Fíona Scarlett’s sophomore novel, “May All Your Skies Be Blue,” delivers a poignant exploration of enduring love and the weighted choices that shape our lives. Following her acclaimed debut “Boys Don’t Cry,” Scarlett once again demonstrates her remarkable talent for crafting authentic characters caught in the emotional crosscurrents of life in working-class Dublin.
The novel cleverly alternates between past and present, weaving the history of Shauna Ryan and Dean Whelan’s relationship from their first teenage meeting in 1991 through to 2016. This non-linear storytelling technique creates a tapestry of moments that gradually reveals the fuller picture of why these two souls, so clearly meant for each other, have spent decades apart.
Character Development: Authenticity in Every Voice
Scarlett excels at creating characters who feel startlingly real. Shauna Ryan, the novel’s protagonist, is introduced as a shy, self-conscious girl who moves to suburban “Hoodstown” when her mother Maggie opens a hair salon. Through Shauna’s eyes, we experience the exhilarating awkwardness of first love, the crushing weight of responsibility, and the gradual hardening that comes with sacrificing one’s dreams.
Dean Whelan emerges as a complex character whose charisma and charm mask deeper vulnerabilities. His alcoholic parents create a home environment he’s desperate to escape, yet his loyalty and protective instincts toward those he loves—especially Shauna—define him more than his circumstances.
The supporting cast is equally well-rendered:
- Pamela – the outspoken, fiercely loyal friend whose trajectory takes her from childhood confidante to someone nearly unrecognizable to Shauna
- Mark – the steadfast, gentle presence who harbors deeper feelings for Shauna
- Maggie – Shauna’s vibrant mother whose early-onset dementia becomes the pivot point for key decisions
- Melody – the caregiver whose compassion and wisdom provide both practical and emotional support
- Elaine – Dean’s sister whose complicated relationship with both Dean and Shauna carries significant weight throughout the narrative
A Masterclass in Dialogue
One of the novel’s greatest strengths lies in its dialogue. Scarlett captures the distinctive Dublin vernacular with pitch-perfect accuracy, from teenage banter to adult conversations weighted with unspoken emotion. The exchanges between characters crackle with authenticity:
“I’m not ready. Panicking. Wobbling forward. And I know it’s happening. Falling. Automatically putting the hands out. Grasping impulsively at an auld lad’s coat in front. Both of us plummeting.”
The dialogue doesn’t just advance the plot—it establishes character, conveys cultural context, and delivers emotional punches that linger long after reading.
Structural Innovation: Time as a Character
The novel’s structure deserves special attention. Rather than a conventional chronological narrative, Scarlett employs a dual timeline that alternates between:
- Past chapters – titled with cultural touchstones of the ’90s and early 2000s (“Oasis or Blur,” “The Ouija Board,” “Pulp Fiction”)
- Present chapters – marked with specific times during a single pivotal day in 2025 when Shauna must confront her feelings about Dean
This structure creates a sense of inevitability while maintaining suspense. We know something tragic has separated these characters, but the full revelation is withheld until the novel’s devastating conclusion.
Themes: The Weight of Choice and Responsibility
At its core, “May All Your Skies Be Blue” explores how a single decision can forever alter the course of multiple lives. When Shauna’s mother is diagnosed with early-onset dementia just as Shauna and Dean are planning to leave for New York, Shauna chooses familial duty over romantic love. This choice—and the complicated emotions surrounding it—ripples through decades:
- The burden of caregiving and its impact on identity
- The persistence of first love in memory
- The different ways people cope with grief and regret
- The complicated dance between independence and obligation
The novel poses difficult questions without offering easy answers. Was Shauna’s sacrifice noble or unnecessary? Did Dean fail by not returning? Is there a statute of limitations on first love?
Setting: The Green as Microcosm
Scarlett transforms “The Green”—the neighborhood center of Hoodstown—into more than mere backdrop. It becomes a character in its own right, witnessing the characters’ growth, failures, and connections across decades. From teenagers playing tip-the-can to adults returning for funerals, this physical space anchors the emotional journeys:
“Has he arrived yet?
She walks down the side path. Newly cemented segments juxtaposed with worn. Patterns of bird and pawprints forever immortalised amongst the cracks.”
The salon, too, functions as both literal and metaphorical space—a place where appearances are transformed, where gossip flows freely, and where Shauna ultimately finds herself trapped by choice and circumstance.
Emotional Resonance: The Heart of the Matter
Where the novel truly excels is in its emotional authenticity. Scarlett captures the small, devastating moments that define relationships—the decisions made in an instant that echo for years, the words left unsaid, the chances not taken. The final reveal of Dean’s fate delivers a gut punch made more powerful by our investment in these characters.
Areas for Improvement
While “May All Your Skies Be Blue” succeeds brilliantly on many fronts, a few elements could have been strengthened:
- Pacing irregularities – The novel occasionally lingers too long in certain timeframes while rushing through others. Some readers might wish for more exploration of Shauna’s life in the immediate aftermath of her decision not to go to New York.
- Secondary character development – While Shauna and Dean are fully realized, a few supporting characters like Natasha feel somewhat thinly sketched in comparison, occasionally veering toward stereotype.
- Understated symbolism – The novel’s title and its thematic connection to “blue skies” could have been woven more consistently throughout the narrative for stronger symbolic resonance.
- Limited perspective – Though primarily Shauna’s story, the novel might have benefited from occasional chapters from Dean’s perspective, particularly during his years in New York.
Literary Comparisons
Readers who enjoyed Sally Rooney’s “Normal People” will find similar emotional territory here, though Scarlett’s voice is distinctly her own—less detached, more visceral. The novel also shares DNA with Roddy Doyle’s “The Snapper” in its authentic portrayal of Dublin working-class life and Cecelia Ahern’s “PS, I Love You” in its exploration of love and loss, though with considerably more grit and less sentimentality than the latter.
Like her debut “Boys Don’t Cry,” Scarlett demonstrates a remarkable ability to portray ordinary people facing extraordinary emotional challenges with dignity and complexity.
Final Verdict: A Deeply Moving Exploration of Love and Loss
“May All Your Skies Be Blue” is a remarkable achievement—a novel that combines accessible, engaging storytelling with genuine emotional depth. Scarlett has crafted a narrative that feels simultaneously specific in its Dublin setting and universal in its exploration of love, choice, and regret.
The novel’s greatest strength is its unflinching honesty about the complications of love—how it can sustain us, haunt us, and ultimately transform us, even when circumstances keep us apart from those we love most deeply. Through Shauna and Dean’s story, Scarlett reminds us that some connections transcend time, distance, and even death.
Readers should prepare for an emotional journey that will linger long after the final page. Though not always an easy read emotionally, “May All Your Skies Be Blue” ultimately rewards with its authentic characters, evocative setting, and profound insights into the human heart. It firmly establishes Fíona Scarlett as a major voice in contemporary Irish fiction, one with a remarkable gift for finding beauty and meaning in life’s most challenging moments.