The Women Behind the Door

It’s always a pleasure recording Roddy Doyle’s audiobooks. I’ve recorded a handful now and Roddy voiced them all himself, but for his 2024 audiobook, The Women Behind the Door, it was decided that the wonderful Ger Ryan would read it. The book catches up with the life of Paula Spencer, abused wife of Charlo from Roddy’s book, The Woman Who Walked into Doors. Paula is now in her mid 60s and has found a new life for herself, but this is interrupted during covid lockdowns by the presence of her eldest daughter, Nicola, who has a lot on her mind. Roddy’s observations, his depiction of the everyday, and his natural, conversational humour are as sharp as ever in this book and are delivered effortlessly by Ger Ryan in the audio version. And it’s hardly surprising as Ger is reprising her role, having originally played Paula Spencer in the TV series “Family” back in the 90s, which inspired Roddy to write The Woman Who Walked into Doors.