On Canaan's Side Explained

On Canaan's Side
Author:Sebastian Barry
Country:Ireland
Language:English
Genre:Novel
Publisher:Faber and Faber
Release Date:24 July 2011
Media Type:Print (Hardcover & Paperback)
Pages:272 pp (Hardback)
Isbn:978-0-571-22653-5
Preceded By:The Secret Scripture

On Canaan's Side is a 2011 novel written by Irish playwright and novelist Sebastian Barry.[1]

Plot

The novel is narrated by the 89-year-old Lily Bere, the sister of Annie Dunne (2002) and Willie Dunne from A Long Long Way (2005), and the daughter of the character Thomas Dunne from The Steward of Christendom (1995), as she looks back on her life, having lived through the Irish War of Independence and escaped to Chicago with her boyfriend Tadg Bere. The Cleveland East Ohio Gas explosion of 1944 is referenced within the story and plays an important role in the plot.

Reception

On The Omnivore, a British aggregator of press reviews, the book received an "omniscore" of 3.5 out of 5.[2] In Bookmarks Jan/Feb 2012 issue, a magazine that aggregates critic reviews of books, the book received a (4.00 out of 5) with the summary stating, "Reviewers found Lilly's story just as accomplished, describing it as rich and authentic, stripped free of the sentimentality that often clouds war-themed fiction".[3]

Awards and honors

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Faber & Faber Blog - Daily. Faber.co.uk.
  2. Web site: On Canaan's Side. 12 July 2024. The Omnivore. https://web.archive.org/web/20160818103403/http://theomnivore.co.uk/book/7361-On_Canaan_s_Side/Default.aspx. 18 Aug 2016.
  3. Web site: On Canaan's Side: A Novel By Sebastian Barry. 14 January 2023 . Bookmarks Magazine. https://web.archive.org/web/20160803170510/http://www.bookmarksmagazine.com/book-review/canaans-side-novel/sebastian-barry. 3 Aug 2016.
  4. News: Barry included on Booker longlist . . Eoin . Burke-Kennedy . July 7, 2011.
  5. News: Walter Scott historical fiction shortlist announced . BBC News . Apr 12, 2012 . April 4, 2012.
  6. News: Sebastian Barry wins Walter Scott prize . June 16, 2012 . . Alison Flood . June 16, 2012 . London.