Molly Fox's Birthday by Deirdre Madden

Molly Fox, an enigmatic actress, lends her lovely, book-filled house in Dublin to her friend, a playwright struggling with writer's block.  Molly is away in New York acting in a play.  While she stays there, Molly's friend muses about the nature of friendship, her feelings for their close friend, Andrew, the Irish Troubles and many other things.  As she comes to terms with her life and feelings, she discovers herself.

This was short-listed for the Orange Prize of 2009 and it's a memorable and haunting novel which is beautifully written.  It is somewhat wordy but every word counts and it's worth a second reading. 

I think that anyone who wants to read this book should really see or read The Duchess of Malta first.  It's an important part of the story and I haven't read the play.

Interview with Deirdre Madden