New novel coming August 2026
As the seventh Samhain since their daughter’s death
approaches, Klara and Hector Armstrong are struggling to
live a normal life in the company of grief.
Klara, a former concert pianist, never wanted to be a
mother, and is racked with a persistent guilt that she never
loved her daughter in the way she should have.
Hector, an academic, tries to find solace in work, but
his passion project biography of poet Garret O’Malley is
echoing truths he’s spent his lifetime avoiding.
An invitation to the Samhain Handfasting of their
goddaughter Alice brings her mother, Klara’s oldest friend
Diane, back into their lives. Divorced and newly returned
from New York, she arrives carrying secrets
and with an agenda of her own.
As the anniversary – and the handfasting – approach,
old wounds reopen, hidden truths emerge, and their three
lives converge towards a reckoning with loss, change and
the complexities of love.
available to pre-order soon
Book Launch at Books Upstairs
Join Sharon the launch of The Silence of October, with opening remarks from Juliana Adelmann (author of The Grateful Water).
6.30pm, Thursday 3rd September 2026
Refreshments will be served and all are welcome.
Praise for The Silence of October
‘Sharon proves with this new novel that she is a writer of immense power and elegance, gifted with a deep understanding of human nature, and a sublime ability to give language to loss and love and all of our complexities, sentence after extraordinary sentence.‘ Donal Ryan
‘An immensely involving and beautifully written novel from a terrific storyteller.‘ Joseph O’Connor
‘The Silence of October is a deeply felt examination of love and grief; there are so many forms of both in this moving and often sharply funny book. Lifelong expectations are not only thwarted but profoundly derailed, the sources of self-worth shattered, and every relationship, human, animal, material and artistic, is questioned. This is a searingly honest account of what it means to love.‘ Elaine Garvey
‘Powerful, lyrical and captivatingly vivid storytelling from a gifted writer.’ Ferdia Mac Anna
‘Beautifully written, Sharon Guard’s new novel is an insightful commentary on how we ‘perform’ in our daily lives in an effort to avoid truths we’re afraid of. This is a magnificent book which reminds us that the shadows of the past are never too far away and often it is those buried secrets which continue to shape us. Set in contemporary Dublin, it brings us into the world of family trauma, the pettiness of academic politics and the persistence of snobbery based on social class. A must read.’ Eoin Devereux
‘Sharon Guard has an extraordinary gift for illuminating the quiet moments that define our lives. This deeply moving novel explores grief, loneliness, forgiveness, and second chances with honesty, sensitivity, and grace. It stayed with me long after I turned the final page.‘ Orla Mackey
Sharon Guard 