A refreshingly wry and insightful debut.' - Kirkus Reviews Her elegantly simple writing allows her ideas and musings to shine. 'Dolan's preoccupation with power is often couched in humor but always expertly observed. 'Volleying dialogue, rich interiority, and perceptive writing on money, politics, and class.A clever and deep novel of sex, connection, and the complexities of self expression.' - Booklist (starred review)

In stylish, uncluttered prose, Naoise Dolan dissects the personal and financial transactions that make up a life-and announces herself as a singular new voice. Politically alert, heartbreakingly raw, and dryly funny, Exciting Times is thrillingly attuned to the great freedoms and greater uncertainties of modern love. Should Ava return to the easy compatibility of her life with Julian or take a leap into the unknown with Edith?

Ava wants to be her-and wants her.Īnd then Julian writes to tell Ava he is coming back to Hong Kong. A Hong Kong–born lawyer, striking and ambitious, Edith takes Ava to the theater and leaves her tulips in the hallway. But when she asks whether he loves her, he cannot say more than 'I like you a great deal.'Įnter Edith. A banker who likes to spend money on Ava, to have sex and discuss fluctuating currencies with her. An intimate, bracingly intelligent debut novel about a millennial Irish expat who becomes entangled in a love triangle with a male banker and a female lawyer.Īva, newly arrived in Hong Kong from Dublin, spends her days teaching English to rich children.

Exciting Times by Naoise Dolan