The Life Oreilly

"Readers should have a box of Kleenex handy when they read this book. It is emotional, to say the least .... [The Life O'Reilly] is a heartwarming tale of discovering life, love, and legacy ... a love story filled with drama and emotions. There are plenty of shocking events which make this a page-turner and a very sentimental novel." - Suite101.com [A] riveting and deeply emotional work. The Life O'Reilly keeps the reader turning the pages as author Cohen displays a vivid touch with the everyday details of working life. Nashville Book Festival Brian Cohen clearly has the gift of story in this riveting debut. His ability to plumb the depths of the human heart, and its capacity to change forged in a modern, gritty, yet sophisticated New York shines through in this estimable work. The mark of a great novel is one that is impossible to put down on its final page. Cohen's book reaches that bar. New York Times bestselling author Michael Christopher Carroll "The Life O'Reilly is a fascinating read that will warm hearts." Midwest Book Review "...this is the way life should be lived. To be able to stop at any moment and say, I am proud of and very much at peace with who I am." Brian Cohen's first novel is an affecting and haunting story that captures the attention of the reader and holds it throughout, lingering long after the final page is turned.... Cohen has a fluidic writing style. His story is well paced and his characters have dimension and distinctive personalities. It is inspiring to watch Nick's heroic battle for survival as he evolves into the kind of man (and life) that will leave a lasting and impressionable legacy. It is not often that a work of fiction leaves the reader contemplating his or her personal outlook on life. The trials that Nick endures are easily applicable to reality. His story gives us pause to think, leaving us grateful for having made Nick's acquaintance. The US Review of Books At once a bittersweet love story and a young lawyer's journey of self-discovery, this auspicious debut delivers an emotional wallop and will move readers in unexpected ways. On the outside, Nick O'Reilly has it all: a high-flying legal career, as a partner of an elite Wall Street law firm, and financial security, with an apartment overlooking Central Park. Having grown up in a working-class family, as far back as Nick can remember this was his dream. But at the age of thirty-six, after several years of sacrificing his personal life for professional gain, Nick has started to ponder his future and consider the mark he wants to leave on society both professionally and personally his legacy. After being chastised in the press for turning a cold shoulder to the community, the firm calls upon Nick to help rehabilitate its image by handling its first pro bono case. Nick is asked to represent Dawn Nelson, a domestic violence victim who is fighting for custody of her young son, Jordan. A far cry from Nick's specialty of defending the misdeeds of Corporate America, it is up to Nick to set Dawn and Jordan on a path to a better life. But Nick gets much more than he signed on for, as Dawn forces him to reassess his life choices and, ultimately, be true to himself. Only when Nick finally realizes what is truly important in life does he face his toughest and possibly final challenge: a battle for his own survival. Exploring the flaws of being human and the importance of controlling one's own destiny, The Life O'Reilly reminds us of how precious life is and how quickly and tragically it can change. Written with great empathy, The Life O'Reilly is an emotional and unforgettable tale that will challenge one's expectations of the modern love story and introduces a poignant and sensitive new voice in fiction.

A heart-warming and hilarious family memoir of growing up as one of eleven siblings raised by a single dad in Northern Ireland at the end of the Troubles. Séamas O’Reilly’s mother died when he was five, leaving him, his ten (!) brothers and sisters, and their beloved father in their sprawling bungalow in rural Derry. It was the 1990s; the Troubles were a background rumble, but Séamas was more preoccupied with dinosaurs, Star Wars, and the actual location of heaven than the political climate. ­ An instant bestseller in Ireland, Did Ye Hear Mammy Died? is a book about a family of loud, argumentative, musical, sarcastic, grief-stricken siblings, shepherded into adulthood by a man whose foibles and reticence were matched only by his love for his children and his determination that they would flourish. “In this joyous, wildly unconventional memoir, Séamas O'Reilly tells the story of losing his mother as a child and growing up with ten siblings in Northern Ireland during the final years of the Troubles as a raucous comedy, a grand caper that is absolutely bursting with life.”―Patrick Radden Keefe, NYT bestselling author of Say Nothing and Empire of Pain One of NPR’s Best Books of the Year

Old School is in session.... You have probably heard the term Old School, but what you might not know is that there is a concentrated effort to tear that school down. It’s a values thing. The anti–Old School forces believe the traditional way of looking at life is oppressive. Not inclusive. The Old School way may harbor microaggressions. Therefore, Old School philosophy must be diminished. Those crusading against Old School now have a name: Snowflakes. You may have seen them on cable TV whining about social injustice and income inequality. You may have heard them cheering Bernie Sanders as he suggested the government pay for almost everything. The Snowflake movement is proud and loud, and they don’t like Old School grads. So where are you in all this? Did you get up this morning knowing there are mountains to climb—and deciding how you are going to climb them? Do you show up on time? Do you still bend over to pick up a penny? If so, you’re Old School. Or did you wake up whining about safe spaces and trigger warnings? Do you feel marginalized by your college’s mascot? Do you look for something to get outraged about, every single day, so you can fire off a tweet defending your exquisitely precious sensibilities? Then you’re a Snowflake. So again, are you drifting frozen precipitation? Or do you matriculate at the Old School fountain of wisdom? This book will explain the looming confrontation so even the ladies on The View can understand it. Time to take a stand. Old School or Snowflake. Which will it be?

The Life of O'Reilly is a chronicle of the career of one of the European PGA Tour's most famous caddies-John O'Reilly-and it's full of funny stories as only this Irishman can tell them. Like the one about the time he and some fellow caddies were arrested and jailed in East Germany on their way to the German Open in Berlin. Or the one about the Tour pro who, in a fit of temper after a bad shot, put his foot through the bottom of his golf bag and could not get it out again! The Life of O'Reilly is a rollicking ride around the world-and the world of professional golf-by one of the game's most interesting characters. No golf library would be complete without it. "I hope that you'll find this book as entertaining as I found Johnny to be throughout our three successful years on tour. There was never a dull moment!" --Padraig Harrington