Books like A history of loneliness by John Boyne

Name: A history of loneliness
Author: John Boyne

A History of Loneliness tells the tale of Odran Yates, an Irish priest whose life is shaped by a family tragedy that pushes him into the seminary during the 1970s. As the Catholic Church faces crises and scandals, Odran watches friends go to trial, colleagues bejailed, and parishioners suffer. He himself endures accusations—such as an arrest for holding a boy in a department store—in a society where authority and reputation have eroded. A family event forces Odran to confront darker memories and acknowledge his own complicity in the church’s violence. Through this introspection, the novel explores how personal and institutional betrayals shape identity.

First publish date: 2014

Genre: Literary Fiction/Contemporary Literary Fiction

Authors: John Boyne

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