The Blackwater Lightship

'Thisisthemostastonishingpieceofwriting,lyricalinitsemotionandspareinitsconstruction...Toibinhascraftedanunmissableread'-"SundayHerald".InBlackwaterintheearly1990s,threewomen-DoraDevereux,herdaughterLilyandhergranddaughterHelen-havecometogetherafteryearsofstrifeandreachedanuneasytruce.Helen'sadoredbrotherDeclanisdying.Twofriendsjoinhimandthewomeninacrumblingoldhousebythesea,wherethesixofthem,fromdifferentgenerationsandwithdifferentbeliefs,mustlistenandcometotermswithoneanother.'ItisinhisemotionalchoreographythatToibinshowshimselftobeanexceptionalwriter.Helenisestrangedfrombothhermotherandgrandmother...Toibinhelpsthemmakepeace-andhedoesitbeautifully'-"SundayTelegraph".'Hewritesinspare,powerfulproseandheistrulyperceptiveaboutfamilyrelationshipswhich,attimes,makesreadinghisstoriesincrediblypainful.Butthisisabeautifulnovel'-"BelfastNews".'Weshallbereadingandlivingwith"TheBlackwaterLightship"intwentyyears'-"IndependentonSunday".'Risestoheightsofextraordinarybeauty'-"IndependentonSunday".