Sweep the Cobwebs off the Sky

As spring evenings lengthen over Kilnavarn House, two sisters, looking after their infirm mother, navigate the fragile territory between past and present. Memories of a troubled upbringing resurface and the house holds onto the women, as it always has, refusing to let them go until long suppressed truths are spoken.

Sweep the Cobwebs off the Sky is a tender exploration of ageing, memory, place, and the desire for reconciliation.

Sweep the Cobwebs off the Sky is a subtle, intricate and thoughtful study of life, of the painful process of ageing, of sibling rivalry and the vicissitudes of family. I have no doubt it will be a success with reviewers and readers alike.’

- John Banville: author of Book Prize winning,The Sea

‘Sweep the Cobwebs off the Sky is a brilliant study of the blighted relationships within a family. In scenes that are deeply moving, and in moments that can veer from the tender to the tempestuous, it evokes the extreme feelings, vulnerabilities and contradictions of love that exist in all families. More than anything, O’Donnell captures, with vim and verve, the sometimes brutal love between a mother and daughter.’

- Mary Costello: author of the Irish Times Bestseller,Barcelona

‘Sweep the Cobwebs off the Sky is a piercing exploration of the immemorial themes: family, memory and the desire to investigate the mystery of what holds us together.’

- Colum McCann: author ofLet the Great World Spin