ethel rohan

'A brave and moving book.' John Banville
'Poignant and inspiring.' Eowyn Ivey

How do you carry on, when you lose someone you love?

Big Billy Brennan has suffered the greatest tragedy a parent can know - he has just lost his son. His family is reeling, and his marriage is a partnership in name alone. Billy is also obese: at nearly 30 stone, he can barely walk down the street without breaking a sweat. In his small Irish town, he can't escape his notoriety. So Billy decides to take on the two things weighing him down - his grief, and his fat - and in doing so he's going to try to stop the terrible plague of suicide that is haunting the youth of Ireland.

The Weight of Him is an unforgettable, big-hearted novel about loss and recovery, and what can be achieved when an everyday hero finds the courage to transform his life.