The Silence of the Glasshouse

Ireland, 1922.

Amid the tensions of the Civil War, Breege White is enduring every mother's nightmare: her son, Chalky, has been sentenced to death for illegal possession of arms. Along with six of his fellow IRA men, Chalky is spending his last days imprisoned in the Glasshouse Military Detention Barracks in Kildare. While coming to terms with his fate with the help of a compassionate prison chaplain, Chalky realises that the real reason he has to die may never be told, and that sometimes the truth can cost you your life...

Based on real events, Martin Malone's shocking, powerful and poetic novel brings to life the impact of the Civil War on ordinary people and hte divisions with left their small communities scarred for decades.

Praise for The Silence of the Glasshouse:

'He shows master of the period setting' Alannah Hopkin, Irish Examiner

'Martin Malone writes well and with a certain flourish that carries the reader forward to the stark conclusion...The Silence of the Glasshouse is a lively, engaging novel that shows how futile the Civil War was, and how it impacted on the lives of simple people who deserved better' Peter Cunningham, The Irish Times

'Powerfully moving story that will touch the senses' June Edwards, Sunday Tribune

'Martin's novel gives a credible account of a town torn apart...It's a shocking tale, told with empathy and compassion' Books Ireland

Praise for Martin Malone's previous novels:

On Us:

'Written with compassion and a feel for the underlayer for Irish rural life' Sunday Tribune

On The Broken Cedar:

'A brutal story, brilliantly told' Alan Sillitoe
'Extraordinarily accomplished' Irish Examiner
'Powerful, disturbing, profoundly moving' Good Book Guide

On After Kafra:

'A quiet triumph' RTE.ie