The Real Sinéad O'Connor

by Ariane Sherine

Sinéad O’Connor achieved worldwide success as an angel-voiced, shaven-headed Irish singer of heartfelt songs, but she was far more than just a pop star – she was also an activist and a survivor. Reeling from a troubled childhood at the hands of her violent mother, she spent 18 months living in a former Magdalene Laundry due to her truancy and shoplifting, and suffered her mother’s death in a car crash – all by the age of 18.

Her pain, anger and compassion would turn her into one of the world’s greatest protest singers and activists. She would release ten studio albums during her 36-year music career - the second of which (I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got) would reach number 1 across the world and earn her ten million pounds, half of which she gave to charity. During this time, she would also advocate for survivors of child abuse and racism, and stand up for the LGBT community and women’s reproductive rights.

Most notably, she would tear up a picture of Pope John Paul II during an episode of Saturday Night Live in order to protest at child sex abuse within the Catholic church, creating headlines around the world and derailing her career.

Featuring six exclusive interviews with friends and peers who knew her, this is the true story of her extraordinary and courageous journey.

224 pages, Hardcover

Published October 28, 2024

About the author

Ariane Sherine is a comedy writer and journalist. She started her career in 2002 when she came runner-up in the BBC Talent New Sitcom Writers' Award, and then wrote for BBC shows including My Family, Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps and The Story of Tracy Beaker, as well as Channel 4's Countdown and ITV1's The New Worst Witch.

In 2008, she moved into journalism and has now written more than 75 columns for the Guardian, as well as travel features for The Sunday Times, book reviews for the Observer, columns for The Spectator, album reviews for NME and features for Esquire, the Independent and Independent on Sunday.

In 2009, she published The Atheist's Guide to Christmas (HarperCollins), then had a nervous breakdown and didn't write for 3.5 years. After years of therapy and medication, she felt qualified to write Talk Yourself Better (2018), a book about the different forms of counselling on offer. This was followed in 2020 by How to Live to 100, a co-write with David Conrad, a consultant in public health (Hachette).

Her latest book for Hachette is The How of Happy, another co-write with David Conrad. Her debut novel Shitcom is out now.

Reviews

[SundayAtDusk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Towards the end of this book, when those being interviewed were saying it was sad how Sinéad O’Connor's life was often reduced to one song, I felt a bit guilty about having only one of her songs on my Sony MP3 player. Yes, Nothing Compares 2 U. I have read a lot of newspaper and magazine articles about her, however. Sadly, exactly how author Ariane Sherine described in this book, most of those articles were written in a way to show how crazy the singer happened to be.

Sinéad O’Connor had a lifetime of mental problems, rooted in a childhood where she was horribly abused by her mother. In addition, she was misdiagnosed for years and put on medications that did little or no good. There was no filter to keep her from saying outrageous things and making false accusations against others. It was interesting to read, though, how many times she retracted what she said and apologized to others for her hurtful words.

Yet, through all the fog, she recorded over 300 songs, and had the guts to take on the Catholic Church for abuse long before anyone else did. Tearing up the pope's picture in 1992 on SNL produced a lot of heartbreak for her, but one can only imagine what assurance that gave to all the silent and non-silent victims of the sexual abuse and cruelty of the Catholic Church. Nevertheless, she would later feel an affinity towards the religion again, because she was a highly spiritual person always looking for faith, and because she was raised Catholic.

Yes, Sinéad O’Connor was a contradictory person, and this book was trying to explain her contradictions and turbulent lifetime, by talking to those who knew her and those her worked with her. It is a most sympathetic telling and Ariane Sherine explains at the end why she has such empathy for the late singer. She, too, had an abusive childhood, was diagnosed with severe mental problems, and has done controversial things that got her very bad public reaction. Read some of the interesting interviews with her that are listed on her Wiki page.

(Note: I received a free e-ARC copy of this book from NetGalley and the author or publisher.)

[Eve · Rating 3 out of 5]

I will start by saying the author did fantastic research, and I don't think she missed anything. However, something was missing. There was no filler, for lack of a better term. There was no engagement, no passion. It just went from event to quote to event. If you aren't a Sinead O'Connor fan and just happen to read the book for a report, say, there's nothing personal, no sort of insight, although the author did mention why she wanted to write about Sinead O'Connor at the very end of the book, nothing is conveyed in the actual pages.

The other thing that really put me off was that towards the end, the author is reporting back and forth conversation between someone she interviewed and you have no idea she's talking because there are no quotation marks. At least italicize one person's words so that it's clear who they belong to.

I had no idea Sinead O'Connor's childhood was so horrific. It certain explains a lot. This isn't a pretty book. It touches on all sorts of trauma and trigger content. I wish she had gotten the help and support she deserved much earlier in her life; she might still be with us.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the chance to read and review a digital copy of this book. All opinions expressed are mine, and freely given.

[Vanessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Real Sinéad O'Connor by Ariane Sherine was a very interesting read about the real Sinéad and she was one remarkable lady that had a turbulent sad life: Sadly she was abused as a child; sufferer of mental illness; she was someone who wanted God in her life despite falling out with the Catholic Church ahe just wanted to be loved and to fit in. I have always been a fan of hers and loved her music especially her beautiful voice but I know hardly anything about her. . . . . . . . . . . . . So, I was so grateful I read this book. She was a woman who you could never forget even her voice sends chills down my spine.

RIP beautiful lady Your songs will live forever.

[Bradley Morgan]

My interview with the author for the New Books Network: https://newbooksnetwork.com/the-real-...