What do you think?
Rate this book
Everything That Is Beautiful: A Novel
Not yet published
Expected 4 Aug 26The #1 internationally bestselling, award-winning author of Snowflake returns with a luminous portrait of two Irish families riven by one great secret.
For Niamh Ryan, the Foleys are family. Her childhood flew by on their farm, playing with her best friend Peter and his sister Kate—while being doted on by their mother Helen and coached by their father Liam, a legendary former hurling player.
Now, following a distressing series of events, those ties are strained. Niamh receives drunken phone calls and messages from Peter who can’t understand what derailed their burgeoning relationship three years ago. Helen tries her best to escape her life by checking into guesthouses under the names of old classmates. And Kate, living in Belfast, works to maintain her job and a relationship while carrying the weight of the family's secrets.
As a family wedding looms, Niamh, Helen, and Kate find themselves face to face once again—and the knotty love that has bound them might just bring them back together again.
Told through the perspectives of three very different women, Everything That Is Beautiful is an unforgettable story of love and family, heartbreak and hope—and who we might become after we pick up the pieces.
For Niamh Ryan, the Foleys are family. Her childhood flew by on their farm, playing with her best friend Peter and his sister Kate—while being doted on by their mother Helen and coached by their father Liam, a legendary former hurling player.
Now, following a distressing series of events, those ties are strained. Niamh receives drunken phone calls and messages from Peter who can’t understand what derailed their burgeoning relationship three years ago. Helen tries her best to escape her life by checking into guesthouses under the names of old classmates. And Kate, living in Belfast, works to maintain her job and a relationship while carrying the weight of the family's secrets.
As a family wedding looms, Niamh, Helen, and Kate find themselves face to face once again—and the knotty love that has bound them might just bring them back together again.
Told through the perspectives of three very different women, Everything That Is Beautiful is an unforgettable story of love and family, heartbreak and hope—and who we might become after we pick up the pieces.
304 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication August 4, 2026
18 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
December 6, 2025
Everything That Is Beautiful* by Louise Nealon is the much-anticipated sophomore novel from the Snowflake author. It is very different but there is a distinct cadence to her prose that feels familiar, as does her ability to cut right to the core of her characters.
All Niamh Ryan has wanted since she was a small child is to be part of the Foley family. She grew up pucking around with Peter and Kate, was doted on by mammy Helen and had the privilege of being coached by daddy Liam, the legendary hurler. Niamh easily exists within the dream until her teenage years when a catastrophic incident shatters her world, driving a wedge between her and the people who knew her best.
Three years on, Niamh is isolated from Peter, Kate still isn't speaking to her and Helen appears to be having some form of mid life crisis, struggling with secrets of many sorts. Now, against the backdrop of a family wedding, the three women will soon come face-to-face and what happens next is anyone's guess.
The Foleys and Niamh are so incredibly complex, each laden down with unspoken baggage that makes the dynamics between them, particularly the women, so blisteringly real and incredibly compelling. There's moments of genuine humour and warmth, but there is also a lot of melancholy, soul searching and sacrifice. Out 2/4.
All Niamh Ryan has wanted since she was a small child is to be part of the Foley family. She grew up pucking around with Peter and Kate, was doted on by mammy Helen and had the privilege of being coached by daddy Liam, the legendary hurler. Niamh easily exists within the dream until her teenage years when a catastrophic incident shatters her world, driving a wedge between her and the people who knew her best.
Three years on, Niamh is isolated from Peter, Kate still isn't speaking to her and Helen appears to be having some form of mid life crisis, struggling with secrets of many sorts. Now, against the backdrop of a family wedding, the three women will soon come face-to-face and what happens next is anyone's guess.
The Foleys and Niamh are so incredibly complex, each laden down with unspoken baggage that makes the dynamics between them, particularly the women, so blisteringly real and incredibly compelling. There's moments of genuine humour and warmth, but there is also a lot of melancholy, soul searching and sacrifice. Out 2/4.
Displaying 1 of 1 review