A Radiant Life

Writings from the #1 New York Times–bestselling author of Are You Somebody?, on topics from Catholicism to feminism to Irish American culture, and more.

Curious and funny, tender and scathing, Nuala O'Faolain's columns in the Irish Times were never less than trenchant and always passionate. Through the prism of casual, everyday encounters, O'Faolain digs into her subjects in ways that transcend topicality. Taken together, her years of commentary form a historical narrative, a chronicle of Ireland's transformation by one of its sharpest observers and canniest critics.

Covering a vast array of subjects, A Radiant Life includes more than seventy entries, showcasing the unequivocal voice of Nuala O'Faolain, hailed by Irish Times literary editor Fintan O'Toole as "one of the greatest columnists to ever inhabit the English language."

"O'Faolain . . . writes with such precision and individuality that she could make the copy on the back of a cornflakes packet compelling." —The Guardian on Almost There