This week, our Book of the Week is The Butchers, by Ruth Gilligan. The Butchers deals with the subjects of the Irish borderlands, Catholicism vs Celtic Tradition, and family relationships. We have selected a list of similar books you might enjoy.
Normal People, by Sally Rooney
Connell and Marianne are from different worlds. He is the effortlessly popular star of the school football team; she keeps her head down and dreams of escaping their small Irish town. When the pair are both accepted into Trinity College Dublin, their worlds drift apart and collide in a realistic portrayal of growing up.
Night Boat to Tangier, by Kevin Barry
Barry’s latest novel looks at the impact of crime on the soul through Charlie and Maurice, ageing Irish gangsters chatting about their lives in a Spanish ferry terminal. These men are deeply flawed, carrying their familial tragedies into Spain on the hunt for Charlie’s missing daughter. This book is darkly comic, with a look into the devastating results of serious crime, and was longlisted for the Booker Prize in 2019.
Nine Folds Make A Paper Swan, by Ruth Gilligan
Telling the untold stories of Irish Jews, Nine Folds Make A Paper Swan examines belonging, communities, and Irish identity in one spellbinding novel. Three intertwining voices combine to tell their stories throughout three different time periods, creating a comprehensive account of previously overlooked religious history in Ireland.
Where the Crawdads Sing, by Delia Owens
Owens’ 2018 novel is a beautiful coming of age story which has topped the NYTimes’ Best Seller List for the past two years. The story follows two different timelines which slowly come together, combining a murder investigation with a young girl’s experiences growing up in an isolated marsh in North Carolina in the 1950’s-60’s.
Some of these books are available to download from our cloudLibrary here. All you need is a Kensington and Chelsea library card and if you are not a member, don’t worry, just click here – it’s completely free to join and use our resources.
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