Belinda McKeon wowed readers and critics alike with her remarkable debut Solace.
Her second novel Tender is even stronger. Catherine and James meet in Dublin in 1997. Catherine is in her first year at Trinity; she is in (unrequited) love with a classmate and worried about her studies. James has dropped out of college and has been working as a photographer’s assistant in Berlin. After an inauspicious start, they embark on a passionate friendship. However, all is not as straightforward as it seems. James has a secret, and as their relationship progresses, Catherine’s needs become ever more suffocating. Tender is a novel about friendship, love, sex, heartbreak and obsession. McKeon’s characters are beautifully drawn and she maps out the frail intricacies of relationships beautifully. Her prose shimmers with verve, wit, humour and wisdom. An outstanding Irish novel.