The Blackwater Lightship
The Blackwater Lightship by Colm Tóibín, published by Pan Macmillan on April 4, 2024, is a poignant exploration of family dynamics set in Ireland during the 1990s. This edition spans 288 pages and delves into the Devereux family as they navigate the complexities of love and loss. When Helen’s brother Declan is terminally ill, she reunites with her mother and grandmother in a dilapidated seaside house, where the three generations confront their past and attempt to reconcile their differences.
Readers will find a rich narrative that examines the intricate relationships among women in the family, as well as the impact of Declan’s illness on their lives. The story intertwines themes of family life and LGBTQ+ experiences, revealing how friendships and shared histories shape their understanding of one another. Tóibín’s work invites reflection on the bonds that tie families together, even amidst unresolved tensions.
Official synopsis Publisher
Shortlisted for the Booker Prize.
Set in Ireland in the 1990s, Colm Tóibín’s The Blackwater Lightship tells the story of the Devereux family, and reveals the intense connection between grandmother, mother and daughter.
Helen’s beloved brother Declan is dying. Now, she must join her mother and grandmother in a crumbling old house by the sea, three generations calling an uneasy truce after years of strife, to be by his side.
Together with Declan’s friends, who know more about him than any family, they must all deal with the past and come to terms with each other.
‘It is in his emotional choreography that Tóibín shows himself to be an exceptional writer’ – The Sunday Telegraph
‘The most astonishing piece of writing, lyrical in its emotion and spare in its construction . . . Tóibín has crafted an unmissable read’ – The Sunday Herald
Part of the Picador Collection, a series showcasing the best of modern literature.
Read Long Island, the Sunday Times bestselling sequel to Colm Tóibín’s beloved Brooklyn.
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