Friday Book Club pick this week is M.J. Hyland’s brave and beautiful This is How.

When his fiancée breaks off their engagement, Patrick Oxtoby leaves home and moves into a boarding house in a remote seaside town. But in spite of his hopes and determination to build a better life, nothing goes to plan and Patrick is soon driven to take a desperate and chilling course of action.

This Is How is a mesmerising and meticulously drawn portrait of a man whose unease in the world leads to his tragic undoing. With breathtaking wisdom and an astute insight into the human mind, award-winning M.J. Hyland’s new book is a masterpiece that inspires horror and sympathy in equal measure.

This is How was longlisted for both the Orange Prize for Fiction and the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award. M.J. Hyland was previously shortlisted for the Man Booker for Carry Me Down.

Reading group notes are here. As always, you can find us on facebook and twitter and ask us any questions. Happy reading!