Author Mary Beth Keane: 'Don't sell your idea to others'

This Much I Know: The New York based author on becoming a writer, being a working mum, and the new global Ireland

Mary Beth Keane has just re-released her debut novel in Ireland.

My father is from Connemara and my mother is from Mayo. I grew up in New York but we go back and forth a lot. I’m the oldest of three sisters and have lots of cousins, so it was a busy household. A lot of my aunts and uncles also emigrated, so half of my family is here and half in Ireland. It makes it feel much closer. It’s been tough during lockdown though, especially when my uncle died [in Ireland] about a month ago. It makes it difficult.

I moved away from home for several years and moved back when my second son was born to the house next door to the one I grew up in. My husband’s parents are Irish too so we bring our kids to visit a lot. The nice thing about this new global Ireland though is that my cousins will come here now too. When we were younger we only ever went there but now they’ll come here and have a weekend of shopping in New York, they love it.