IMPERFECT BEINGS

Dermot Bolger author

Format:Paperback

Publisher:New Island Books

Publishing:22nd May '26

£13.99

This title is due to be published on 22nd May, and will be despatched as soon as possible.

IMPERFECT BEINGS cover

In a series of unexpected moments when past loves and choices re-surface with startling clarity, the imperfect beings who populate these stories find themselves finally grasping the impact of crucial early relationships, as joy, loss and betrayal echo across decades.


A man searches for a possible secret half-sister to understand his father. A woman is haunted by a boy’s death fifty years ago. A lighthouse keeper recalls his first relationship. A public figure, slipping into dementia, relives a fateful night that haunts him. A man seeks insights into his mother’s past on a remote Portuguese island. From childhood holidays shadowed by tragedy to chance reunions that rewrite old narratives, Bolger’s complex and deeply humane characters reveal the fragile beauty of human connection.

Review for previous collection:

"Bolger writes with great intuition about the secrets and lies that circulate beneath the surface of our everyday lives."

-- Leagues O'Toole * Sunday Business Post *

Review for previous collection: 

"Secrets Never Told is a taut collection of stories delivered with precision and poise."

-- Dani Gill * The Irish Tim

ISBN: 9781835940464

Dimensions: 215mm x 135mm x 21mm

Weight: 450g

288 pages