Book interview: Nuala O'Connor adds flesh to the bones of a famous lifelong obsession

Nuala O’Connor takes an unflinching look at literary Ireland’s most famous love affair from the viewpoint of Nora Barnacle.

Ewan McGregor playing the part of James Joyce with Susan Lynch as Nora Barnacle in a scene from the film 'Nora'

Nuala O’Connor’s newly released novel, Nora – the love story between James Joyce and Nora Barnacle is a glorious read. Spanning the time from the couple’s meeting in Dublin, when Nora, a 20-year-old from Galway fell for Joyce’s charms, charting their rackety life together on the continent, and years of parenthood, it shows us the stages their enduring love went through – from the early struggles until the glory days when Joyce’s literary genius was recognised.

Unflinching – it presents the story from Nora’s point of view, and in her voice. And this is the real strength of the endeavour. The tone remains true from the first pages, where there is an erotic, bawdy tone, until the last, making it an engrossing, captivating and page turning read.