Title: Saoirse

Author: Charleen Hurtubise

Genre: Literary Fiction

Publisher: Eriu Books

Publication Date: 26th February 2026

Rating: 4.5/5

Cover:

Summary:

In the wilds of Donegal, Ireland, 1999, Saoirse is an artist living an outwardly idyllic life. Her tender husband Daithí and two beloved daughters are regular subjects for her work, and in them she has found the safe home that she has always longed for. She tends not to talk about her past, and those that love her have learned to accept that the full story is too painful for her to disclose. 

When her Dublin exhibition unexpectedly wins a prestigious award that invites a swarm of publicity, Saoirse is left panic stricken. The unanticipated recognition threatens to expose a decade’s worth of buried memories and past crimes. Because what her family and friends don’t know is that Saoirse has been on the run since she was seventeen, she has stolen an identity to survive, and whilst Ireland might now be her home, it wasn’t her first – and now her past life is poised to reclaim her. 

The novel weaves between flashbacks to a complicated childhood in Michigan, and Saoirse’s journey to and in Ireland to forge safety for herself.

Review:

Saoirse is a quiet novel in many ways. It doesn’t shout or scream but slowly burrows under the skin of the reader with its beautiful yet heart wrenching prose. It is a slow burn of a book in the best possible way. It is a very character driven novel focused entirely on our main characters struggle to escape trauma and build a life for herself. As a character, Saoirse is not the easiest to understand immediately. She is relatively opaque, in many ways, which is completely understandable given what has happened to her in her life. However, if you stick with it, Saoirse will become a character that you cannot help but feel for. She has been through immense trauma and has made decisions that, on the surface, may seem technically wrong or duplicitous. Yet, her choices are ones made under extreme circumstances and my heart broke for her when she has to finally face some of those decisions and deal with the consequences. With all Saoirse goes through, this is an occasionally harrowing read but it is never gratuitous and is always handled with a sensitivity and genuine authenticity. It is also truly beautifully written with a sort of artistic, poetic quality which I loved and fits perfectly with Saoirse’s creative work which is a huge part of the novel. There is also a kind of melancholic feeling to the prose that is pitch perfect for the story and it goes without saying that the Irish setting is gorgeously evoked throughout. Saoirse is an achingly emotional read about trauma, survival, secrets, and creativity. I would highly recommend adding this poignant book to your TBR list. 

★★★★.𝟓 

Thank you so much to Anne Cater of Random Things Blog Tours for inviting me on this tour and organising it. I kindly received a copy of the book from the publisher. My review is entirely my own honest opinion.

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