This is an extraordinary work of profound breadth and depth: of language and the representation of identity; of colonisation, repression and appropriation. It’s a story of classical versus contemporary art; of generational change and of fighting to save a culture’s traditions. It’s also a story of the English in Ireland and the sectarian killings in The Troubles in the late 1970s. This is Europe in a microcosm.
The island narrative moves between third and first-person perspectives, flowing smoothly from one to the other. Between chapters are factual accounts of deaths from The Troubles. London artist, Mr Lloyd is taken by currach to a remote island off the west coast of Ireland, home to a small extended family and the dramatic cliffs Lloyd wishes to paint. There are inherent difficulties. The oldest inhabitant speaks only Irish. But the youngest, James, speaks only English, so he’s tasked with looking after Lloyd. James is interested in Lloyd’s art and shows promise as an artist himself. Jean-Pierre Masson, a French linguist, who is trying to save the Irish language, joins them. The enmity between England and France is exposed. Their debates are civilised but both are hypocrites.
Life on the island revolves around finding enough food each day to survive. James hates fishing – a career path chosen for him. He begs to be taken to London by Lloyd. His mother, Mairéad, wishes a proxy escape from the island by having Lloyd paint her, causing friction in the family. Promises are made but can any Irish person trust the English?
Spellbinding literature from the very top shelf.
Reviewed by Bob Moore
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Audrey Magee was born in Ireland and lives in Wicklow. She worked for twelve years as a journalist and has written for, among others, The Times, The Irish Times, the Observer and the Guardian. She studied German and French at University College Dublin and journalism at Dublin City University.
Her first novel, The Undertaking, was shortlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction, for France’s Festival du Premier Roman and for the Irish Book Awards. It was also nominated for the Dublin Literary Award and the Water Scott Prize for Historical Fiction. The Undertaking has been translated into ten languages and is being adapted for film.
Audrey’s second novel, The Colony, was published by Faber & Faber in 2022.
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