THIS IS HOW
'A novel of extraordinary power' the Guardian
When his fiancée breaks off their engagement, Patrick Oxtoby leaves home and moves to a boarding house in a seaside town. But in spite of his hopes and determination to build a better life, nothing goes to plan and Patrick is soon driven to take a desperate and chilling course of action.
This is How is a mesmerising and meticulously drawn portrait of a man whose unease in the world leads to his tragic undoing. Written with breathtaking wisdom and an astute insight into the human mind, M.J. Hyland's new book is a masterpiece that inspires horror and sympathy in equal measure.
'Unflinching, absorbing, morally complex...an eerie, commanding book...a novel about crime but not a crime novel...thrilling, moving and compassionate'
New York Times
'An expertly paced, gripping novel that doesn't falter and never compromises its emotional truth' the Times
"An expertly paced, gripping novel that doesn't falter and never compromises its emotional truth" The Times
"An eerie, commanding book... thrilling, moving and compassionate" New York Times
"A complete original... She aims straight for the truth and the heart" Hilary Mantel
"Remarkable for its authenticity... there are moments of extreme tenderness that bring tears to your eyes" Irish Mail
"MJ Hyland is an expert anatomist of the bruises left on a fragile mind by a hard world" Daily Telegraph
"A wise and truthful novel" Irish Times
"Her finest novel yet... Pinteresque, dissolving into Kafka, becoming Hyland unalloyed" Age
This Is How has been published in the UK and Commonwealth, France, Italy, Netherlands, Germany, Sweden, Czech Republic, Canada, and the US.
HOW THE LIGHT GETS IN
'The best book I've read this year... Brilliantly written' Scotland on Sunday
Louise Connor, a precocious and unhappy sixteen year-old is offered a place as an exchange student in the USA, something that she hopes will take her far away from her bleak life of poverty in Sydney, Australia. But not long after she moves in with her host-family, the Hardings - who live in a pre-fabricated mansion in a nameless Chicago suburb - Lou's acute need for acceptance and love runs up against the Harding's suffocating pursuit of a particular form of suburban perfection.
How The Light Gets In is a cleverly observed, complex portrait of a girl on the verge of adulthood whose world - like Holden Caulfield's before her - is full of mixed-messages.
'Hyland is a talented writer grappling with serious questions about how we make our way through the world' New York Times
'Expect to be blown away' the Guardian
'Expect to be blown away by MJ Hyland' The Guardian
'Lou is a heartbreaking and compelling creation' The Observer
"A complete original... She aims straight for the truth and the heart" Hilary Mantel
'A brilliant capturing of a child on the frightening brink of adulthood' Sunday Telegraph
'Hyland's writing is impressively stylish and evocative. Her narrative is like a sequence of dazzling flares that hang in the sky' Big Issue
'Lou Connor promises to be as enduring as the gifted, tormented protagonists of The Bell Jar or Catcher in the Rye' Canadian National Post
'An edgy female Holden Caulfield... a story with grit and heart from an intelligent, perspicacious writer to watch' Kirkus Reviews
How the Light Gets In has been published in the UK and Commonwealth, France, Italy, Netherlands, Israel, Germany, Spain, Russia, Canada, and the US.
CARRY ME DOWN
Shortlisted for the MAN Booker Prize 2006
'This is writing of the highest order' J.M. Coetzee
John Egan is a misfit - "a twelve year old in the body of a grown man with the voice of a giant" - who diligently keeps a "log of lies." John's been able to detect lies for as long as he can remember. It's a source of power but also great consternation for a boy so young. With an obsession for the Guinness Book of Records, a keenly inquisitive mind, and a kind of faith, John remains hopeful despite the unfavorable cards life deals him.
This is one year in a boy's life. On the cusp of adolescence, from his changing voice and body to his parents' difficult travails and the near collapse of his sanity, John is like a tuning fork sensitive to the vibrations within himself and the trouble that this creates for him and his family.
''Carry Me Down is uncompromising, unputdownable and done with expert lightness. It's a work of discreet brilliance. M.J. Hyland is a truly gifted writer.''
Ali Smith
'I don't think I've ever read such a true book' Hilary Mantel
'Profoundly affecting... Hyland is indeed a rare talent' Sydney Morning Herald
'Unique as well as unforgettable... Courageous and deeply unsettling' Sunday Business Post
"A complete original... She aims straight for the truth and the heart" Hilary Mantel
'...a work of discreet brilliance' Ali Smith
'Its ripples feed the seismic flow of what is an unputdownable read' The Scotsman
'Like Angela Carter, MJ Hyland manages to convey a sense of horror even when she describes everyday life' New Statesman
'...an unsentimental and sometimes astonishing journey into a damaged life' Dallas Morning News
Carry Me Down has been published in the UK and Commonwealth, Sweden, Spain, Netherlands, Germany, France, Indonesia, Italy, Israel, China, Portugal, Romania, Brazil, Greece, Ukraine, Taiwan, India, Canada, and the US.