The Amendments

Book blogging is a serious business. You have to read greedily, rapidly, objectively. So therefore, it was a genuine pleasure to read this. And if I had read it for pleasure, I’d class it as one of the best novels of recent years. I certainly don’t think I’ll read better in 2024.

It’s a family story, with Nell and Adrienne about to become parents; with Nell’s life, mirroring that of her Mother Dolores. Measured against this is about forty years of Irish history and how women interact with other women. But it’s broader than that, looking at the fulfilling of fighting with your own past when you could just settle for being happy.

For this of you who like comparisons, it has the wabisabi of Kate Sawyer, with the precision of Anne Enright. And as the latter is one of my favourites, I’ll say that she has that precise, slightly aloof edge to her prose. For her first proper novel, this is a stunning debut. My thanks go to Picador for a review copy.

I saw somebody highly rate this on Bookstagram, but cannot recall who, sorry. It did propel it up my TBR list, and I’m wondering is it too early to have a favourite book of the year. I was glued to it.
This is a very female story. It’s a very Irish story, and laden with Irish history. It’s multigenerational. We largely hear the stories of Dolores and her daughter Nell. And another character Martina who is midway in age between mother and daughter. I don’t really want to tell the story as it needs to be revealed to the reader. It is about lives that don’t follow a predefined linear path. It’s how speed bumps knock you off course.
I could not believe this was a debut author (1st fiction novel, although she does have a short story book). The writing is scarily perceptive and you feel like you are the person as you read the story. It is so well told.
This is not a light read, do not pick it up if you want escape, but do if you want to dive deep into the mind and emotions of some strong characters and see how they deal with life’s curveballs.
Published by Pan MacMillan, out on the 18 April 2024. I was given a free digital copy from the publisher via @netgalley

This book is absolutely brilliant!!!
The 8th amendment unleashed years of shame and torture upon the mná of Ireland, and this book explores that through different timelines, from the 8th amendment being included into the constitution, to it being repealed, and how it had different impacts on different generations of women.
In particular, I loved the character of Nell who was endlessly relatable and compassionate. The character writing across this book was excellent, the story was strong, and Niamh's writing is so endearing and tender it was an absolutely stellar read.

What a fantastic debut novel. Set in Ireland from the 1980’s to present day it tells the story of a mother and a daughter and their individual coming of age experiences. Using religion, sex and gender as the main themes this isn’t the usual ‘Irish’ novel but instead is a refreshing take on women’s rights.

This book is serious perfection. I love the reflection of how Ireland has changed and how far we've come in such a short space of time. But it's also a reminder of how much further Ireland has to go in terms of women's rights.

How do you navigate a world in which you feel like, in some fundamental way, you don't belong? What kinds of things might you do to fit in, only to spend your life running away, literally or figuratively, from the consequences of those actions, large and small? For the women in this book, these are huge questions that have serious impacts on their lives even as the culture changes around them in profound ways.

Although most of the story is set in Ireland, the book opens in a therapist's office in London, where Nell and her pregnant partner Adrienne are attending their weekly appointment. It's clear that Nell is running from her own feelings and hiding her discomfort with the idea of being a mother, admitting this to no one but herself. Shortly thereafter, we meet Dolores, Nell's mother, and learn some of her story, along with that of her mother, Brigid. Along the way, Some of Nell's friends are introduced, some of whom will play a major role in subsequent events and some of whom will be more peripheral. One thread running throughout these women's stories is the massive cultural changes taking place in Ireland regarding the role of the church, women's reproductive rights, attitudes towards gay people, family roles, and more. The title refers to the various amendments around abortion that were voted on in different decades, which may lead to the impression that the book is primarily structured around these events. It is true that this is an underlying theme, but for me it was mostly in the background and wasn't the primary focus.

This is an excellent book. Niamh Mulvey skillfully captures the confusion, tension, and discombobulation people feel when the culture is changing around them in ways that strike at the heart of their essential identities. She also beautifully illustrates the pain of feeling like there is nowhere to belong, to always feel peripheral, to feel misplaced, and to desperately seek out groups and people who will provide some sense of security and belonging. The role of shame in this book cannot be understated--particularly for women--and shame plays a big role in the events that unfold for all the women. For some, overcoming their shame is the main work they have to do.

This is a fine book. The writing is beautiful. I found the characters and their issues to be very relatable, even though my background is quite different from theirs. The larger themes are some I have struggled with in my own life. In fact, much of my life was shaped by people trying to run away from their shame and pain, which didn't work and only made things worse. As a result, I found the characters and their actions very believable. This is a book that is well worth reading and I highly recommend it.

I loved this multigenerational story set across Ireland and London over the span of roughly thirty years, with a woman and her mother both reflecting on what motherhood means to them, set against the backdrop of the long struggle for reproductive freedom in Ireland. The characters are vivid and compelling and, unusually for a novel of this type (of which there seem to have been many this year), I didn't prefer one viewpoint over the other, I was always happy to see b0th characters in their own time period when their chapters appeared. Highly recommended and thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

The Irish Eighth Amendment (1983) recognised the equal right to life of the mother and the unborn. In 2018 it was repealed allowing for terminations in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy marking a significant shift in Irish abortion laws, giving women more control over their reproductive rights

The Amendments is an extraordinary debut novel that revolves around Nell and her partner Adrienne, who are expecting a baby. This leads Nell to confront her past, particularly her teenage years. It touches on women's rights, faith, religion, and relationships. It’s a really interesting and significant read but not a cosy snuggle up with a book read.

The Amendments follows three generations of Irish women, from the 1970s to 2018 when Nell and her partner Adrienne are expecting their first child. Nell has agreed to attend therapy with Adrienne. The thought of a having a child terrifies her but she’s prepared to do everything she can to keep her partner, beginning to write the story of how she came to be a rackety young woman, working as a sous-chef in London with no apparent attachment to her family, a story that encompasses tragedy and sexual confusion.

Mulvey’s intricately plotted novel shifts perspectives between Nell and her mother Dolores. Rather like the characters in Mulvey’s short story collection, Hearts and Bones, both are women who reach a juncture in their lives when past events come to the fore. Overarching their stories is the theme of reproductive rights and the waning influence of the Church. Mulvey’s characterisation is strong, neatly confounding stereotypes. Through the experience of Brigid, Dolores and Nell, a carefully nuanced picture emerges of a country which has changed beyond recognition, from the 1970s, when Brigid had no choice but to carry seven children, to her granddaughter’s marriage to the biological mother of their son. A deeply immersive and enjoyable novel, insightful and compassionate.

The Amendments is a story of a mother, Delores, and a daughter, Nell, trying to navigate life in rural Ireland as it dramatically changes from the 1970’s to present day. The Amendments of the title refer to the constitutional amendments proposed during this period to enshrine the right to life of a foetus vs the right to life of a mother. Delores was the first generation to live through a referendum on the issue and Nell lived through the repeal of the eighth amendment. Irrespective of the legal position at the time, both women navigate what it means to be a woman growing up in Ireland, figuring out what religion means to them, how to live independently, learn on their terms and how to love truthfully. It is a beautiful, emotional read.

Absolutely loved this poignant debut novel. Beautifully written, real and complex characters. A book of our time . Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy

A first novel for Niamh Mulvey, and I hope more to come. This evoked memories of my past and how I related to my mother.
In Ireland, during the 80's the 8th amendment was also in place protecting the right to life of the unborn child, which banned abortion...
The writing is absorbing and mainly about Delores and her daughter Nell who is pregnant with her first child with Adrianne..

This is the coming of age of women, the rights of women, and deals with religion, relationships, and how the different generations were able to deal with them ...
Deloras went through the referendum of the 8th amendment and Nell after the amendment was repealed these timelines made a difference in how the women dealt with life.

A lovely read and a significant one, thank you for writing this as one of the ones I would highly recommend

If I could give this book 50, 000 stars, I would. It is perfection. Following one core family, it dances between mothers, daughters & friends, delicately but powerfully revealing the pain and strength it has always taken to be a woman in Catholic Ireland.

This my have resonated with me more than usual. Having been raised Catholic on a farm outside Dublin, I felt I knew these people, these places, these unspoken thoughts and embers of rage deep in my core. The characters, themes and issues covered are painful, but Mulvey tackles and shapes each once with such brilliance and humanity you are just left in awe.

I cannot fault this book and I recommend it to absolutely everyone.

This is a debut novel from an Irish writer who made award shortlists for her story collection “Hearts And Bones”. This is the 9th debut novel I’ve read so far this year and the standard is high, but this is one of the best.
It is a tale of three women, main character Nell, her mother, Dolores and Martina, who is one of the mentors of a religious group Nell falls into in her teens. Nell joins La Obra de los Hogarenos (the Work of the Homemakers), an offshoot of the Catholic Church, a movement against what was seen as increasing secularisation and in favour of home life and fostering an international brotherhood of like-minded souls. Not quite a cult, but a group which does influence Nell with its views around the time that discussions in Ireland on increasing pro-choice rights were being discussed.
Dolores had been involved in a previous consideration of these issues with the Eighth Amendment of 1983 when she had been a member of a women’s group. Time moves backwards and forwards for these women throughout the narrative as more of their lives are gradually revealed to us and each other.
The catalyst for this is counselling sessions for Nell, about to become a parent with her pregnant partner Adrienne and facing this future with fear and a reluctance which needs sorting.
I was really involved with the women and their lives as they move back and forth from Ireland. Time away seems to enable them to find themselves and help clarify feelings, Dolores in London and Nell in Spain but are they able to continue with that growth when they return home? The religious aspect I found fascinating and the theme of choice- for the characters in their own lives and from the restrictions of the legislation brings the novel together very nicely. This is certainly a high-quality read and it’s great to discover yet another first-rate Irish author with huge potential.
The Amendments is published on 18th March by Picador. Many thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for the advance review copy.

The Amendments by Niamh Mulvey

Nell and her partner Adrienne, living in London, are having a baby and attending therapy sessions. Adrienne realises that Nell has unresolved issues from her adolescence in Ireland and these are eventually revealed. Against the backdrop of the Eighth Amendment and it's repeal in 2018, we follow the story of Nell's mother Dolores and Nell herself.

This book is perfection - exquisite writing, serious issues dealt with sensitively but unflinchingly, true to life characters and settings, and a story that holds your attention from the first page to the last. I think it's a novel of our time - I haven't read a better portrayal of these issues and Ireland - and should be on the school curriculum. And it definitely deserves to win prizes! Very VERY highly recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.