectives. I like how the different view points build up the story and adds a vulnerability to each of the characters. I was initially thrown by the concept of the video game but enjoyed it more as it progressed. I thought the themes of addiction, mental health and women’s reproductive rights were really well handled. I can’t recommend enough.

The story of three generations of women, star ting in 2001 in New York and ending in 2018, but what makes this so interesting to read is the way we slowly read what happened even before 2001 too.
We start with Cora Brady in New York but it is also the story of her mother Máire, her aunt Róisín, Cora’s daughter Lyca and not to forget Michael, Cora’s father. We switch from New York to Ireland and back.
I found it sometimes a little hard to understand who was who but each and every character has a unique voice so after a few pages in a new chapter it soon became clear. In fact, I understand why the author did this, and it adds an extra layer to an already multi-layered story.
Gripping, interesting and captivating. A wonderful debut and I hope to read more from this author in time.

Thanks to Penguin and Netgalley for this review copy.

Confessions by Catherine Airey

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

A debut novel that you need to have on your 2025 releases radar. A fiery, devastating and absolutely a must read for this year!

In 2001, Cora was a teenager living a simple life after her mother died, with her dad Michael. That is until she suddenly finds herself alone, after the twin towers attacks wandering the streets of New York looking for her dad and taping her missing person poster.

When Cora finally goes back home into the empty apartment, between the letters of condolences she finds one from her mother's estranged sister asking her to move in with her in Ireland. And this is where our journey into her family history starts.

A very beautiful tale full of mystery, twists and secrets that kept me hooked all the way through. With multiple points of view, the tale shifts quite often uncovering Cora's family background with heartbreaking truths and some very difficult stories. Each character felt very real and developed having a significant voice and role in the book.

While maybe slightly confusing, I found the sudden changes of characters and writing style to be very engaging and made my experience with the book a lot more enjoyable.

Just a heads up that a lot of very difficult topics are discussed in this book like drug abuse, self harm, suicide and sexual abuse. If you are sensitive to these topics this book may not be for you.

Review #1 : 2025
Confessions by Catherine Airey. [Out 23rd January]

What a debut novel this is! The opening pages place the reader in NYC; September 2001. Cora is a delinquent teen whose world pivots around her mostly absent boyfriend and bunking off school. She knows little about her familial roots when the cataclysmic collapse of the twin towers drags the darkest of family secrets out into the light.

The storyline then pivots to Donegal to Cora's mother and Aunt Ro's story. These young girls have a complicated relationship and upbringing in the 70s in Catholic Ireland, in the midst of the troubles. Finally, the last segment of the storyline skips on a generation to Cora's own daughter, Lyca, now in a more modern Ireland, with gay marriage and abortion legal. While the societal status of women may now be significantly different to generations before her, the trials and tribulations of being a teenage girl on the cusp of adulthood don't change much at all.

This is certainly very ambitious storytelling, multiple generations, and locations. I am always interested in wide spanning stories delving into the impact of generational trauma, and Airey does a pretty decent job here. The story really hones in on complex mental health issues, the impact of sexual assault, pregnancy out of marriage, and complicated nuanced relationships and emotional connections.

However, if I had any complaints, I felt that the recurrence of some events and connections between stories to be somewhat unbelievable. The videogame element of the plot, which is parachuted into random sections, felt wholly unnecessary. IMO the story and character development was strong enough without this element and may be problematic in the marketing due to the tenuous links to Tomorrow, Tomorrow, Tomorrow, which are weak at best.

Irrespective of my small gripes, this is great storytelling, I hurtled through over 400 pages and really was invested in the different women in the story. For a debut, I think it's most accomplished and I am already looking forward to seeing what comes next from this author.

There must be thousands of novels out there where the storyline encompasses Ireland and America but "Confessions" certainly merits being placed up there with the best. We follow the lives of 2 sisters born in Ireland in the 1960's in Ireland and how they end up going very separate ways. One, Roisin, staying in Ireland and the other, Maire, leaving to go to America on an Art scholarship. Maire's life turns out to be endlessly tragic and she dies young. In 2001, her daughter, Cora, orphaned as a result of the Twin Towers disaster claiming her father's life, receives a timely letter from Roisin inviting her to return to Ireland. The subsequent years Cora spends in Ireland reveals parts of the story of the life Maire and Roisin shared together but by no means all. It is only on Roisin's death that the full picture emerges. And this turns out to be full of both grim and heart-breaking revelations.
The episodic nature of this novel, switching between countries, characters and generations is, at times, slightly hard work to follow but sticking with it is certainly worth the effort.
For a first novel Confessions is exceptional in developing both a gripping storyline and believable characters If it weren't for the conclusion relying somewhat too much on convenient coincidence I would be giving it 5 stars. That being said, Catherine Airey, is undoubtedly an author of exceptional promise and ability and I, amongst many, will certainly be following her future writings with real interest.

Confessions is an intriguing read. Uncovering the story of three generations of women as they experience love and tragedy has the reader gripped from start to finish. It seamlessly weaves redemption, mystery, love and forgiveness. Confessions does not shy away from the dilemmas of life, living, death and the terrible shades of the things we do. Cora’s relationship with her mother and father reflect some of the intricacies in so many families. Author Catherine Airey tells a beautiful and sometimes sad story.

A sweeping novel, taking you from NYC in the aftershocks of 9/11 to pro-choice activists in Ireland, this book is completely unexpected and beautifully written. While the subject matter is very serious, Airey commands your attention throughout. If you love Kala and Little Fires Everywhere, you’ll adore Confessions.

I found Confessions a little slow to get into and I kept putting it down and picking it up again. The original blurb, relating to a half lost game seems to be more incidental than integral and in reality it is an inter-woven story of women within the same family. As a result, depending on what you are initially drawn to your e enjoyment may vary. It was fine but I find it hard to whole heartedly recommend.

This is a book that popped onto my radar as a recommendation. Now I love a recommendation and have tried a whole host of books on the back of them, some have worked out better than others. This was a real find though. Possibly even more so since I really considered passing this one over. The blurb sounded potentially interesting but nothing special, so I dithered for a bit before deciding it was recommended to me for some reason and I'd give it a look to see. My expectations were fairly low though, just good enough to be worth a try really. And how I underestimated this book! I gut drawn in quickly and think it's amazing, I can't believe I almost didn't bother. Now, I see that longer blurbs are appearing online which sell the book much better than the one I was faced with so hopefully it's looking a bit more promising to future readers because this should probably be much higher on people's radar.

No bear with me here, because a quick summary isn't easy. The book covers the stories of three generations of women from the same family. At the simplest level you could say it's the coming of age stories of these women, each telling a story from their teens. But because they are family, these stories intertwine across ages and we see many stages of life, and death. Oh yeah, I mean the blurb talks about one of them being orphaned so I guess the death part may be obvious but keep in mind this book touches on some pretty sensitive issues. Some heavy ones. From my perspective they seem to be handled quite sensitively and well, but there are some not unexpected issues that will be far more relevant to female readers and they are the ones most likely to hit hard so keep it in mind.

Back to the summary! The stories of the various character's stages in life would all serve as very good short stories or novellas, but here they are woven together spectacularly to create a cohesive single story on top. And it feels valid saying it's in addition to the individual arcs because it really does feel like it achieves both a full novel and an anthology at once. The themes resonate, we see them developing their early crushes, we see them bonded over similar life patterns, but for me the most interesting dynamic is them finding their place in the world. I want to say their differences shine through here, and they really do become such clear individuals on different paths, and yet in truth there are similarities in their callings too.

See, this book did that to me a lot. It offers up a great little plot that feels so distinct and then with a small flourish it all falls into place within the larger story. So I think I need to give up explaining it, it's just so multifaceted I stumble over the contradictions. It's an easy read that doesn't get bogged down on the bigger issues it addresses, yet it never shies away from them either. This is a powerful read without feeling heavy. One of the rare gems that is both technically accomplished and just plain enjoyable. You know how when people find you like reading they ask about what you read and suchlike? This is going to be the book I drone on about for months to come, it's one of those that's going to linger with me.

This was a very impressive debut, a couple of bits didnt really work for me - the video game and the very convoluted family tree - but the story was a page turner and the writing was so good that I wanted to know about all the character's stories and how they developed through their lifetimes. It was good to have strong, flawed women as the main protagonists and the author bought the different locations to life. I feel we will be hearing a lot more about Ms Airey and I look forward to reading more of her work.
Thank you to netgalley and Penguin General UK for an advance copy of this book.