Heron House

HERON HOUSE
A Novel by Laura Carpenter

They say you can never go home again. But what if home won’t let you go?

When matriarch Brenda McEvoy passes away, the five McEvoy siblings — Aoife, Colm, Maeve, Eimear, and Darragh — are summoned back to Heron House, the weathered Dublin family home that’s been both a sanctuary and a battleground for generations. To claim the inheritance, they must survive one impossible week: seven days of family therapy under the unflinching eye of Dr. Saoirse O’Donoghue — or lose the house forever.

Once, the halls of Heron House were filled with laughter, secrets whispered under the willow tree, and the smell of Mam’s brown bread warming on the range. But the years — and old wounds — have frayed those bonds. Colm, the oldest, hides his regrets behind clenched fists and boxing trophies. Maeve, the chaos magnet, has fled scandal after scandal. Eimear, the gentle peacemaker, carries her family’s grief like a secret weight. Darragh, the prodigal son, brings ghosts from London no one dares mention. And Aoife, who’s always been the glue, must decide if she’s strong enough to hold them all together — or brave enough to let them fall apart.

In the Honesty Hat, old confessions surface: who broke whose heart, who burned the Christmas turkey, who never forgave. The Blame Game tests loyalties and rips open scars they thought had healed. The Confessional Walk forces them to say the words they’ve never dared to speak — to each other, and to themselves.

But Heron House is more than just bricks and ivy. It’s the memories of Mam’s garden, Granddad’s songs drifting through the fields, the heron that waits at dawn by the garden gate. It’s the home that holds every fight, every laugh, every chance they never took — and the chance they might still have, if they can only forgive.

Will the McEvoys find the courage to stay — or will the secrets they’ve buried tear them apart forever?

Set against the rich, rain-swept beauty of Ireland, Heron House is a big-hearted family saga brimming with warmth, wit, and the fierce hope that no family is too broken to mend. Perfect for fans of Maeve Binchy, Maggie O’Farrell, and Marian Keyes, this story invites you to open the kitchen door, put the kettle on, and remember that sometimes home is the one place you can never truly leave.

What readers are saying:
“An unforgettable story of second chances and what it really means to come home.”
“Brilliantly captures the mess and magic of a big Irish family.”
“Perfect for book clubs — you’ll laugh, cry, and want to call your mam when you’re done.”

Welcome to Heron House. May you never forget what is worth remembering.

Look for more from Laura Carpenter at www.lauracarpenterbooks.com