Himself by Jess Kidd will be featured on the Radio 2 Book Club on Monday 12 December.
The book was selected with the help of a panel made up of brilliant library staff from across the UK.
We have an exclusive extract available for you to read as well as a discussion guide for your reading group.
WIN 10 copies of Himself for your reading group when you visit our Noticeboard!
Himself
When Mahony returns to Mulderrig, a speck of a place on Ireland’s west coast, he brings only a photograph of his long-lost mother and a determination to do battle with the lies of his past.
No one – living or dead – will tell Mahony what happened to the teenage mother who abandoned him as a baby, despite his certainty that more than one of the villagers knows the sinister truth.
Between Mulderrig’s sly priest, its pitiless nurse and the caustic elderly actress throwing herself into her final village play, this beautiful and darkly comic debut novel creates an unforgettable world of mystery, bloody violence and buried secrets.
Selection panel review
Our library reading panel loved Himself – here are some of their comments:
“This was…fantastic! Completely original, mysterious and chilling. It is weird in a good way and unforgettable. It has you grinning and then it has you gripped and tense. A rollercoaster of a read and I thoroughly enjoyed it and think that anyone could pick this up and have something unique and different to take from it. Honestly…I felt exhausted after this book, I love the psychological feel to it, the ghostly goings on, if that’s not enough for the reader then the strong thriller element to the book certainly will be. I loved the small community feel to the book and it was almost chaotic, which added that bit of humour to the book. If you want adventure, hilarity and a good deal of suspense then without a doubt this is the book for you!!"
“I loved this book from the start. The author’s voice shone through so well that I was reading it all in an Irish accent, not just the character voices! And what’s not to love about an Irish accent?! I was slightly put off when I realised the main character, Mahony, could see dead people but that’s because I am an enormous wuss when it comes to ghosts! Actually the ghosts in this story are all harmless and even occasionally very funny so you become as attached to them as you do the main characters. The main plot of the book is the story of Mahony looking to find what happened to his mother, as he was brought up in a Catholic orphanage. There then unfolds a thriller as he and his new found friends get closer to the truth, with a really quite tense end. This was a really good read that I found difficult to put down. Loved it.”
About the author
Jess Kidd completed her first degree in Literature with The Open University, and has since taught creative writing, gained a PhD in Creative Writing Studies and has aspirations to teach writing in the prison service. She has also worked as a support worker specialising in acquired brain injury, a PA to a Rector, and an emergency Christmas lunch stand-in cook at a local community centre.
Jess was brought up in London as part of a large family from Mayo, and plans to settle somewhere along the west coast of Ireland in the next few years. Until then, she lives in London with her daughter.
A word from Jess
“I am delighted that Himself has been selected for the BBC Radio 2 Book Club. As a debut writer I’m thrilled to be in the company of such a diverse range of authors writing in very different genres. As a book lover I know the immense value of reading collaboratively, of exchanging recommendations and nudging each other into uncharted territories. Of picking up a book I have never dreamt of reading and finding I wouldn’t dream of putting it down. Book groups offer time and space for great debates, they unearth new voices and spark new passions. Supported by local libraries, coordinated by dedicated booklovers, these groups foster generations of readers and friends. The Radio 2 Book Club also promotes that vital exchange between writers and readers, giving both the opportunity to really explore the work. Books have an amazing capacity to bring people together, to set them on journeys, frequently unexpected, often wonderful and occasionally life-changing – I feel honoured to be a part of that.”
Get involved
Tune in to Simon Mayo’s Drivetime show on Monday 12 December to hear a live interview with Jess Kidd talking about her book.
Have you read Himself? You can share your thoughts with us on Twitter or follow author Jess Kidd. You can take a look at what other readers thought, or add it to your reading list.
Want to find out more? Take a look at the Radio 2 Book Club Twitter feed or find out more on the Radio 2 Book Club website.
