'A beautiful collection from an interesting new author who handles space and time - those two bugbears of the short-story writer- with uncanny ease, fluidity and absolute grace.' - Sunday Independent
A memory-eating, closet-dwelling beast escapes its confines; a Somali girl in a Donegal school is tougher than she seems; under a jasmine tree in Andalucía, a woman waits for her stolen son; at the edge the city, two brothers step unwittingly into a game that turns deadly. The scope and diversity of these stories knows no bounds, sitting somewhere between the real and imaginary.
Wild Quiet contains a world viewed from unexpected angles, where the ordinary is rendered extraordinary and the extraordinary sublime. These are stories woven with compassion and humour, announcing the arrival of a fresh new voice in Irish literature.
In this astonishingly innovative and bold debut collection, Roisín O’Donnell examines the hurts and triumphs of being human, and the wild, quiet moments that approach something like grace.
Published 16 May 2016.
longlisted for edge hill short story prize 2017
Listed in the Irish Times' Favourite Books of 2016
Shortlisted for the kate o'brien award 2017
Shortlisted for the International Rubery Book award
Praise for Wild Quiet
'Astonishingly accomplished. I was blown away by this varied, imaginative collection.' - The Irish Examiner
'The best short story anthology by an Irish writer in 2016... breathtaking' - STORGY
‘Funny and tragic and full of unexpected insights, O’Donnell’s book is a beautifully crafted, outstanding debut.’ - The Meath Chronicle
'When you read Wild Quiet, you will place a few hours of your life in the splendid company of a master storyteller. ' - Writing.ie
'I was captivated by Roisín O'Donnell's vibrant writing in Wild Quiet, her inventive and diverse debut collection.' - Danielle McLaughlin (Author of DInsaurs on Other Planets) - The Irish Times
'These refreshingly different stories concentrate mainly on outsiders in society, and those feeling dislocation.' - Sue J. Leonard
'O'Donnell's collection undeniably adds to the relatively small number of texts attempting to push beyond the historical whiteness of Irish literature. The collection also challenges us to consider what exactly we mean by 'Irish'; by 'foreign'; by 'other'.' - Irish Independent
'...moments of quiet, sure power. The strength of the collection is demonstrating the enrichment of the characters by a variety of cultural encounters with a range of people. They often deal in the intimacies of grief and loss and showcase a writer who will surely develop into a talent to be reckoned with.' - Dr. C Magennis, The Irish Times
'...Striking stories... the author's skill is immediately evident in her descriptive detail and the creation of atmosphere.' - The Phoenix Magazine
'An equal tonic is Roisín O’Donnell’s magical work, which spans continents and species to continually surprise and delight.' - The Conversation
'This diverse, highly enjoyable collection comes from one of Ireland's strongest new voices.' - Books Ireland
'A heartfelt and surprising collection. The stories are bound up, for the most part, with issues of memory, identity, belonging and nationhood. If this isn’t the Ireland you know, you’re probably overdue a visit.' - Bookmunch