Louise Kennedy joins Tom’s Book Club to talk about her new novel, Stations, a powerful story of friendship, love, family and the long shadows cast by the choices we make when we are young.
Set between Ireland in the 1980s and London, Stations follows Róisín McCaffrey, a teenage girl who becomes fascinated by Red, a sharp, intelligent and troubled boy who quickly becomes her closest friend. When Red leaves Ireland for London, Róisín eventually follows him, finding herself drawn into a complicated relationship that will continue to shape both their lives for decades.
In this conversation, Louise Kennedy discusses where Stations came from, the return of Róisín - who first appeared in her short story Belladonna - and the challenge of writing characters whose lives unfold over many years. She talks about adolescence, the importance of London to the novel, and how memories from her own life found their way into the story.
Louise also reflects on family relationships, writing across different periods of a character’s life, and her journey from a nearly 30-year career as a chef to becoming an award-winning novelist.
Louise Kennedy is the author of Trespasses, which won the British Book Award for Debut Fiction, and was shortlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction. Her short-story collection, The End of the World Is a Cul de Sac, won the John McGahern Prize.
","author_name":"Thomas Watters"}