A Beautiful Loan
- 12 Mar 2026
- 9781837263103
- £18.99
- 224 pp
- 141×220mm
- 28 Jan 2027
- 9781837263165
- £10.99
- 224 pp
- 129×198mm
- 12 Mar 2026
- 9781837263110
- £15.99
- 224 pp
- 135×214mm
- 12 Mar 2026
- 9781837263134
- £15.19
- 224 pp
- 12 Mar 2026
- 9781837263158
- £20.99
- 6 hrs 58 min
In a few words
A heart-wrenching, sweeping new novel following a woman’s life and relationships from the winner of Irish Book of the Year
In a few words
From the acclaimed Irish author comes a heart-breaking and hopeful novel following a woman’s life and relationships, as well as her discovery of self.
In a few words
From one of the finest Irish writers today comes a heart-breaking and hopeful novel following a woman’s life and relationships, as well as her discovery of self.
In a few words
From one of the finest Irish writers today comes a heart-breaking and hopeful novel following a woman’s life and relationships, as well as her discovery of self.
In a few words
From one of the finest Irish writers today comes a heart-breaking and hopeful novel following a woman’s life and relationships, as well as her discovery of self.
Costello is one of Ireland's greatest writers . . . Her prose is precise and focused and, like a stiletto blade, sinks deep . . . This is a big book in a small package, about one woman's growth
John Self
Financial TimesA Beautiful Loan is a beautiful novel; Mary Costello guides her reader through a cloud of emotional turmoil in fine, controlled sentences. We must hope it delivers her the belated recognition she so richly deserves
Lucy Thynne
Times Literary Supplement[A] deeply humane novel that lingers long after the final page
There is no greater chronicler of the inner life
Michael Amherst
GuardianCostello is one of Ireland's greatest writers . . . Her prose is precise and focused and, like a stiletto blade, sinks deep . . . This is a big book in a small package, about one woman's growth
John Self
Financial TimesA Beautiful Loan is a beautiful novel; Mary Costello guides her reader through a cloud of emotional turmoil in fine, controlled sentences. We must hope it delivers her the belated recognition she so richly deserves
Lucy Thynne
Times Literary SupplementCostello is one of Ireland's greatest writers . . . Her prose is precise and focused and, like a stiletto blade, sinks deep . . . This is a big book in a small package, about one woman's growth
John Self
Financial TimesA Beautiful Loan is a beautiful novel; Mary Costello guides her reader through a cloud of emotional turmoil in fine, controlled sentences. We must hope it delivers her the belated recognition she so richly deserves
Lucy Thynne
Times Literary SupplementCostello is one of Ireland's greatest writers . . . Her prose is precise and focused and, like a stiletto blade, sinks deep . . . This is a big book in a small package, about one woman's growth
John Self
Financial TimesA Beautiful Loan is a beautiful novel; Mary Costello guides her reader through a cloud of emotional turmoil in fine, controlled sentences. We must hope it delivers her the belated recognition she so richly deserves
Lucy Thynne
Times Literary SupplementMore about
the book
A NEW YORKER BEST BOOK OF 2026 SO FAR
My name is Anna, and for some time now, I have been trying to account for certain events in my life – my adult life, that is – which, from this vantage point of forty-five years, I often find baffling . . .
In 1985 Dublin, nineteen-year-old Anna Hughes is in thrall to Peter Gallagher, an older, worldly man. Anna is introverted and naïve, and Peter’s experience, wide circle of friends and thirst for adventure captivate her. Her obsessive longing for him leads to marriage and, eventually, a crushing betrayal.
As Anna’s life becomes less predictable, she uncovers deeper layers of herself. Her journey gives an intimate portrait of a woman embracing herself as she is, claiming the life she yearns for.
More about
the book
Dublin, 1985. Nineteen-year-old Anna Hughes falls hard for Peter Gallagher – older, worldly, irresistible. Their marriage seems inevitable. So does its betrayal.
What follows is an intimate portrait of a woman forced to reckon with who she is and what she truly wants.
More about
the book
My name is Anna, and for some time now, I have been trying to account for certain events in my life – my adult life, that is – which, from this vantage point of forty-five years, I often find baffling . . .
In 1985 Dublin, nineteen-year-old Anna Hughes is in thrall to Peter Gallagher, an older, worldly man. Anna is new to the city, introverted and naïve, and Peter’s experience, wide circle of friends and thirst for adventure captivate her. Her obsessive longing for him leads to marriage and, eventually, a crushing betrayal.
As Anna’s life becomes less predictable, she uncovers deeper layers of herself. Her journey gives an intimate portrait of a woman embracing herself as she is, and claiming the life she yearns for.
More about
the book
My name is Anna, and for some time now, I have been trying to account for certain events in my life – my adult life, that is – which, from this vantage point of forty-five years, I often find baffling . . .
In 1985 Dublin, nineteen-year-old Anna Hughes is in thrall to Peter Gallagher, an older, worldly man. Anna is new to the city, introverted and naïve, and Peter’s experience, wide circle of friends and thirst for adventure captivate her. Her obsessive longing for him leads to marriage and, eventually, a crushing betrayal.
As Anna’s life becomes less predictable, she uncovers deeper layers of herself. Her journey gives an intimate portrait of a woman embracing herself as she is, and claiming the life she yearns for.
More about
the book
A NEW YORKER BEST BOOK OF 2026 SO FAR
My name is Anna, and for some time now, I have been trying to account for certain events in my life – my adult life, that is – which, from this vantage point of forty-five years, I often find baffling . . .
In 1985 Dublin, nineteen-year-old Anna Hughes is in thrall to Peter Gallagher, an older, worldly man. Anna is introverted and naïve, and Peter’s experience, wide circle of friends and thirst for adventure captivate her. Her obsessive longing for him leads to marriage and, eventually, a crushing betrayal.
As Anna’s life becomes less predictable, she uncovers deeper layers of herself. Her journey gives an intimate portrait of a woman embracing herself as she is, claiming the life she yearns for.
Many authors describe the writer’s principal duty as one of attention: to the world around us, in all its beauty and ugliness. In a sense, this is also a moral act. Costello does this in all her work. That we as readers might be surprised by the significance and profundity she renders to each and every life is a measure of her depth of attention, and perhaps why there is no greater chronicler of the inner life at this moment. As artificial intelligence and big tech force an increasingly diminished definition upon us of what it means to be human, this novel reminds us that we are so much more
Michael Amherst
GuardianA Beautiful Loan is a quietly devastating psychological novel about a woman’s search for love, meaning and selfhood. . . . Told in Anna’s first-person voice and in the present tense, the novel offers an intimate portrait of her inner and outer worlds. On the surface, all seems calm as she recounts her journey from circumspect young teacher to mature woman, yet an undercurrent of unease runs throughout, bubbling up in unsettling moments of insight that give the writing subtle intensity
A Beautiful Loan is one of the most beautiful and original novels I have read in years. Mary Costello is an extraordinary talent, possessing a gift for capturing characters with smart intricacy. Anna's inner life is so richly rendered that the emotional intensity of the book felt very visceral; an intimate portrait of an Irish woman's journey delivered with refined power
Elaine Feeney
Yet another triumph in Costello’s illustrious career, [which] will hopefully bring her the plaudits that she so richly and fully deserves
True, pure, profound
Claire Messud
One of Ireland's greatest writers . . . Precise and focused and, like a stiletto blade, sinks deep . . . This is a big book in a small package, about one woman's growth
John Self
Financial TimesA beautiful novel
Costello is one of Ireland's greatest writers . . . Her prose is precise and focused and, like a stiletto blade, sinks deep . . . This is a big book in a small package, about one woman's growth
John Self
Financial TimesMany authors describe the writer’s principal duty as one of attention: to the world around us, in all its beauty and ugliness. In a sense, this is also a moral act. Costello does this in all her work. That we as readers might be surprised by the significance and profundity she renders to each and every life is a measure of her depth of attention, and perhaps why there is no greater chronicler of the inner life at this moment. As artificial intelligence and big tech force an increasingly diminished definition upon us of what it means to be human, this novel reminds us that we are so much more
Michael Amherst
GuardianA Beautiful Loan is a quietly devastating psychological novel about a woman’s search for love, meaning and selfhood. . . . Told in Anna’s first-person voice and in the present tense, the novel offers an intimate portrait of her inner and outer worlds. On the surface, all seems calm as she recounts her journey from circumspect young teacher to mature woman, yet an undercurrent of unease runs throughout, bubbling up in unsettling moments of insight that give the writing subtle intensity
A Beautiful Loan is one of the most beautiful and original novels I have read in years. Mary Costello is an extraordinary talent, possessing a gift for capturing characters with smart intricacy. Anna's inner life is so richly rendered that the emotional intensity of the book felt very visceral; an intimate portrait of an Irish woman's journey delivered with refined power
Elaine Feeney
Yet another triumph in Costello’s illustrious career, [which] will hopefully bring her the plaudits that she so richly and fully deserves
Many authors describe the writer’s principal duty as one of attention: to the world around us, in all its beauty and ugliness. In a sense, this is also a moral act. Costello does this in all her work. That we as readers might be surprised by the significance and profundity she renders to each and every life is a measure of her depth of attention, and perhaps why there is no greater chronicler of the inner life at this moment. As artificial intelligence and big tech force an increasingly diminished definition upon us of what it means to be human, this novel reminds us that we are so much more
Michael Amherst
GuardianA Beautiful Loan is a quietly devastating psychological novel about a woman’s search for love, meaning and selfhood. . . . Told in Anna’s first-person voice and in the present tense, the novel offers an intimate portrait of her inner and outer worlds. On the surface, all seems calm as she recounts her journey from circumspect young teacher to mature woman, yet an undercurrent of unease runs throughout, bubbling up in unsettling moments of insight that give the writing subtle intensity
A Beautiful Loan is one of the most beautiful and original novels I have read in years. Mary Costello is an extraordinary talent, possessing a gift for capturing characters with smart intricacy. Anna's inner life is so richly rendered that the emotional intensity of the book felt very visceral; an intimate portrait of an Irish woman's journey delivered with refined power
Elaine Feeney
Yet another triumph in Costello’s illustrious career, [which] will hopefully bring her the plaudits that she so richly and fully deserves
Many authors describe the writer’s principal duty as one of attention: to the world around us, in all its beauty and ugliness. In a sense, this is also a moral act. Costello does this in all her work. That we as readers might be surprised by the significance and profundity she renders to each and every life is a measure of her depth of attention, and perhaps why there is no greater chronicler of the inner life at this moment. As artificial intelligence and big tech force an increasingly diminished definition upon us of what it means to be human, this novel reminds us that we are so much more
Michael Amherst
GuardianA Beautiful Loan is a quietly devastating psychological novel about a woman’s search for love, meaning and selfhood. . . . Told in Anna’s first-person voice and in the present tense, the novel offers an intimate portrait of her inner and outer worlds. On the surface, all seems calm as she recounts her journey from circumspect young teacher to mature woman, yet an undercurrent of unease runs throughout, bubbling up in unsettling moments of insight that give the writing subtle intensity
A Beautiful Loan is one of the most beautiful and original novels I have read in years. Mary Costello is an extraordinary talent, possessing a gift for capturing characters with smart intricacy. Anna's inner life is so richly rendered that the emotional intensity of the book felt very visceral; an intimate portrait of an Irish woman's journey delivered with refined power
Elaine Feeney
Yet another triumph in Costello’s illustrious career, [which] will hopefully bring her the plaudits that she so richly and fully deserves
Mary Costello
View profileMary Costello lives in Galway. Her short story collection, The China Factory (2012), was nominated for the Guardian First Book Award and shortlisted for an Irish Book Award. Her first novel, Academy Street (2014), won the Irish Novel of the Year Award at the Irish Book Awards and was named overall Irish Book of the Year. It was serialised on BBC Radio 4’s Book at Bedtime and was shortlisted for the International Dublin Literary Award, the Costa First Novel Prize, the EU Prize for Literature and the Prix Littéraire des Ambassadeurs de la Francophonie en Irlande, and has been translated into several languages. Her critically acclaimed second novel, The River Capture (2019) was shortlisted for the Irish Book Awards, the Kerry Novel of the Year and the Dalkey Novel Award. Her second short story collection, Barcelona (2024) was an Irish Times Bestseller.
Mary Costello
View profileMary Costello lives in Galway. Her short story collection, The China Factory (2012), was nominated for the Guardian First Book Award and shortlisted for an Irish Book Award. Her first novel, Academy Street (2014), won the Irish Novel of the Year Award at the Irish Book Awards and was named overall Irish Book of the Year. It was serialised on BBC Radio 4’s Book at Bedtime and was shortlisted for the International Dublin Literary Award, the Costa First Novel Prize, the EU Prize for Literature and the Prix Littéraire des Ambassadeurs de la Francophonie en Irlande, and has been translated into several languages. Her critically acclaimed second novel, The River Capture (2019) was shortlisted for the Irish Book Awards, the Kerry Novel of the Year and the Dalkey Novel Award. Her second short story collection, Barcelona (2024) was an Irish Times Bestseller.
Mary Costello
View profileMary Costello lives in Galway. Her short story collection, The China Factory (2012), was nominated for the Guardian First Book Award and shortlisted for an Irish Book Award. Her first novel, Academy Street (2014), won the Irish Novel of the Year Award at the Irish Book Awards and was named overall Irish Book of the Year. It was serialised on BBC Radio 4’s Book at Bedtime and was shortlisted for the International Dublin Literary Award, the Costa First Novel Prize, the EU Prize for Literature and the Prix Littéraire des Ambassadeurs de la Francophonie en Irlande, and has been translated into several languages. Her critically acclaimed second novel, The River Capture (2019) was shortlisted for the Irish Book Awards, the Kerry Novel of the Year and the Dalkey Novel Award. Her second short story collection, Barcelona (2024) was an Irish Times Bestseller.
Mary Costello
View profileMary Costello lives in Galway. Her short story collection, The China Factory (2012), was nominated for the Guardian First Book Award and shortlisted for an Irish Book Award. Her first novel, Academy Street (2014), won the Irish Novel of the Year Award at the Irish Book Awards and was named overall Irish Book of the Year. It was serialised on BBC Radio 4’s Book at Bedtime and was shortlisted for the International Dublin Literary Award, the Costa First Novel Prize, the EU Prize for Literature and the Prix Littéraire des Ambassadeurs de la Francophonie en Irlande, and has been translated into several languages. Her critically acclaimed second novel, The River Capture (2019) was shortlisted for the Irish Book Awards, the Kerry Novel of the Year and the Dalkey Novel Award. Her second short story collection, Barcelona (2024) was an Irish Times Bestseller.
Mary Costello
View profileMary Costello lives in Galway. Her short story collection, The China Factory (2012), was nominated for the Guardian First Book Award and shortlisted for an Irish Book Award. Her first novel, Academy Street (2014), won the Irish Novel of the Year Award at the Irish Book Awards and was named overall Irish Book of the Year. It was serialised on BBC Radio 4’s Book at Bedtime and was shortlisted for the International Dublin Literary Award, the Costa First Novel Prize, the EU Prize for Literature and the Prix Littéraire des Ambassadeurs de la Francophonie en Irlande, and has been translated into several languages. Her critically acclaimed second novel, The River Capture (2019) was shortlisted for the Irish Book Awards, the Kerry Novel of the Year and the Dalkey Novel Award. Her second short story collection, Barcelona (2024) was an Irish Times Bestseller.
