'As they used to say in Ireland, the devil only comes into good things.'
Narrated by Lilly Bere, On Canaan's Side opens as she mourns
the loss of her grandson, Bill. The story then goes back to the moment she was
forced to flee Dublin, at the end of the First World War, and follows her life
through into the new world of America, a world filled with both hope and danger.
At once epic and intimate, Lilly's narrative unfurls as she tries to make
sense of the sorrows and troubles of her life and of the people whose lives she
has touched. Spanning nearly seven decades, it is a novel of memory, war,
family-ties and love, which once again displays Sebastian Barry's exquisite
prose and gift for storytelling.
MY REVIEW
I was very busy over the summer months and although tried a few novels I couldn't concentrate and as a result dropped them less than half way through - hense no reviews since June.
On Canaan's side however as per Jerry Maguire 'Had me in the first four lines'. I can't praise this book enough, the writing is exquisite so much so that I found myself rereading sections just because it was so beautifully penned. The storyline flowed with ease and even though it wasn't completely linear everything was revealed as and when it should have been. Sebastian Barry is an arresting author and I will certainly be reading more of his work.
