Late Learner

by Ciara Geraghty

‘A superb writer… the Irish Jojo Moyes. Her books are beautifully written, and infused with warmth, humour and human understanding' Irish Examiner

'An evocative, thought provoking, poignant, and often hilarious read. A terrific book by a superb writer at the top of her game. I loved it' Patricia Scanlan

Better late than never …

Ronda McCann lives a quiet, careful life. She cycles back and forth to her job at the local care home and plays chess with a robot in the evenings. At forty-four years old, she is perfectly okay with that.

But Ronda has a secret.

In her daydreams she’s fearless – brave, bold and impossible to ignore.

So when her comfortable little world suddenly starts to crumble, Ronda has a choice to make.

Keep playing it safe on the sidelines? Or finally step into being the person she’s always imagined herself to be?

Audible Audio

Published August 14, 2025

About the author

Ciara Geraghty is an Irish bestselling author. She lives in Dublin with one husband and three children.

Reviews

[Bianca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Queen Bee was one of my top reads of 2023, so I quickly downloaded the audiobook of Geraghty's latest.

Forty-four-year-old Ronda McCann lives a simple life, working as a caregiver in an old people's home and caring for her hypochondriac mother. She never married and hasn't had a relationship in many years. She's fine with it. Right? Ronda is risk-averse and dislikes confrontation, but life is just passing her by.

She can't drive, so she rides her bike to work and to other places. She's only had a couple of accidents, so why learn to drive?

Little and bigger events prompt Ronda to make some changes and take some risks.

I ploughed through this audiobook. It was comforting and enjoyable, in a realistic kind of way.
While this didn't make me cackle like Queen Bee, I nevertheless enjoyed my time spent listening to the dulcet Irish tones of Aoife McMahon while witnessing Ronda's mid-life blooming.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review of ‘Late Learner’ by Ciara Geraghty, due to be published on 7 May 2026 by Harper Collins UK, Harper Fiction.

Our main character is Ronda, a 44 year old care assistant who gave up on her ambition to be a nurse when her relationship ended and she had to move back home.

Her life at Green Gables Nursing Home is surrounded by many supporting characters, from the wonderful residents to her colleagues.

When Ronda’s mum says she’s thinking of moving to her daughter Margo’s annex, Ronda had to decide what to do - get her own place or learn to drive so her mum stays at home.

This was a warm hearted, emotional, amusing and moving story with really well developed characters.  You instantly warm to the characters, wanting the best outcomes.  There are some tear jerker moments, that add another layer of depth to the storyline. I really enjoyed it, and would recommended for a light hearted read. 

[Harrison Kaye · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a high three stars, not a low three stars. Three and a half if you will. The story here is very sweet, with lots of fleshed out characters and interesting turns of events to keep things plodding along. It doesn’t do anything groundbreaking in terms of how it’s written (the device of Ronda imagining herself saying something brave but then snapping back to reality got a bit tedious. luckily it didn’t last forever), but it’s a very pleasant read. I always looked forward to coming back to it and found myself trying to squeeze in another few pages.

My main criticism is I wish it had ended one chapter before it did. You know how some books heavily imply something is going to be resolved in the ending, but don’t go so far as to show it happening, and that makes it all the more poignant? I thought that might happen with this book, but then the author seemed to tack on three more chapters at the end to really hammer in every single last point they could and tie things together with not an iota of intrigue left. The two chapters before, okay, but the final final final chapter really just felt like overegging the already overegged pudding.

Still though, I enjoyed this overall and would recommend it for an easy, plot-driven read.

[Marianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! These days it is very rare to find a book with characters so distinct and compelling that they can reduce you to tears as well as make you laugh with delight. Ronda is 44 and a care assistant at Green Gables, a care facility in Dublin. Still living at home with her widowed, hypochondriac mother, Ronda has essentially given up on life. Very bright, but emotionally scarred, Ronda leads a very small life. Days are filled at Green Gables with a miserly, unappreciative boss, and a colorful cast of staff and residents.
Due to possible changes in circumstances, Ronda needs to learn to drive, and who better to teach her, than her super attractive, super successful, super everything younger sister, Margo. Tragedy, comedy, this becomes a bumpy ride in more ways than one.
Contrary to what you may think, this is not a depressing read, it is clever, funny, and full of insight. Ronda is a character to treasure. It was a real pleasure to read this book, and I will remember it fondly, for a long time.

[adela🕯️🌙 · Rating 4 out of 5]

📱omg i loved this!!! i picked this up initially because i have severe driving anxiety and wanted something to read to make me feel seen, however this book really swept me away from the real world and into the world of ronda. i loved watching her character develop throughout as well as those around her. i can always tell a book is well written when something joyful/ tragic happens and it genuinely impacts my feelings!!

i’m so blue to be saying goodbye to ronda, margo, fatima and all the residents of green gables, especially ms. gallagher. I didn’t want the book to end!

I cannot recommend this book enough, especially if you are looking for some light humour and relatable characters.

“The Kube” had be laughing out loud- if ykyk🤣

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really well written. Love all the care home characters brings tears to your eyes a few times but ultimately heartwarming. Really lovely.

[Lisa Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable

[nadine · Rating 4 out of 5]

i loved this book. i might only be 25, but i related to ronda so much so and it’s another year of me saying i’ll get licence and i honestly feel inspired to finally do that