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"Poignant....powerful."—New York Times
One Irish family's fight for survival makes for an unforgettable tale of love, abandonment, hunger, and redemption.
At just sixteen, Nancy Martin leaves the small island of Cape Clear for the mainland, the only member of her family to survive the effects of the Great Famine. Finding work in a grand house on the edge of Cork City, she is irrepressibly drawn to the charismatic gardener Michael Egan, sparking a love affair and a devastating chain of events that continues to unfold over three generations.
Spanning more than a century, Billy O'Callaghan's weaves together the journey of an Irish family determined against all odds to be free. In 1920, Nancy's son Jer has lived through battles of his own as a soldier in the Great War. Now drunk in a jail cell, he struggles to piece together where he has come from, and who he wants to be. And in the early 1980s, Jer's youngest child Nellie is nearing the end of her life in a council house just steps away from her childhood home; remembering the night when she and her family stole back something that was rightfully theirs, she imagines what lies ahead for those who will survive her.
This moving portrait of life in Ireland is set in the village where O'Callaghan's family has lived for generations, and is partly based on stories told by his parents and grandparents. His writing is imbued with lived experience and hard-earned truths, creating a novel so rich in life and empathy it is impossible to let go of his characters. An ambitious and lyrical family saga, this novel confirms Billy O'Callaghan as one of the finest living Irish writers.

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A portrait of life in Ireland follows sixteen-year-old Nancy Martin, the only member of her family to survive the Great Famine, as she embarks on an affair with a handsome gardener, setting off a devastating chain of events that continues to unfold over three generations.

At sixteen Nancy leaves her small island for the mainland, the only member of her family to survive the Great Famine. Finding work in a grand house on the edge of Cork City, she feels irrepressibly drawn to the charismatic gardener Michael Egan, sparking a love affair that soon throws her into a fight for her life. In 1920, Nancy's son Jer has lived through battles of his own as a soldier in the Great War. Now drunk in a jail cell, he struggles to piece together where he has come from, and who he wants to be. And in the early 1980s, Jer's youngest child Nellie is nearing the end of her life in a council house, moments away from her childhood home; remembering the night when she and her family stole back something that was rightfully theirs, she imagines what lies in store for those who will survive her.

The only member of her family to survive the effects of the Great Famine, Nancy Martin leaves the small island of Cape Clear and finds work in a grand house on the edge of Cork City. Her affair with gardener Michael Egan sparks a devastating chain of events. In 1920, Nancy's son Jer has lived through battles of his own as a soldier in the Great War. Now drunk in a jail cell, he struggles to piece together where he has come from, and who he wants to be. In the early 1980s, Jer's youngest child Nellie is nearing the end of her life in a council house, remembering the night when she and her family stole back something that was rightfully theirs. -- adapted from jacket

A sweeping historical epic about one Irish family's fight for survival - the most ambitious novel yet from the Costa-shortlisted writer, for fans of Colm Toibin and Sebastian Barry The unforgettable tale of love, abandonment, hunger and redemption, from the Irish writer who 'grips from the opening page' -BERNARD MACLAVERTY Life Sentences is the sweeping and immersive story of one ordinary family in Ireland, and their extraordinary journey over three generations and more than a century of famine, war, violence and love. At sixteen Nancy leaves her small island for the mainland, the only member of her family to survive the Great Famine. Finding work in a grand house on the edge of Cork City, she feels irrepressibly drawn to the charismatic gardener Michael Egan, sparking a love affair that soon throws her into a fight for her life. In 1920, Nancy's son Jer has lived through battles of his own as a soldier in the Great War. Now drunk in a jail cell, he struggles to piece together where he has come from, and who he wants to be. And in the early 1980s, Jer's youngest child Nellie is nearing the end of her life in a council house, moments away from her childhood home; remembering the night when she and her family stole back something that was rightfully theirs, she imagines what lies in store for those who will survive her. A taut domestic drama of epic emotional scope, and a moving portrait of life in Ireland throughout modern history, this novel goes on making the heart lurch long after the final page. Set in the village where Billy O'Callaghan's family has lived for generations, it is partly based on stories told by his parents and grandparents. His writing is imbued with truth and lived experience - creating a novel so rich in life and empathy it is impossible to let go of his characters. 'A welcome voice to the pantheon of new Irish writing' Edna O'Brien 'Billy O'Callaghan belongs now in the recognised front rank, along with Bernard MacLaverty, Edna O'Brien, William Trevor and Colm T ibin' Tablet 'His prose is a feast after a famine... Invariably delightful' Irish Times

A sweeping historical epic about one Irish family's fight for survival - the most ambitious novel yet from the Costa-shortlisted writer, for fans of Colm Toibin and Sebastian Barry *THE #3 IRISH BESTSELLER* *A SIN AD & RICK 'MUST READS' PICK*An unforgettable tale of love, abandonment, hunger and redemption, from a rising star of Irish fiction 'O'Callaghan is one of our finest writers . . . and this is his best work yet' JOHN BANVILLE ***** At just sixteen, Nancy leaves the small island of Cape Clear for the mainland, the only member of her family to survive the effects of the Great Famine. Finding work in a grand house on the edge of Cork City, she is irrepressibly drawn to the charismatic gardener Michael Egan, sparking a love affair and a devastating chain of events that continues to unfold over three generations. Spanning more than a century, Life Sentences is the unforgettable journey of a family hungry for redemption, and determined against all odds to be free. This sweeping story of one family's fight for survival goes on making the heart lurch long after the final page, and confirms Billy O'Callaghan as one of the finest living Irish writers. ***** 'A lovely, piercing book' SEBASTIAN BARRY 'Stops you in your tracks so you can savour its utter beauty' ANNE GRIFFIN 'Momentous and epic storytelling' BERNARD MACLAVERTY 'So good and true it feels almost magical' SADIE JONES 'Eminently readable . . . My book of the year so far' RYAN TUBRIDY

The sweeping story of one Irish family's fight for survival makes for an unforgettable tale of love, abandonment, hunger, and redemption. At just sixteen, Nancy Martin leaves the small island of Cape Clear for the mainland, the only member of her family to survive the effects of the Great Famine. Finding work in a grand house on the edge of Cork City, she is irrepressibly drawn to the charismatic gardener Michael Egan, sparking a love affair and a devastating chain of events that continues to unfold over three generations. Spanning more than a century, Billy O'Callaghan's Life Sentences weaves together the journey of an Irish family determined against all odds to be free. In 1920, Nancy's son Jer has lived through battles of his own as a soldier in the Great War. Now drunk in a jail cell, he struggles to piece together where he has come from, and who he wants to be. And in the early 1980s, Jer's youngest child Nellie is nearing the end of her life in a council house just steps away from her childhood home; remembering the night when she and her family stole back something that was rightfully theirs, she imagines what lies ahead for those who will survive her. This moving portrait of life in Ireland is set in the village where O'Callaghan's family has lived for generations, and is partly based on stories told by his parents and grandparents. His writing is imbued with lived experience and hard-earned truths, creating a novel so rich in life and empathy it is impossible to let go of these characters. This ambitious and lyrical family saga confirms Billy O'Callaghan as one of the finest living Irish writers. "The reader is invested from the start...So poetically elegant as to be breathtaking...writing at its finest." "O'Callaghan has done a brilliant job of capturing the ethos of the Irish setting as we see it through the beautifully created lives of his characters, who are extraordinary, as is this timeless book about them." "O'Callaghan dissects the trials and survival of a Cork family across several generations...He writes with a bright, enlivening emotional palette and a penetrating eye for the details of family history...A deeply felt and distinctive work by a real craftsman." "Inspired by stories from his own family history, O'Callaghan delivers a slim novel that is thick with memory and regret. The hard lives of the Martins leave readers with an indelible impression of Irish history." "A superb and moving novel. O'Callaghan is one of our finest writers...and this is his best work yet." "A thoughtful, slow-motion novel, an antidote to the tics and quips of some millennial fiction."

Life Sentences is the sweeping and immersive story of one ordinary family in Ireland, and their extraordinary journey over three generations and more than a century of famine, war, violence and love. At sixteen Nancy leaves her small island for the mainland, the only member of her family to survive the Great Famine. Finding work in a grand house on the edge of Cork City, she feels irrepressibly drawn to the charismatic gardener Michael Egan, sparking a love affair that soon throws her into a fight for her life. In 1920, Nancy's son Jer has lived through battles of his own as a soldier in the Great War. Now drunk in a jail cell, he struggles to piece together where he has come from, and who he wants to be. And in the early 1980s, Jer's youngest child Nellie is nearing the end of her life in a council house, moments away from her childhood home; remembering the night when she and her family stole back something that was rightfully theirs, she imagines what lies in store for those who will survive her. A taut domestic drama of epic emotional scope, and a moving portrait of life in Ireland throughout modern history, this novel goes on making the heart lurch long after the final page. Set in the village where Billy O'Callaghan's family has lived for generations, it is partly based on stories told by his parents and grandparents.

"The sweeping and immersive story of one ordinary family in Ireland, and their extraordinary journey over three generations and more than a century of famine, war, violence and love ... A taut domestic drama of epic emotional scope, and a moving portrait of life in Ireland throughout modern history, this novel goes on making the heart lurch long after the final page. Set in the village where Billy O'Callaghan's family has lived for generations, it is partly based on stories told by his parents and grandparents"--

"At just sixteen, Nancy Martin leaves the small island of Cape Clear for the mainland, the only member of her family to survive the effects of the Great Famine. Finding work in a grand house on the edge of Cork City, she is irrepressibly drawn to the charismatic gardener Michael Egan, sparking a love affair and a devastating chain of events that continues to unfold over three generations"--

*THE #3 IRISH BESTSELLER* 'Momentous and epic' BERNARD MACLAVERTY 'Superb and moving' JOHN BANVILLE 'A lovely, piercing book' SEBASTIAN BARRY Three generations. More than a century of famine, war, violence and love. At sixteen Nancy, the only member of her family to survive the Great Famine, leaves her small island for the mainland. Finding work in a grand house on the edge of Cork City, she feels irrepressibly drawn to the charismatic gardener Michael Egan, sparking a love affair that soon throws her into a fight for her life. In 1920, Nancy's son Jer has lived through battles of his own as a soldier in the Great War. Now drunk in a jail cell, he struggles to piece together where he has come from, and who he wants to be. And in the early 1980s, Jer's youngest child Nellie is nearing the end of her life in a council house, moments away from her childhood home; remembering the night when she and her family stole back something that was rightfully theirs, she imagines what lies in store for those who will survive her. 'Brilliantly immerses us in its respective time periods' SUNDAY TIMES