Soldier Sailor

A Novel

By: Claire Kilroy

Narrated by: Simone Collins

FINALIST for the WOMEN’S PRIZE for FICTION * One of Vogue’s Best Books of the Year

Award-winning author Claire Kilroy’s “lyrical and incisive” (The New York Times Book Review) novel that reads with the pace of a thriller and is filled with astute and witty observations of life with a young child.

Soldier Sailor takes readers deep inside the early days of motherhood. Exploring the clash of fierce love with a seismic shift in identity, Claire Kilroy conjures the raw, tumultuous emotions of a new mother, as her marriage strains and she struggles with questions of equality, autonomy, and creativity.

Soldier Sailor is a tale of boundless love and relentless battle, a bedtime story to a son, Sailor, recounting their early years together. Spending her days in baby groups, playgrounds, and supermarkets, Soldier doesn’t know who she is anymore. She hardly sees her husband, who has taken to working late most nights. A chance encounter with a former colleague feels like a lifeline to the person she used to be but can hardly remember.

Tender and harrowing, Kilroy’s modern masterpiece “hums with poetry, insight, and humor...full of truths so sharp and beautiful readers will need to take a breath” (Booklist, starred review).

Critic reviews

"Simone Collins’s narration benefits from her intimate and persuasive tone, as well as the lovely lilt of her Irish accent. Her performance resonates as her tone, pace, and intonation reveal the struggling mom’s love...This brief, powerful depiction of motherhood rings true and creates an immersive listening experience."

An emotional roller coaster that all moms can relate to

I love this book! It was An emotional roller coaster that all moms can relate to. I never wanted it to end!

Favorite book of 2024!

I adored this book. It brought up all types of emotions. Raw, disturbing, loving, tender, funny... all in one short book. The best depiction of what mothering feels with a very young child. This book HAD to be written.

Encapsulates motherhood perfectly

Her rage was my rage. Her love was also mine. I felt so seen by this book. I’m glad I didn’t read it immediately after having my kid because the resentment towards men would have only grown.