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Old God's Time

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Old God's Time

By: Sebastian Barry
Narrated by: Stephen Hogan
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About this listen

THE SUNDAY TIMES TOP TEN BESTSELLER

TWICE WINNER OF THE COSTA BOOK OF THE YEAR

Tom Kettle, a retired policeman, and widower, is settling into the quiet of his new home in Dalkey, overlooking the sea. His solitude is interrupted when two former colleagues turn up at his door to ask about a traumatic, decades-old case. A case that Tom never quite came to terms with. And his peace is further disturbed when his new neighbour, a mysterious young mother, asks for his help.

A beautiful, haunting novel, in which nothing is quite as it seems, Old God's Time is an unforgettable exploration of family, loss and love

©2023 Sebastian Barry (P)2023 Faber Audio Family Life Fiction Genre Fiction World Literature Native American Emotionally Gripping Heartfelt Scary Tear-jerking Thought-Provoking Inspiring

Critic Reviews

"His work reminds us how much we need these rare gifts of the natural storyteller." (Tessa Hadley)

"Full of love and heartache, this is an unforgettable novel from one of our finest writers." (Douglas Stuart)

"Shocking, stunning and extraordinarily brave. Barry has once again written a character for the ages." (Liz Nugent)
All stars
Most relevant
Absolutely stunning writing. Hogan’s a marvellous wordsmith.
Warning: reader discretion is advised. A gut wrenching topic.

Wow

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Beautifully written and beautifully read read look into one old man's thoughts and life experiences.

Thought provoking and compassionate

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I'm grateful to Sebastian Barry for telling this story, while fictional, a truth all priests and men in power should acknowledge. I'm glad that such evil is highlighted here so powerfully.

A powerful telling of an Irish tragedy

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It took a long time before I realised where the story was going. We’ll past halfway I had a short burst of interest, but not enough for me to feel this a riveting story. But I know lovers of SB will enjoy this novel

Great writing but not my “cup-of-tea”

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The reader did a fantastic job but as the narrator appears to be in the throes of dementia, I found the story hard to follow. It also includes quite graphic descriptions of child abuse which were jarring and haunting

Confusing and haunting

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In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.