Colm Tóibín presents a striking vision of the Virgin Mary as a mother wracked with grief, who is bitterly mourning the brutal death of her son.
Three generations of women arrive at an uneasy peace after years of strife, in Colm Tóibín’s resonant and complex family drama.
Set in modern day Ireland, The Blackwater Lightship tells the tale of Dora Devereaux, her daughter Lily and grand-daughter Helen. Declan, Helen’s adored brother, is dying. Brought together in the grand-mother’s crumbling old house with two of Declan’s friends, the characters are forced to listen to each other’s stories - funny, shocking and sad – as they come to an acceptance of each other across generational boundaries.
About the Author
Colm Tóibín is an Irish novelist, short story writer, essayist, playwright, journalist, critic and poet. He was born in County Wexford, Ireland.