About Us by Sinead Moriarty (Audiobook)

 

Three couples are all facing a crossroads in their relationship. Through the help and support of a counselor, they hope to save those relationships.

Sinead Moriarty is a new author to me. Since I usually listen to audiobooks while I'm doing something else I opt for ones I don't have to concentrate on too much and About Us sounded like a perfect fit.

The author takes time to allow us to get to know all of the characters involved in the story, by the time they get to their first session with the counselor it feels as if you've known them for years. The first couple we meet are Ann and Ken, an elderly couple. With their children having left home Ann feels unfulfilled. She has a young outlook on life and wants to try new experiences, particularly travel. Unfortunately, all her husband wants to do is settle down in front of the TV. He believes retirement is for relaxing and doing nothing, literally.

Next up is Alice and Niall, a couple approaching middle age. Niall is a lawyer and Alice is a stay-at-home Mum to four precocious children. Constantly tired and starved of adult conversation Alice doesn't feel attractive anymore which means that the spark has gone out of their relationship. 

The final couple initially starts as a young single woman, a primary school teacher, who is attracted to the divorced father of one of her class. Orla is reluctant to get close to anyone, her childhood upbringing has resulted in her having intimacy issues. 

The introduction of the counselor really shines a light on the issues each couple is having. Some of the individuals are reluctant to share intimate information with a stranger, others are in denial. The author must have done a considerable amount of research in preparation for writing this novel as the advice offered came across as genuine, and some of it was very informative. As each individual aired their concerns I was willing them on, wishing them to resolve the issues in each relationship.

Author Details

Sinéad Moriarty's novels have sold over 900,000 copies in Ireland and the UK. Her novel The Way We Were won the Irish Book Award for popular fiction in 2015. She won a second IBA for her first YA novel, The New Girl, in 2021. Sinéad lives in her native Dublin with her husband and their three children.