On Canaan's Side: A NovelLonglisted for the Booker Prize, a mesmerizing new novel from the award-winning author of Old God's Time A first-person narrative of Lilly Bere’s life, On Canaan’s Side opens as the eighty-five-year-old Irish émigré mourns the loss of her grandson, Bill. Lilly, the daughter of a Dublin policeman, revisits her eventful past, going back to the moment she was forced to flee Ireland at the end of the First World War. She continues her tale in America, where—far from her family—she first tastes the sweetness of love and the bitterness of betrayal. Spanning nearly seven decades, Sebastian Barry’s extraordinary fifth novel explores memory, war, family ties, love, and loss, distilling the complexity and beauty of life into his haunting prose. |
Contents
First Day without Bill | |
Fourth Day without Bill | |
Seventh Day without Bill | |
Tenth Day without Bill | |
Thirteenth Day without Bill | |
Fifteenth Day without Bill | |
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Common terms and phrases
America Annie anyhow arms asked beautiful beef Wellington Bellow Bill’s Bridgehampton burning Cassie Cassie’s Cesar Romero child Cleveland cooking couldn’t dark Day without Bill death didn’t know Dillinger don’t think door dress Dublin Dublin Castle Ed’s Eugenides everything eyes face father father’s fear feel felt girl gone hand happy head hear heart huge Ireland Irish Joe Kinderman Joe’s Kevin Barry killed Kiltegan kitchen knew laughing letter light Lilly Little birdie looked loved man’s married Maud Mike Scopello morning mother murder never night Nolan pecan pie person Picardy police remember Robert Doherty seemed singing sister sitting smile song sort stood story strange Street suddenly suppose sure Tadg Bere Tadg’s talk tell terror There’s things thought told trying wasn’t Wicklow Willie Willie’s Wolohan woman wonder word young