Dublin, 1907. A young actress begins an affair with a damaged older man, the leading playwright at the theatre where she works. Outspoken and flirtatious, Molly Allgood is a Catholic girl from the slums of Dublin, dreaming of stardom in America. Her lover, John Synge, is a troubled genius, whose life is hampered by convention and by the austere and God-fearing mother with whom he lives. Their affair, sternly opposed by friends and family, is quarrelsome, affectionate and tender. Many years later, Molly, now a poverty-stricken old woman, makes her way through London's bomb-scarred city streets, alone but for a snowdrift of memories. Her once dazzling career has faded but her unquenchable passion for life has kept her afloat.

A powerful and deeply moving masterpiece about love, partings and reconciliation - and of the courage involved in living on nobody else's terms.

About the Author
Joseph O'Connor was born in Dublin. His novels include Cowboys and Indians (Whitbread Prize shortlist), Star of the Sea (Irish Post Award for Fiction, France's Prix Millepages, Prix Madeleine Zepter for European Novel of the Year), Redemption Falls, and Ghost Light (Dublin One City One Book Novel, 2011). In 2012 he won the Irish PEN Award for Outstanding Achievement in Literature. His work has been published in thirty-five languages. www.josephoconnorauthor.com

Reviews
"A subtle wonder... Unmissible" * Daily Mail *
"A spellbinding read" * The Times *
"A superbly written, magically evocative novel" * Scotsman *
"A virtuoso display of literary talent...brimming with sympathy and skill" -- Adrian Frazier * Irish Times *
"Masterful in its management of re-imagined lives and the time they inhabit" -- Hugo Hamilton * Financial Times *



Book Information
ISBN 9780099481546
Author Joseph O'Connor
Format Paperback
Page Count 256
Imprint Vintage
Publisher Vintage Publishing
Weight(grams) 181g
Dimensions(mm) 198mm * 129mm * 16mm