Totally Booked with Zibby Heather Aimee O'Neill, THE IRISH GOODBYE: A Novel
Nov 7, 2025
In this engaging conversation, debut novelist Heather Aimee O’Neill shares insights about her poignant book, The Irish Goodbye. She explores the themes of sisterhood and grief as three sisters confront their brother's tragic suicide and the secrets that bind them. Heather reflects on her family's connection to 9/11 and how it shaped her understanding of loss. With a focus on compassion, humor, and the complexities of family dynamics, she captures the struggle of balancing personal challenges alongside the weight of emotional history.
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Keeping Big News Secret
- Heather Aimee O'Neill kept Read With Jenna news secret for five months and only told a few people.
- She screamed when her editor told her and initially couldn't tell her family or therapist.
Grief As A Force That Freezes Or Moves
- The novel centers on three sisters returning home to confront their brother's suicide and long-buried secrets.
- The story asks whether grief can be faced to allow intimacy, forgiveness, and forward movement.
9/11 Shaped The Book's Emotional Core
- Heather began writing about 9/11 but found it too personal to stay there.
- Her father's company lost 66 employees on the South Tower and the family felt grief on many levels.
