What do you think?
Rate this book
The Amendments
Delving into the lives of three generations of women, The Amendments is an extraordinary novel about love and freedom, belonging and rebellion – and about how our past is a vital presence which sits alongside us.Nell and her partner Adrienne are about to have a baby. For Adrienne, it’s the start of a new life. For Nell, it’s the reason the two of them are sitting in a therapist’s office. Because she can’t go into this without dealing with the that she has been a mother before, and now she can hardly bring herself to speak to her own mother, let alone return home to Ireland.Nell is running out of places to hide from her past.But to Ireland and the past is where she must go, and that is where The Amendments takes to the heat of Nell’s teenage years in the early 2000s, as Ireland was unpicking itself from its faith and embracing the hedonism of the Celtic Tiger. To 1983, when Nell’s mother Dolores was grappling with the tensions of the women’s rights movement. And then to the farms and suburbs and towns that made and unmade the lives at the centre of this story, bound together by the terrible secret that Nell still cannot face.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published April 18, 2024
151 people are currently reading
5210 people want to read
About the author
Niamh Mulvey
2 books46 followersNiamh Mulvey is from Kilkenny, Ireland, and is now based in South London. Her short fiction has been published in The Stinging Fly, Banshee and Southword and has been shortlisted for the Seán O’Faoláin Prize for Short Fiction 2020.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 178 reviews
March 29, 2025
I initially picked this book up because it was Waterstones ‘Irish book of the month’ and I always like to read their recommendations. When I realised what it was about, I was all the more excited to see what Niamh had to say about a very sensitive topic. And furthermore, as I began reading, I found it hard to believe that it was Niamh Mulvey’s debut novel given the quality of her writing.
‘Now that she knew what life was - love - she realised she had also known the total absence of love which was to say, death, a kind of living death. She felt she had spent a long time, not really living at all without realising it.’
🌟🌟🌟🌟
The amendments is an incredibly intimate and compelling novel about love, religion, freedom, rebellion and woman’s rights throughout the past 3 decades. Furthermore, it demonstrates how important a role our past plays on our present.
The story begins as Nell and, her partner, Adrienne are about to have a baby. For Adrienne, it's the beginning of a new life. For Nell, it's the reason the two of them are sitting in a therapist's office. Sitting there for the first time, the therapist exposes a hidden truth: Nell has been pregnant before…
This book bravely and boldly depicts the challenges Ireland has faced, and continues to face, regarding the topic and legalities of abortion. Niamh delves into the lives of 3 generations of women and their own intricate feelings and experiences with coming of age.
Niamh further explores Nell’s ties to Ireland and why she has tried so hard to escape. But Ireland is calling and she must go…
This novel takes us back and forth in time. Exposing more and more hidden secrets along the way. It thoroughly unpicks what it means to grow up in Ireland; faith, religion, coming of age, family bonds and unspoken language.
Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book. It was informative and entertaining at the same time. There was so much tenderness in the narrative of the story and the characters were complex and incredibly relatable. It truly cuts right to the heart of the lives of many and the ending is extremely touching 🥰
‘She hadn’t quite realised what a beautiful story it was…’
🌟🌟🌟🌟
‘Now that she knew what life was - love - she realised she had also known the total absence of love which was to say, death, a kind of living death. She felt she had spent a long time, not really living at all without realising it.’
🌟🌟🌟🌟
The amendments is an incredibly intimate and compelling novel about love, religion, freedom, rebellion and woman’s rights throughout the past 3 decades. Furthermore, it demonstrates how important a role our past plays on our present.
The story begins as Nell and, her partner, Adrienne are about to have a baby. For Adrienne, it's the beginning of a new life. For Nell, it's the reason the two of them are sitting in a therapist's office. Sitting there for the first time, the therapist exposes a hidden truth: Nell has been pregnant before…
This book bravely and boldly depicts the challenges Ireland has faced, and continues to face, regarding the topic and legalities of abortion. Niamh delves into the lives of 3 generations of women and their own intricate feelings and experiences with coming of age.
Niamh further explores Nell’s ties to Ireland and why she has tried so hard to escape. But Ireland is calling and she must go…
This novel takes us back and forth in time. Exposing more and more hidden secrets along the way. It thoroughly unpicks what it means to grow up in Ireland; faith, religion, coming of age, family bonds and unspoken language.
Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book. It was informative and entertaining at the same time. There was so much tenderness in the narrative of the story and the characters were complex and incredibly relatable. It truly cuts right to the heart of the lives of many and the ending is extremely touching 🥰
‘She hadn’t quite realised what a beautiful story it was…’
🌟🌟🌟🌟
April 21, 2024
Niamh Mulvey's debut novel, the follow-up to her short story collection Hearts and Bones, was published this week and I was captivated by it. I've read a few mixed reviews, with those who didn't love it mainly feeling there are too many characters and it didn't flow well for them. Personally, I loved this book and found it captured Ireland's complicated relationship with Catholicism better than I've seen it written anywhere else, bar perhaps Fintan O'Toole's We Don't Know Ourselves.
The Amendments is a multi-generational literary pageturner, based around Nell and her mother Dolores, and Martina, a woman who Nell came to know as a teenager through her involvement in a shady Catholic organisation referred to as La Obra de los Hogarenos (the Work of the Homemakers), a movement that appeared to me to be inspired by or loosely based on Opus Dei (a sect made up primarily of lay people within the Catholic Church having its origins in Spain but having a significant presence in Ireland). Nell becomes involved in La Obra during her vulnerable teenage years, leaving an imprint on her life forever.
When the book opens, Nell is on the cusp of having a baby with her partner Adrienne, but she has an unspeakable secret that she has carried within her for years. As we delve into Nell's past, we hear the story of her mother Dolores' life, both their lives inextricably tied up with Ireland's conservative Catholic past (The Amendments is a reference to the 8th Amendment of 1983, which enshrined the right to life of the unborn in Ireland's constitution, and the repeal of the 8th Amendment in 2018 when Ireland finally paved the way for the introduction of abortion rights for women).
The story moves around in time and place, from the 1980s to the present day, and it paints a picture of an Ireland that failed women so badly for so long. What Mulvey really nails is Ireland's blatant hypocrisy when it comes to religion. She captures the truism that still applies today: everyone knows it's a ruse, but everyone is going along with it anyway. The following quote really resonated with me:
"She [Nell] was learning that to do well in this life meant you had to become proficient in managing what things you really believed in and what things you only pretended to believe in. And she also knew that you had to pretend to believe in such a way that made it clear the belief was only a pretence; to be thought earnest about something you were only supposed to pretend to be earnest about - this could lead to social ruin."
Mulvey writes with a dry humour ("for a supposedly religious country, most people could not cope with any kind of religious talk at all" and "it was his tragedy that he had not been born two generations earlier and thus able to demonstrate his love for his country by dying for it") and an ability to convey societal shifts through the subtleties of relationships and lives lived. She writes her characters with empathy and nuance; I found myself welling up with tears several times while reading and my heart hurt for Nell and for Martina.
The Amendments is a novel that will speak to people who grew up in Ireland in the 1980s and 90s, and maybe spent a period of time abroad. I can imagine it being read and discussed by book clubs around the country - there is much to dissect. Ireland has changed so much, and yet it still feels that we have some way to go. A brilliant and compelling read that I inhaled in a day. 5/5 ⭐️
*Many thanks to Pan Macmillan and Picador for the arc via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review. The Amendments is available now.
The Amendments is a multi-generational literary pageturner, based around Nell and her mother Dolores, and Martina, a woman who Nell came to know as a teenager through her involvement in a shady Catholic organisation referred to as La Obra de los Hogarenos (the Work of the Homemakers), a movement that appeared to me to be inspired by or loosely based on Opus Dei (a sect made up primarily of lay people within the Catholic Church having its origins in Spain but having a significant presence in Ireland). Nell becomes involved in La Obra during her vulnerable teenage years, leaving an imprint on her life forever.
When the book opens, Nell is on the cusp of having a baby with her partner Adrienne, but she has an unspeakable secret that she has carried within her for years. As we delve into Nell's past, we hear the story of her mother Dolores' life, both their lives inextricably tied up with Ireland's conservative Catholic past (The Amendments is a reference to the 8th Amendment of 1983, which enshrined the right to life of the unborn in Ireland's constitution, and the repeal of the 8th Amendment in 2018 when Ireland finally paved the way for the introduction of abortion rights for women).
The story moves around in time and place, from the 1980s to the present day, and it paints a picture of an Ireland that failed women so badly for so long. What Mulvey really nails is Ireland's blatant hypocrisy when it comes to religion. She captures the truism that still applies today: everyone knows it's a ruse, but everyone is going along with it anyway. The following quote really resonated with me:
"She [Nell] was learning that to do well in this life meant you had to become proficient in managing what things you really believed in and what things you only pretended to believe in. And she also knew that you had to pretend to believe in such a way that made it clear the belief was only a pretence; to be thought earnest about something you were only supposed to pretend to be earnest about - this could lead to social ruin."
Mulvey writes with a dry humour ("for a supposedly religious country, most people could not cope with any kind of religious talk at all" and "it was his tragedy that he had not been born two generations earlier and thus able to demonstrate his love for his country by dying for it") and an ability to convey societal shifts through the subtleties of relationships and lives lived. She writes her characters with empathy and nuance; I found myself welling up with tears several times while reading and my heart hurt for Nell and for Martina.
The Amendments is a novel that will speak to people who grew up in Ireland in the 1980s and 90s, and maybe spent a period of time abroad. I can imagine it being read and discussed by book clubs around the country - there is much to dissect. Ireland has changed so much, and yet it still feels that we have some way to go. A brilliant and compelling read that I inhaled in a day. 5/5 ⭐️
*Many thanks to Pan Macmillan and Picador for the arc via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review. The Amendments is available now.
abandoned-dnf
July 24, 2025DNF @ 32%—By 32% I should be fairly involved, but each time I picked it up I had to rack my brain to even remember what the book was about! I'd say that's a clear sign it's not working, so out with the old, in with the new (book).
April 15, 2024
I have read quite a lot of fiction written by Irish women over the past few years and so much of it has been truly outstanding. As a result I was excited to have the opportunity to read and review this debut novel by Niamh Mulvey. The novel's title refers to changes in Irish abortion legislation (the Eighth Amendment of 1983 effectively banned abortion in the Republic of Ireland).
In the main the narrative shifts between Nell’s mum Delores' coming of age in 1980s Dublin on the fringe of Ireland’s emerging feminist movement and that of Nell herself, working as a chef in modern-day London with her partner Adrienne. Nell agrees to try for a baby with Adrienne, but after just two rounds of IVF Adrienne successfully becomes pregnant, which forces Nell to reluctantly confront inner demons from her teenage past.
As a young teen at the turn of the millennium, Nell becomes involved with the cult-like Catholic youth movement The Hermanos, where the narrative introduces us to youth leader Martina. It was this section of the story that didn't quite work for me, although I can see that it was a useful vehicle to introduce key elements such as Nell's first love and a character (Martina) who influences Nell's future pivotal decisions.
A heck of a lot of issues are tackled in this book, perhaps too many. It's also worth noting that some of these may prove triggering for readers (abortion, infant loss, rape, suicide, depression, alcoholism). I found the flitting narrative confusing at times and the novel lost me a bit in the middle.
I did feel a real strength of this book was the way Mulvey describes the inner psychology of her characters. Particularly the melancholic feeling of loneliness and disconnect experienced by Nell as a result of her guilt and residual trauma. It made for painfully insightful reading. I felt the story reached a satisfactory conclusion and the exposition of the secret Nell harbours through most of the book is well handled.
Would I read more by this author? Yes I would. I'm intrigued to see what Mulvey writes next.
With thanks to both Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for the ARC for this review.
In the main the narrative shifts between Nell’s mum Delores' coming of age in 1980s Dublin on the fringe of Ireland’s emerging feminist movement and that of Nell herself, working as a chef in modern-day London with her partner Adrienne. Nell agrees to try for a baby with Adrienne, but after just two rounds of IVF Adrienne successfully becomes pregnant, which forces Nell to reluctantly confront inner demons from her teenage past.
As a young teen at the turn of the millennium, Nell becomes involved with the cult-like Catholic youth movement The Hermanos, where the narrative introduces us to youth leader Martina. It was this section of the story that didn't quite work for me, although I can see that it was a useful vehicle to introduce key elements such as Nell's first love and a character (Martina) who influences Nell's future pivotal decisions.
A heck of a lot of issues are tackled in this book, perhaps too many. It's also worth noting that some of these may prove triggering for readers (abortion, infant loss, rape, suicide, depression, alcoholism). I found the flitting narrative confusing at times and the novel lost me a bit in the middle.
I did feel a real strength of this book was the way Mulvey describes the inner psychology of her characters. Particularly the melancholic feeling of loneliness and disconnect experienced by Nell as a result of her guilt and residual trauma. It made for painfully insightful reading. I felt the story reached a satisfactory conclusion and the exposition of the secret Nell harbours through most of the book is well handled.
Would I read more by this author? Yes I would. I'm intrigued to see what Mulvey writes next.
With thanks to both Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for the ARC for this review.
September 28, 2025
Precies een boek voor mij en ik vond het echt mooi
April 25, 2024
I appreciate books that tackle hard issues but not at the expense of story and I'm afraid that this is where this novel fell down for me. I kept wondering if the plot would develop but just kept getting bored with the shoehorned diatribes about women's rights, the Irish small town life and pro-life Vs abortion. All noble debates, but this novel just lacked enough story and provided too much of a platform for fragmented discussion. The start of this was really muddled with the shift in character perspective happening initially after quite a short time and then a long stretch with no return to Nell. I kept persevering but in the end DNFd at 23%.
This honest review is given with thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this book.
This honest review is given with thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this book.
July 1, 2025
There have not been many instances recently where i have felt this captivated by a book in the first few pages.
Nell makes you feel seen. She feels like a real person, who is, to put it simply, actually quite horrible. But something about how this book is written makes her so likable.
Edit: I still find myself thinking about this books weeks later. Can’t wait to read it again. It’s amazing.
Nell makes you feel seen. She feels like a real person, who is, to put it simply, actually quite horrible. But something about how this book is written makes her so likable.
Edit: I still find myself thinking about this books weeks later. Can’t wait to read it again. It’s amazing.
Read
May 30, 2024My goodness. Phenomenal.
December 26, 2024
3.5 ⭐️ I loved the settings (Ireland/London 1960-2018), how the plot moved through different characters and the writing—clean and well paced. However, I didn’t feel ‘drawn’ to keep reading - maybe because the structure/plot was a little muddled (a comment I later have seen in other reviews)? Or trying to cover too much? However, worthwhile if you’re interested in Ireland’s history, feminism, religion/cults, and abortion.
April 22, 2024
Absolutely loved this poignant debut novel. Beautifully written, real and complex characters. A book of our time . Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy
February 12, 2025
The Amendments by Niamh Mulvey has been on my TBR list for about a year so when I discovered it was on BookBeat I quickly downloaded it and started listening. This debut novel tracks the lives of Nell, her mother Dolores and her grandmother Brigid as we travel in time between 1970s Ireland right up to 2018.
We meet Nell in a therapist’s room with her partner Adrienne, whom she is expecting her first baby with. This is a pivotal moment in Nell’s life and one that involves her exploring her traumatic past as well as her identity as a gay woman. We discover that as a teenager, Nell’s challenges to recognise her sexuality resulted in a pregnancy after a drunken fumble with a local boy.
Without giving too much away, the pregnancy ends in tragedy and we see how the impact of this on Nell growing up and then as an adult woman. The plot moves between Nell’s narrative and that of Dolores, who herself has been impacted by the changing landscape in Ireland.
I found the beginning of the book quite hard to follow but I think that was possibly from listening to it on audio rather than reading a physical copy of the book. The narration was wonderful and the book really started to find its way as it progressed. I’m a big fan of Irish fiction, predominantly by female writers, and I thought it was a beautiful and subtle look at Ireland’s history with the Catholic church and the lasting - and harmful - legacy this has had for women and girls.
If you have enjoyed novels such as Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan then I would definitely recommend this book. Mulvey’s exploration of motherhood, female identity, culture and the ties that bind us is beautifully done.
We meet Nell in a therapist’s room with her partner Adrienne, whom she is expecting her first baby with. This is a pivotal moment in Nell’s life and one that involves her exploring her traumatic past as well as her identity as a gay woman. We discover that as a teenager, Nell’s challenges to recognise her sexuality resulted in a pregnancy after a drunken fumble with a local boy.
Without giving too much away, the pregnancy ends in tragedy and we see how the impact of this on Nell growing up and then as an adult woman. The plot moves between Nell’s narrative and that of Dolores, who herself has been impacted by the changing landscape in Ireland.
I found the beginning of the book quite hard to follow but I think that was possibly from listening to it on audio rather than reading a physical copy of the book. The narration was wonderful and the book really started to find its way as it progressed. I’m a big fan of Irish fiction, predominantly by female writers, and I thought it was a beautiful and subtle look at Ireland’s history with the Catholic church and the lasting - and harmful - legacy this has had for women and girls.
If you have enjoyed novels such as Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan then I would definitely recommend this book. Mulvey’s exploration of motherhood, female identity, culture and the ties that bind us is beautifully done.
November 21, 2023
An overlong novel crammed with "issues" was my overwhelming feeling.
On the surface we follow, rather randomly, back and forth, three generations of Irish women with the backdrop of the abortion debate, the Church, homosexuality, teenage pregnancy, the Celtic Tiger, rebellion, small town living, depression, therapy, education...the list goes on.
For me, there was a nugget of a good book amongst all this but I found the writing one dimensional. It lacked the change of pace that dialogue brings so as went back and forth through the generations, there was no variation in "voice". Whilst the telling of these issues is new, the timbre, or lack of, made me feel swamped in endless description rather than investment in the characters.
Happily, we do not have the trope of Catholic priests. Instead we have The Hermanos, in this instance an international group of evangelising women who weaved their way through the entire story.
I thought that a fluid history of a nation through its small town women was a great foundation for a novel. I was disappointed because I wanted to love it more than I did.
With thanks to Pan Macmillan and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review ahead of publication
#TheAmendments #NetGalley
On the surface we follow, rather randomly, back and forth, three generations of Irish women with the backdrop of the abortion debate, the Church, homosexuality, teenage pregnancy, the Celtic Tiger, rebellion, small town living, depression, therapy, education...the list goes on.
For me, there was a nugget of a good book amongst all this but I found the writing one dimensional. It lacked the change of pace that dialogue brings so as went back and forth through the generations, there was no variation in "voice". Whilst the telling of these issues is new, the timbre, or lack of, made me feel swamped in endless description rather than investment in the characters.
Happily, we do not have the trope of Catholic priests. Instead we have The Hermanos, in this instance an international group of evangelising women who weaved their way through the entire story.
I thought that a fluid history of a nation through its small town women was a great foundation for a novel. I was disappointed because I wanted to love it more than I did.
With thanks to Pan Macmillan and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review ahead of publication
#TheAmendments #NetGalley
December 16, 2023
Lots of issues tackled here, and most of them done very well I felt.
The strongest part of the story for me was Nell, I felt I connected with her from the opening.
A book that gives plenty to think about in terms womens rights and progress.
The strongest part of the story for me was Nell, I felt I connected with her from the opening.
A book that gives plenty to think about in terms womens rights and progress.
August 17, 2025
Wauw. Dit was absoluut prachtig. Ik weet niet waar ik moet beginnen met uitleggen waarom, dus ik ga het denk ik maar niet proberen.
May 23, 2025
stayed up past bedtime to read it AND it made me cry so automatic five stars
June 11, 2024
I received this book from the publishers via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Set in dual timelines, The Amendments follows the experiences of Dolores and Nell - mother and daughter - as they grapple with what being an Irish woman means to them, bodily autonomy, faith and motherhood.
I thought this was a really thought-provoking and at times moving and powerful read and it’s one of the few novels I’ve seen tackle the topic of the Eight Amendment with such nuance, taking in so many different opinions while not declaring any as wrong and really understanding that it’s a topic that causes pain, confusion and really isn’t a black or white decision for a lot of people - especially in a country steeped in religion for so long.
We first meet Nell as we learn that her partner Adrienne is expecting a baby and it becomes clear that Nell is at therapy trying to face up to some issues and trauma she has held onto since she was a teenager. We also learn that as a teenager, Nell was involved in a religious group in her small town and was quite involved in a ‘sisterhood’ of faith.
We also follow Nell’s mother Dolores as a young woman in the 80s as she leaves the town to study in Dublin, and ends up falling in with some ‘women libbers’ who introduce Dolores to the idea of repealing the Eight Amendment and the many arguments there are around pro choice vs pro life.
Dolores and Nell are both complicated characters with so much hidden and forced down feelings between them that I just loved reading about them and their dynamic so much - as well as how they related to everyone around them. At first I wasn’t sure about the Hermanas as it does come across quite cult-y but I also understood how for a teenage Nell somewhere that fostered sisterhood like that could be something great.
Martina herself was also a sad character in the background of Nell’s story - almost a tragic figure and maybe I would have liked a bit more time with her.
CW abortion, miscarriage, suicide, stillbirth
Set in dual timelines, The Amendments follows the experiences of Dolores and Nell - mother and daughter - as they grapple with what being an Irish woman means to them, bodily autonomy, faith and motherhood.
I thought this was a really thought-provoking and at times moving and powerful read and it’s one of the few novels I’ve seen tackle the topic of the Eight Amendment with such nuance, taking in so many different opinions while not declaring any as wrong and really understanding that it’s a topic that causes pain, confusion and really isn’t a black or white decision for a lot of people - especially in a country steeped in religion for so long.
We first meet Nell as we learn that her partner Adrienne is expecting a baby and it becomes clear that Nell is at therapy trying to face up to some issues and trauma she has held onto since she was a teenager. We also learn that as a teenager, Nell was involved in a religious group in her small town and was quite involved in a ‘sisterhood’ of faith.
We also follow Nell’s mother Dolores as a young woman in the 80s as she leaves the town to study in Dublin, and ends up falling in with some ‘women libbers’ who introduce Dolores to the idea of repealing the Eight Amendment and the many arguments there are around pro choice vs pro life.
Dolores and Nell are both complicated characters with so much hidden and forced down feelings between them that I just loved reading about them and their dynamic so much - as well as how they related to everyone around them. At first I wasn’t sure about the Hermanas as it does come across quite cult-y but I also understood how for a teenage Nell somewhere that fostered sisterhood like that could be something great.
Martina herself was also a sad character in the background of Nell’s story - almost a tragic figure and maybe I would have liked a bit more time with her.
CW abortion, miscarriage, suicide, stillbirth
October 12, 2024
Reconciling with trauma, the past and forgiving oneself it’s a difficult thing for anyone to do. In this novel, we follow three different perspectives Nell, Dolores (Nell’s mother) and Martina throughout the years 1982-2018 in a non-linear timeline. Three different women and three different generations in Ireland following them navigate the women’s rights movement of that time.
First and foremost I should get this out of the way, I didn’t know anything about this book before reading it -other than it being Irish fiction and gay- and I really should’ve looked more into it because it has a lot of topics I’m not interested in reading which is 100% my bad and not any fault of the book.
This book is heavily religious and mostly about religious guilt/trauma -like that is the main theme in this novel same with Irish abortion rights, two things that aren’t really my jam -don’t get me wrong- I’m pro-choice and learning about Ireland is somewhat interesting but when picking up a novel that follows a lesbian character I just had different expectations.
About 40% of the novel follows Dolores‘s perspective/Martina’s perspective and I was BORED. Reading Martina’s chapters were a CHORE! Most of this book was exhausting to read. I aged like 20 years no joke.
*trigger warning discussing sa* Nell's chapters were the more entertaining parts of the book until reading about her -a lesbian forcing herself to have sex with a man and Martina’s sexual assault (on page mind you.) being right after.. was just too much sexual violence for the reader to endure. I was so uncomfortable I probably should’ve dnf’d. But I was still curious about Nell’s story so I pushed through till the end.
Maybe certain people will like this story and benefit from it but I don’t know if I did.
One of the positives for me was the writing -it was very eloquent and refreshing so I might attempt to read the author’s next work.
Thanks to Pan Macmillan and NetGalley for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
First and foremost I should get this out of the way, I didn’t know anything about this book before reading it -other than it being Irish fiction and gay- and I really should’ve looked more into it because it has a lot of topics I’m not interested in reading which is 100% my bad and not any fault of the book.
This book is heavily religious and mostly about religious guilt/trauma -like that is the main theme in this novel same with Irish abortion rights, two things that aren’t really my jam -don’t get me wrong- I’m pro-choice and learning about Ireland is somewhat interesting but when picking up a novel that follows a lesbian character I just had different expectations.
About 40% of the novel follows Dolores‘s perspective/Martina’s perspective and I was BORED. Reading Martina’s chapters were a CHORE! Most of this book was exhausting to read. I aged like 20 years no joke.
*trigger warning discussing sa* Nell's chapters were the more entertaining parts of the book until reading about her -a lesbian forcing herself to have sex with a man and Martina’s sexual assault (on page mind you.) being right after.. was just too much sexual violence for the reader to endure. I was so uncomfortable I probably should’ve dnf’d. But I was still curious about Nell’s story so I pushed through till the end.
Maybe certain people will like this story and benefit from it but I don’t know if I did.
One of the positives for me was the writing -it was very eloquent and refreshing so I might attempt to read the author’s next work.
Thanks to Pan Macmillan and NetGalley for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 30, 2024
You do NOT need to ask me twice to read a generational story about Irish women. The Amendments follows Nell, her mother Dolores, and, in part, Dolores’s mother Brigid.
Nell and her partner Adrienne are about to have a baby & are going to therapy to ~work things out~ and ~prepare~. Through this we go back to Nell’s teenage years and then back to Dolores’s youth & her relationship with her mother. These women are challenged and changed by how Ireland treats girls & women in society and their feelings come bubbling to the surface when, in each time period, a referendum is held.
The first 30 pages of this were pretty slow for me but it immediately picked up when we delved into Dolores’s story. I found this to be very moving and would say if you were involved in organising for Repeal, or even referendums before it, this will throw up some of the darker days. So proceed with a little caution!
An excellent debut.
*read via NetGalley
Nell and her partner Adrienne are about to have a baby & are going to therapy to ~work things out~ and ~prepare~. Through this we go back to Nell’s teenage years and then back to Dolores’s youth & her relationship with her mother. These women are challenged and changed by how Ireland treats girls & women in society and their feelings come bubbling to the surface when, in each time period, a referendum is held.
The first 30 pages of this were pretty slow for me but it immediately picked up when we delved into Dolores’s story. I found this to be very moving and would say if you were involved in organising for Repeal, or even referendums before it, this will throw up some of the darker days. So proceed with a little caution!
An excellent debut.
*read via NetGalley
December 31, 2023
incredible. lost me a little in the middle but the writing was beyond beautiful with such a good & important story at its heart.
June 4, 2025
I do so enjoy slice of life books.
June 5, 2025
Sadly very disappointing, as didn’t really get drawn in with any of the characters.
May 7, 2024
Niamh Mulvey's debut novel is a captivating, complex, gorgeously written multigenerational story, brilliantly capturing human emotions and feelings as well as Ireland's complicated relationship with conservative Catholicism.
The Amendments is a reference to the 8th Amendment of 1983, that gave the right to life of the fetus over the rights to life, health and privacy of women and girls. It was repealed by referendum in May 2018, the law only FINALLY allowing access to abortion in Ireland in 2019!
Niamh Mulvey has the talent of crafting characters with fascinating psychological depth. They all felt painfully realistic, flawed and nuanced - and that is, in my opinion, the strength of the book. Her writing is beyond beautiful, sharp and smart, and not a word was wasted.
The novel opens with Nell who is about to have a baby with her partner Adrienne, but Nell is keeping some painful and dreadful secrets since her childhood and teenage years in Ireland. She tries to hide, then to heal some buried traumas. Her story is deeply connected to the past of her mother, Dolores and the feminist movement, to the very conservative past of Ireland and some Catholic organisation, and to the Amendment of 1983.
I understand some of the mixed reviews as I also think that there maybe was too many characters or that the focus was changing too much in a way that felt a bit messy at times. I personally don’t think that the novel should have focused so much on Martina and her life, even if I understand why it did so. Maybe something made the story not flow a well as it should have. Maybe the book should have been twice as long, because of the scope of it all. Maybe it simply could have been edited better and would have been pretty perfect. I am still giving it five stars because it is a fantastic and engrossing debut. It was so good that, at times, it genuinely made me think about the masterpiece Crossroads by J. Franzen.
I read Niamh Mulvey's short story collection Hearts and Bones last year and I thought that it was also, just like The Amendments, an incredible read with rare emotional dept. I can’t wait to read what Niamh Mulvey will publish next!
TW: This novel was not a light read and I know that some people really want to know the trigger warnings before going into a book so here they are, but be aware that there might be some mild spoilers: abortion, emotional abuse, depression, rape, infant loss, suicide.
The Amendments is a reference to the 8th Amendment of 1983, that gave the right to life of the fetus over the rights to life, health and privacy of women and girls. It was repealed by referendum in May 2018, the law only FINALLY allowing access to abortion in Ireland in 2019!
Niamh Mulvey has the talent of crafting characters with fascinating psychological depth. They all felt painfully realistic, flawed and nuanced - and that is, in my opinion, the strength of the book. Her writing is beyond beautiful, sharp and smart, and not a word was wasted.
The novel opens with Nell who is about to have a baby with her partner Adrienne, but Nell is keeping some painful and dreadful secrets since her childhood and teenage years in Ireland. She tries to hide, then to heal some buried traumas. Her story is deeply connected to the past of her mother, Dolores and the feminist movement, to the very conservative past of Ireland and some Catholic organisation, and to the Amendment of 1983.
I understand some of the mixed reviews as I also think that there maybe was too many characters or that the focus was changing too much in a way that felt a bit messy at times. I personally don’t think that the novel should have focused so much on Martina and her life, even if I understand why it did so. Maybe something made the story not flow a well as it should have. Maybe the book should have been twice as long, because of the scope of it all. Maybe it simply could have been edited better and would have been pretty perfect. I am still giving it five stars because it is a fantastic and engrossing debut. It was so good that, at times, it genuinely made me think about the masterpiece Crossroads by J. Franzen.
I read Niamh Mulvey's short story collection Hearts and Bones last year and I thought that it was also, just like The Amendments, an incredible read with rare emotional dept. I can’t wait to read what Niamh Mulvey will publish next!
TW: This novel was not a light read and I know that some people really want to know the trigger warnings before going into a book so here they are, but be aware that there might be some mild spoilers: abortion, emotional abuse, depression, rape, infant loss, suicide.
February 3, 2024
The Amendments is Niamh Mulvey’s debut novel and is very much a female story, a very Irish story.
At the crux of this multigenerational saga is the institution and repeal of Ireland’s 8th amendment - which recognised “the equal right to life of the pregnant woman and the unborn”.
Our story weaves from the 80s to the present day and back again as we observe the lives of several women. The pivotal focus is on Nell, her partner, Adrienne, and her mother, Dolores.
Nell and Adrienne are expecting their first child. For Adrienne, it’s the start of a new, joyous family life. For Nell, it’s the reason the two of them are sitting in a therapist’s office, for Nell is harbouring a secret - she was a teenage mother in Ireland, and she’s dealing with plenty of residual trauma. For Nell to move forward, she must confront a painful past.
The Amendments is a cracking read, but it does lack some cohesiveness due to the sheer volume of social history and issues covered - there’s content enough here for a series, never mind one book. Saying that the story is utterly compelling and wholly engrossing.
Mulvey deftly uses strong but compassionate characterisation to bring the experience of Brigid, Dolores and Nell to life, painting a carefully nuanced picture of the significant societal and cultural changes over their lifetimes.
This is not a light read, and there may be triggers for some, but if you want to dive deep into the hearts and minds of some strong, interesting women, The Amendments is an excellent option.
With thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy, as always, this is an honest review.
4⭐
At the crux of this multigenerational saga is the institution and repeal of Ireland’s 8th amendment - which recognised “the equal right to life of the pregnant woman and the unborn”.
Our story weaves from the 80s to the present day and back again as we observe the lives of several women. The pivotal focus is on Nell, her partner, Adrienne, and her mother, Dolores.
Nell and Adrienne are expecting their first child. For Adrienne, it’s the start of a new, joyous family life. For Nell, it’s the reason the two of them are sitting in a therapist’s office, for Nell is harbouring a secret - she was a teenage mother in Ireland, and she’s dealing with plenty of residual trauma. For Nell to move forward, she must confront a painful past.
The Amendments is a cracking read, but it does lack some cohesiveness due to the sheer volume of social history and issues covered - there’s content enough here for a series, never mind one book. Saying that the story is utterly compelling and wholly engrossing.
Mulvey deftly uses strong but compassionate characterisation to bring the experience of Brigid, Dolores and Nell to life, painting a carefully nuanced picture of the significant societal and cultural changes over their lifetimes.
This is not a light read, and there may be triggers for some, but if you want to dive deep into the hearts and minds of some strong, interesting women, The Amendments is an excellent option.
With thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy, as always, this is an honest review.
4⭐
October 22, 2024
4.3 rounding up for debut/ Niamh Mulvey's debut is compelling and well done. I felt completely absorbed in the story despite some structural concerns and a few too many characters, these would be detractors under another writer, but Mulvey's work feels urgent and true. I think she has an incredibly perceptive understanding of character -- each person depicted in the novel was nuanced and intriguing.
As for the structure, I think the jumping around doesn't quite serve the story and Dolores' section would have been better as intermittent present-day flashbacks, as it was I got confused a few times with who I was with and where in time. Still, the heart of the novel carried me through happily to the ending. Great writing on family, Ireland's political and religious cultural shifts over the last forty years, the emotional weight of "home", Catholicism, coming of age, freedom and burden. Wow, does Ireland have the market cornered on millennial novelists or what?
As for the structure, I think the jumping around doesn't quite serve the story and Dolores' section would have been better as intermittent present-day flashbacks, as it was I got confused a few times with who I was with and where in time. Still, the heart of the novel carried me through happily to the ending. Great writing on family, Ireland's political and religious cultural shifts over the last forty years, the emotional weight of "home", Catholicism, coming of age, freedom and burden. Wow, does Ireland have the market cornered on millennial novelists or what?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 22, 2024
I ended up really enjoying the book towards the end but only after being very confused at the beginning and in the middle.
It is quite well written and I feel like the characters are not superficial, even though the book only investigates parts of their persona.
There's also a lot of issues tackled, from same sex attraction, to religion, to more triggering topics (TW) like abortion, miscarriages and rape.
The story was a bit packed perhaps so it took me a bit to start being able to follow and enjoy, I am also probably missing the context as I am not Irish nor have I ever lived in Ireland.
But by the end I was invested, and I am very satisfied with the ending, it feels like the characters have evolved despite their struggles and context.
Overall not a life changing book but an enjoyable one
It is quite well written and I feel like the characters are not superficial, even though the book only investigates parts of their persona.
There's also a lot of issues tackled, from same sex attraction, to religion, to more triggering topics (TW) like abortion, miscarriages and rape.
The story was a bit packed perhaps so it took me a bit to start being able to follow and enjoy, I am also probably missing the context as I am not Irish nor have I ever lived in Ireland.
But by the end I was invested, and I am very satisfied with the ending, it feels like the characters have evolved despite their struggles and context.
Overall not a life changing book but an enjoyable one
April 25, 2025
"I just feel really annoyed when I see girls making a fool of themselves over boys," Nell said. "It makes me so furious. That's why men get to run the world, because girls do everything for them and make such a fuss over them..."
"Men must experience sex as such awesome pleasure that the other person becomes nothing but a vehicle through which to obtain it..."
I really liked this book, even though Nell was quite difficult to engage with. I loved Dolores' sections of the book, and how it explored relationships between mothers and daughters. The discussion around abortion was also very interesting and nuanced.
I'm deducting a star because I didn't think anyone should have indulged Nell's guilt over Daniel. She was unkind but not ultimately responsible. And he was initially at fault! But yeah, very good book.
"Men must experience sex as such awesome pleasure that the other person becomes nothing but a vehicle through which to obtain it..."
I really liked this book, even though Nell was quite difficult to engage with. I loved Dolores' sections of the book, and how it explored relationships between mothers and daughters. The discussion around abortion was also very interesting and nuanced.
I'm deducting a star because I didn't think anyone should have indulged Nell's guilt over Daniel. She was unkind but not ultimately responsible. And he was initially at fault! But yeah, very good book.
November 5, 2024
Easy 4/5
I’ve consistently enjoyed Irish fiction, and Niamh Mulvey is another author that has affirmed this for me!
The Amendments is her brilliant debut, emotionally rich and heartfelt, it tells a story about Ireland’s shifting political landscape. Nell is a woman dealing with her past and how it bleeds into her new life. We explore multigenerational culture struggles, and Mulvey’s characters dive into so many important themes- shame, identity, and women’s rights, which are just as relevant now as they were then. Even though it’s a heavy ready, Mulvey’s writing has a spark. It handles tough conversations with a steady hand, but refreshing energy. I look forward to more of her work!
I’ve consistently enjoyed Irish fiction, and Niamh Mulvey is another author that has affirmed this for me!
The Amendments is her brilliant debut, emotionally rich and heartfelt, it tells a story about Ireland’s shifting political landscape. Nell is a woman dealing with her past and how it bleeds into her new life. We explore multigenerational culture struggles, and Mulvey’s characters dive into so many important themes- shame, identity, and women’s rights, which are just as relevant now as they were then. Even though it’s a heavy ready, Mulvey’s writing has a spark. It handles tough conversations with a steady hand, but refreshing energy. I look forward to more of her work!
April 18, 2025
3.5
I liked this a lot but didn’t love it. I didn’t really care about Martina. I liked how it captured Ireland and its amendments in relation to the characters, and the questions the amendments threw up for them.
I liked the style and the humour.
I will say that I really didn’t appreciate Nell and Martina’s guilt in relation to Daniel’s suicide, because Nell HAD been too drunk to consent, so the writer and the characters let him off the hook there, although of course that doesn’t make his suicide less tragic.
So yes, like not love.
I liked this a lot but didn’t love it. I didn’t really care about Martina. I liked how it captured Ireland and its amendments in relation to the characters, and the questions the amendments threw up for them.
I liked the style and the humour.
I will say that I really didn’t appreciate Nell and Martina’s guilt in relation to Daniel’s suicide, because Nell HAD been too drunk to consent, so the writer and the characters let him off the hook there, although of course that doesn’t make his suicide less tragic.
So yes, like not love.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
July 14, 2025I had wanted to read some Irish fiction on my road trip around Ireland and this was definitely the most Irish book I could have read.
It took a while to get into it, and it didn’t really pick up pace. I think there were too many plot points that felt like they were designed to be surprising or to explain the characters’ pain. It didn’t quite hit the mark for me
It took a while to get into it, and it didn’t really pick up pace. I think there were too many plot points that felt like they were designed to be surprising or to explain the characters’ pain. It didn’t quite hit the mark for me
Displaying 1 - 30 of 178 reviews