Notes

Paul Lynch.

354 pages.

Summary: Early one October morning, Grace's mother snatches her from sleep and brutally cuts off her hair, declaring, You are the strong one now. With winter close at hand and Ireland already suffering, Grace is no longer safe at home. And so her mother outfits Grace in men's clothing and casts her out. When her younger brother Colly follows after her, the two set off on a remarkable journey in the looming shadow of their country's darkest hour. The broken land they pass through reveals untold suffering as well as unexpected beauty. To survive, Grace must become a boy, a bandit, a penitent and finally a woman, all the while afflicted by inner voices that arise out of what she has seen and what she has lost. (Publisher)