Crime mystery set in PENZANCE, CORNWALL
Novel set in IRELAND and CANADA
5th August 2026
Land by Maggie O’Farrell, novel set in Ireland and Canada
Land by Maggie O’Farrell cleverly mixes the tale of four Irish siblings with accounts of other generations of the same family. There is also a rich vein of folklore and mythology, which tempers the harsh conditions endured by the family in the time during and after the Great Hunger. It’s an account that is mainly set during the occupation and subjugation of Ireland and the Irish by the British. During that time the Mapmaker (Tomás, the siblings’ father) worked for the British out of dire need, in order to feed his family. His young son Liam is his unpaid apprentice. It’s an extraordinary story of a family’s love for each other and the strength that they gain from this bond to sustain themselves.
O’Farrell’s story roots the family in their Land, describing their surroundings in terms of the geology and topography that Tomás and Liam are mapping. Their small acts of rebellion include deliberately failing to record certain beloved features of the Land, the better to preserve them from exploitation and destruction by the occupiers, and using Irish names instead of their English equivalents.
When the siblings (Liam, Enda, Rose and Eugene) try to free themselves from their bonds it inevitably means leaving their beloved Land. As they entrust their futures to fate – and the other people they meet along the way – each has different traumas to face and overcome. They have differing degrees of success. You can’t fail to become involved with O’Farrell’s characters, and to love the Land that is so much a part of their story. Unreservedly recommended.
Sue for the TripFiction Team
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