The Benefactors

Longlisted for the 2026 Women's Prize for Fiction
Loved by critics and readers: the major literary debut of 2025, now in a new paperback edition.

⭐ Waterstones Irish Book of the Year ⭐
⭐ Shortlisted for the RSL Ondaatje Prize ⭐
⭐ Longlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction ⭐

'What a joy it is to read'
Michael Magee, author of Close to Home

'I couldn't put this book down'
Sheena Patel, author of I'm A Fan

'Powerful, moving, compelling, utterly enthralling'
Jon McGregor, author of Reservoir 13

'A prodigiously talented author: funny and brutal by turns'
Guardian

'The style of Woolf but the heart of Dickens'
Sunday Times

'I miss it already . What a beautiful, hilarious blast of brilliance'
Donal Ryan, author of Heart, Be at Peace

'A cast of characters so vividly drawn it feels like you've known them all your life'
Colin Walsh, author of Kala

Misty thought of them as friends, the three local boys from wealthy homes. Until upstairs at a house party an act of violence takes place, with lines drawn and repercussions for them all. On her side, Misty has her devoted father Boogie, and the formidable matriarch Nan D. On theirs, the boys have their mothers - Frankie, Bronagh and Miriam will use the considerable power at their disposal to protect their own children.

And all the while, anonymous voices across the city confide in us, sometimes offering us another perspective on what has happened, but more often telling their own stories - inviting us briefly into lives shaped by money and class, by family and love.


⭐ An Observer Best Debut Novel ⭐

⭐ A book of the year for: the Observer, the Guardian, the Daily Mail and The Irish Times⭐

UK Delivery:

• Free delivery on all orders of £10 or more.
• £1.49 delivery fee on orders below £10.
• UK orders are shipped via Royal Mail 2nd Class.

International Delivery:

• Flat rate delivery charges vary by country.

Dispatch and Delivery Times:

• All orders are shipped from our warehouse in Northampton, UK within 48 hours of receipt during working hours.
• UK mainland orders typically arrive within 3-5 working days via Royal Mail 2nd Class.
• International estimated delivery times:
• Europe & Channel Islands: 7 to 10 working days
• USA: 7 to 15 working days
• Rest of the World: 9 to 21 working days

View our full delivery infomation here.