Edna O'Brien What distinguishes The Nature of Wather and Air...is the precision of the language and the haunting power of the narrative.

Tillie Olsen Evoking a raw and spirited Ireland, The nature of Water and Air is an astoundingly rich and lyrical novel about mothers and daughters, secrets and delusions, and the salve of love.

Brendan O'Carroll author of the Agnes Browne trilogy The Nature of Water and Air is delightful, lyrical, and beautifully sad.

Thomas Moran author of The Man in the Box McBride artfully evokes the brilliant beauty and the strange, brooding darkness that often dwell together in the Irish soul. The Nature of Water and Air honors the underappreciated art of genuine storytelling.

Peter Quinn author of Banished Children of Eve Filled with mystery and music, this is an astounding piece of storytelling that combines the dense lyricism of great poetry with the unflinching clarity of great prose.

Kirkus Elegant prose distinguishes a first novel set in modern Ireland that reads like a reclaimed folktale...A fine debut, unsettling and magical.

Beth Gibbs Library Journal McBride is an award-winning poet, and her novel is lyrical and sad, infused with fascinating folklore and the chill of the Irish landscape. A literary Maeve Binchy; recommended for public libraries.