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The Blackwater Lightship

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The Blackwater Lightship

By: Colm Toibin
Narrated by: Niamh Cusack
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About this listen

Set in Ireland in the 1990s, Colm Tóibín's The Blackwater Lightship tells the story of the Devereux family. Dora Devereux, her daughter Lily and her granddaughter Helen have come together after years of strife and reached an uneasy truce. Helen’s adored brother, Declan, is dying. Two friends join him and the women in a crumbling old house by the sea, where the six of them, from different generations and with different beliefs, must listen to and come to terms with one another.

©1999 Colm Toibin (P)2018 Audible, Ltd Family Life Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Literature & Fiction Women's Fiction
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This is the only hook I have read (and now listened) to more than one. Such a beautiful story.

A lovely story

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went nonstop from start to finish. I was immersed into the world of this story and engaged by the characters.

my first Colm Toibín and definitely not last

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a beautiful, heart wrenching story of family, grief and forgiveness. The love of friends and the desire to be loved shines through this novel, as we slowly listen to a families turmoil of acceptance and loss.

The turmoil of family

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Beautifully written, storyline clever, witty and poignant. The complexities of multi generations & generarional trauma in 90s rural Ireland portrayed perfecty. A book that tugs at your heart, makes you smile , laugh& cry as you are brought along in this tale. I had Goosebumps at times..Narrator did this book proud. Not surprised it was Niamh Cusack who did such a brilliant job in sharing this sceal. Thank you x

Beautifully written,poignantbut compelling read

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With an Irish ancestry I was familiar with many of the sayings and attitudes. It brought back memories of customs in my early childhood.
Beautifully written but incredibly sad about the poor communication, misunderstandings and long term disharmony in this family. Hearing about the account of Declan suffering was much worse than I had been aware. The characters were well portrayed.

Heart wrenching

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A gentle family story which is a little too real at times. Mothers and daughters. Generational trauma and a family death.

The family dynamic is too real

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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.