'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.