Winner of the Irish Book Awards Newcomer of the Year 2024 Shortlisted for the John McGahern Annual Book Prize A poignant debut novel about the lives of women in a claustrophobic coast town and the search for independence in a society that seeks to limit it. 'Murrin powerfully renders the ways that women's freedom, individuality, and self-expression are stifled by religion, custom, and gossip.'--The New Yorker 'A painful, gorgeous debut.'--Elle Set in 1994, The Coast Road tells the story of two women--Izzy Keaveney, a housewife, and Colette Crowley, a poet. Colette has left her husband and sons for a married man in Dublin. When she returns to her home in County Donegal to try to pick up the pieces of her old life, her husband, Shaun, a successful businessman, denies her access to her children. The only way she can see them is with the help of neighbour Izzy, acting as a go-between. Izzy also feels caught in a troubled marriage. The friendship that develops between them will ultimately