Life Sentences

Viac o knihe

Life Sentences is an immersive tale of an ordinary Irish family navigating an extraordinary journey across three generations, marked by famine, war, violence, and love. At sixteen, Nancy escapes her small island home, the sole survivor of the Great Famine, and finds work in a grand house near Cork City. There, she becomes entangled in a passionate affair with the charismatic gardener Michael Egan, leading her into a life-threatening struggle. By 1920, Nancy's son Jer, a veteran of the Great War, grapples with his identity while imprisoned, reflecting on his tumultuous past. Fast-forward to the early 1980s, where Jer's youngest child, Nellie, nears the end of her life in a council house close to her childhood home. As she recalls a pivotal moment when her family reclaimed something precious, she contemplates the future of those who will outlive her. This taut domestic drama captures the emotional breadth of life in Ireland throughout modern history, leaving a lasting impact long after the final page. Rooted in the village where the author’s family has lived for generations, the narrative draws on stories from his parents and grandparents, infusing the writing with authenticity and empathy that makes the characters unforgettable.