A vast open field with tall grass under a cloudy sky, with a few trees in the distance.

The Irish Goodbye

The Irish Goodbye, published by Henry Holt, is about three sisters returning to their family home on the shores of Eastern Long Island for Thanksgiving, each carrying lingering grief and guilt over their brother’s tragic death years earlier. When an unexpected guest from their past arrives, long-buried secrets and resentments resurface—and threaten to shatter their fragile reunion. Far more than the holiday will be ruined unless the sisters can find a way to forgive and accept themselves—and each other.

Learn more

A purple circular badge with a rainbow graphic at the top and an open book at the bottom. It contains the text "READ WITH JENNA" in bold white letters.

The official "Read With Jenna” book club pick for October

Close-up view of a person's skin surface, showing fine hair and natural skin texture.

Available!

from Henry Holt

Order here:

Order the audiobook here:

Close-up of a zipper pull on a fabric item, possibly a backpack or clothing.

Praise for The Irish Goodbye

Black and white portrait of a woman with glasses and long wavy hair, smiling at the camera, wearing a floral top and an earring, with a blurred outdoor background.

“The Irish Goodbye has it all: a lovable cast of complex characters; forbidden affairs; a stately, crumbling beach house; a doomed sailboat; long-suppressed family secrets; and one pressure cooker of a holiday weekend. Above all, this finely crafted novel explores what it means to be a family and what we owe each other and ourselves.”

— Amy Shearn

Award-winning author
of Animal Instinct and Unseen City

A woman with long, straight hair smiling at the camera, wearing a patterned top.

“A sparkling debut, The Irish Goodbye is a rich, compassionate novel about sisterhood, marriage, grief, and forgiveness.”

— Jenny Jackson

New York Times bestselling author
of Pineapple Street

Black and white photo of a woman with dark hair, wearing a floral blouse, sitting in front of a bookshelf.

“The family saga we all need—utterly un-put downable, beautifully drawn, thrilling and heartfelt at once and totally not to be missed. Heather has arrived with gorgeous skills and a keen eye for what drives families apart, and brings them together, too.”

— Jessica Soffer

New York Times bestselling author
of This Is a Love Story

Black and white portrait of a woman with short dark hair, wearing a sleeveless top, looking at the camera with a slight smile.

"Lovingly rendered and acutely felt, The Irish Goodbye takes the reader into the aching, complicated nooks and crannies of a single family trying to find their way back to one another, even as none is sure they have hold of themselves. A beautiful and moving debut."

— Lynn Steger Strong

Author of The Float Test

Black and white photo of a woman with shoulder-length dark hair, wearing a floral patterned top, standing in front of a paneled wall with vertical trim.

“Emotionally gripping and achingly poignant, The Irish Goodbye is about the secrets we keep from our families and from ourselves. In the Ryans, Heather Aimee O’Neill has created a family that, despite its glimmering specificity, could very well be our own. Mesmerizing.”

— Daisy Alpert Florin

Author of My Last Innocent Year

Black and white portrait of a smiling woman with long hair, wearing a dark top.

"The Irish Goodbye is truly un-put downable—I picked it up one morning and finished it later that night, unable to do anything else until I got to the end. These characters captured my heart, and I got lost in this family weekend full of secrets, resentment, and emotional landmines. Heather Aimee O’Neill has written a beautiful debut about family, grief, love, and loss. "

— Jennifer Close

Author of Marrying The Ketchups

A woman with long, wavy blonde hair, wearing a dark teal blouse, crossing her arms and leaning against a wall, smiling softly at the camera.

A black background with a teal, twisting, wave-like line crossing the image.

About the Author

Heather Aimee O’Neill is the author of The Irish Goodbye, a bestselling novel published by Henry Holt and a Read with Jenna pick. She is also the author of two poetry collections, Memory Future, winner of the University of Southern California’s Gold Line Press Award, and Obliterations (Red Hen Press). Her essays and journalism have appeared in The Times, Oprah Daily, Salon, and elsewhere.

A developmental editor and assistant director of the Sackett Street Writers’ Workshop, she has worked with hundreds of writers, many of whom have gone on to publish with major houses.

She lives in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, with her beautiful wife, Caroline, two sons, Tommy and Teo, and—finally!—a dog named River. Her second novel, Winter Island will be published in October, 2027.