Breakaway Books

Authored by Roddy Doyle; Published September 2024; Fiction

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There is a type of real, exquisite pain that comes from facing the truth of mistakes you have made that had a deep impact on another person’s life. That pain is at the heart of The Women Behind the Door.

In The Women Behind the Door, Paula Spencer is just trying to survive the COVID pandemic in Ireland when her daughter Nicola shows up at her door. Intent on leaving her husband and daughters behind, Nicola still manages to be the mother figure to Paula when a bout of the disease knocks her off her feet. But most disconcerting of all are the disturbing revelations that Nicola brings with her about her father.

I realized halfway through this narrative that I am two books behind on novels about Paula Spencer. Perhaps I would have been more empathetic with her if I knew the full backstory, but as it was, I just wanted to shake her and beg her to let her daughter say what she wanted to say in peace. Her endless interjections drove me nuts—and I wasn’t the one pouring out my heart. Even Paula recognizes that, at times, she is employing tactics to delay having to hear what Nicola has to say, a sad but honest realization. Paula is exceptionally self-aware, casting judgment on herself just as much as she does in the people around her, which seems to be a constant pastime. I do admire that Paula wants to do right by Nicola and take care of her in a way that she couldn’t when Paula was struggling with addiction. 

The vividly-described COVID backdrop is among the most realistic that I have ever read. The lines, the vaccine clinics, the paperwork—I feel like it described my own experience perfectly. Paula’s description of suffering through the virus was borderline terrifying, as I’m sure the experience itself is. But even more than that, the constant second guessing of what is safe when interacting with other people (Am I too close? Is that surface infected?) reminded me of just how pervasive the virus’s impact was on society and our relationships. Paula’s hot and cold relationship with Joe is a reminder that unless you were really devoted, it was easy to lose touch with friends, romantic connections, and even family. It makes Nicola’s choice to run from her husband and children all the more baffling and dramatic.

If you have a complicated relationship with your parents, this one might be a little too close to home to enjoy. But if that’s an area you want to explore, pick up The Women Behind the Door.