Winter 2008. The world is stuck between the gloom of the global financial crisis and the promise of hope from a brand new president – it’s the perfect time for a love story. Set against the backdrop of Barack Obama’s presidential victory is the story of Bruno: a mid-fifties New York banker, twice divorced, who’s just lost his job with the collapse of Lehman Brothers.
With nothing left for him in the Big Apple, Bruno decides to flee the ruins of his life in New York and visit distant relations in Ireland. There he finds Addie, an unemployed architect who is mourning both a failed relationship and a miscarriage. The two begin to fall heavily and hopelessly in love, their blossoming relationship mirroring the tempestuous social and political climate of the time, until it ends in the most heartbreaking way with a twist that you don’t see coming.
Kathleen MacMahon, a celebrated Irish journalist and writer, has written a book that confidently tackles politics, social change and love in a modern, quirky and surprisingly sweet way. It’s a very real and raw look at love during a time of great change, with the writer not afraid to tackle the pitfalls and challenges of love and life. Her characters are well-rounded and real, almost frighteningly so – you feel as if you might be reading a friend’s diary.
The plot, while unexpected, shocking and a real tear-jerker, is anchored in the most solid parts of reality. This is How it Ends is an absolutely brilliant read that you won’t want to put down.
