The Wildelings
A vivid and compulsive story of obsession, control and guilt, set in Nineties Dublin – perfect for fans of dark academia
⭐️ An Irish Times Pick
⭐️ An Observer Pick
“Lisa Harding’s third novel, The Wildelings, arrives to fill the Secret History-shaped hole in your lives… Gothic and gloriously entertaining” — Alex Preston. The Guardian
“Dark, blistering and full of theatrics... An electric exploration of control, guilt, and one young woman’s fight to free herself. I was hooked from the very start” — Rachel Joyce, best-selling author
“In the striking latest from Harding... (she) crafts complex characters and explores the messy contours of a female friendship.... It’s a bracing tale.” — Publishers Weekly
“I was gripped by this dark and thrilling fable - Harding is the new Donna Tartt.” — Dominic West, Award winning Actor
Bright Burning Things
Bright Burning Things is an emotional tour-de-force—a devastating, nuanced, and ultimately hopeful look at an addict’s journey towards rehabilitation and redemption.
⭐️ A Read With Jenna Book Club Pick As Featured On Today
⭐️ A People Magazine Pick
⭐️ An Indie Next Pick
⭐️ A Libraryreads Pick
⭐️ An Amazon Editors Pick
AN OBSERVER, GRAZIA, IRISH TIMES AND IRISH INDEPENDENT HIGHLIGHT FOR 2021
“Grappling with the gap between faith and hopelessness, Harding shines with a heroine whose dogged triumphs accumulate over the course of this fast-paced and intensely lucid novel.” — The New York Times Book Review
“[A] wild ride, culminating in a final scene that combines hope, fear and beauty.” — The Guardian
“Harding’s novel is, at its foundation, just the right story for this season: a woman who saves herself to give her son the ultimate gift of a healthy parent.” — Washington Post
'[A] moving story of a mother battling addiction … Bright Burning Things joins Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine and Shuggie Bain as a portrait of female wreckage.' — The Times (UK)
Cloud Girls
Heartbreaking and breathtakingly beautiful, Cloud Girls exposes the failings of polite society and the cruelty that exists beneath its surface, yet reminds us that goodness and love can flourish in the darkest times.
⭐️ A People Magazine Pick
“Shocking—and shockingly good. It is thought-provoking, anger-provoking, guilt-provoking, and—most importantly—it is a brilliantly written novel.”— Roddy Doyle
“Samantha, 15, and Nicoleta, 12, hail from different worlds—Sammy the seemingly apathetic Dublin delinquent whose brashness hides her pain, Nico the star student who’s happiest romping through Moldova’s countryside. Yet both girls live the same nightmare in this searing novel about sex trafficking.” — People
“Harding creates her central characters from the stories of many survivors of sex trafficking who were able to tell their stories. The result reflects the horrifying reality of a segment of underage sex trafficking, the people who run it, and those who buy its services. Difficult, eye-opening, and compelling.” — Library Journal
“A haunting look at exploitation.” — Booklist
Harvesting
Harvesting is heartbreaking and funny, gritty, raw and breathtakingly beautiful, where redemption is found in friendship and unexpected acts of kindness.
⭐️ Winner of the Kate O'Brien Award 2018
⭐️ Shortlisted for the Kerry Group Irish Novel of the Year 2018
⭐️ Shortlisted for Newcomer of the Year at the Bord Gáis Energy Irish Book Awards
“Harding is to be commended for writing about such an important and under-reported topic ... a character-driven and highly dramatic novel ... vivid and credible.” — The Irish Times
“Impressive and profoundly moving. It’s a harrowing read, but is never gratuitous.” — Irish Examiner
“In much the same way that Louise O’Neill’s book Asking For It was a damning indictment of, and a clarion call to the discussion surrounding rape culture, Harding’s book will do similarly good things for the discourse surrounding trafficking and sex work in Ireland...shocking, gut-wrenching... a new writer worth your time.” — Sunday Business Post
“This is not just a novel about sex trafficking – it is also about friendship and hope in the darkest places. A harrowing but important read – and one that will stay with you long afterwards.” — Hot Press