Sandycove acquires Ryan's 'razor-sharp' debut novel

Sandycove, the Dublin-based imprint of Penguin Random House, has acquired Holding Her Breath, Eimear Ryan's debut novel. 

The publisher acquired world English language rights from Lucy Luck at C&W. Holding Her Breath will be published on 17th June 2021.

The synopsis reads: "When Beth Crowe starts university, she is shadowed by the ghost of her potential as a competitive swimmer. Free to create a fresh identity for herself, she finds herself among people who adore the poetry of her grandfather, Benjamin Crowe, who died tragically before she was born. She embarks on a secret relationship — and on a quest to discover the truth about Benjamin and his widow, her beloved grandmother Lydia. The quest brings her into an archive that no scholar has ever seen, and to a person who knows things about her family that nobody else knows."

Brendan Barrington, editorial director, said: "Eimear Ryan’s writing is razor-sharp, witty and penetratingly insightful. Holding Her Breath is a beautiful coming-of-age novel about complicated love and family secrets, and it’s a joy to be publishing such a brilliant debut."

Ryan commented: "I’m thrilled to be joining the Sandycove list. I feel very lucky to be working with a publisher that has the reach of Penguin Random House but also the hands-on approach of a boutique imprint. Brendan and the team really got Beth's story from the outset and I'm excited to share it with readers next summer."