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The Blackwater Lightship

Colm Tóibín

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The Blackwater Lightship

by Colm Tóibín
The Blackwater Lightship
The Blackwater Lightship

Dysfunctional family confronts mortality, healing old wounds.

If family complexities and raw emotional journeys speak to you, "The Blackwater Lightship" could resonate deeply. Toibin's delicate dissection of a family in crisis, amid the backdrop of coastal Ireland, brings a heartfelt narrative about reconciliation and the power of facing one's shared grief. The evocative setting and generational contrasts are bound to stir a profound empathy in you as the characters navigate their turbulent waters.

  • Booker Prize Nominee (1999)
  • Dublin Literary Award Nominee for Shortlist (2001)
Note: While we do our best to ensure the accuracy of cover images, ISBNs may at times be reused for different editions of the same title which may hence appear as a different cover.

The Blackwater Lightship

by Colm Tóibín
Condition guide

Book Condition Guide

Books in Like New Condition

This book may contain very minor cosmetic defects, but it is in pristine condition. There should be no yellowing, no foxing, no water damage, and no annotations of any kind on the cover and the pages. For paperbacks, there should not be any crease marks on the spine. This book is good as new — lucky you!

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

Books in Very Good Condition

This book has been used, but it is still in a clean condition. There should be no foxing or annotations of any kind on the inner pages, but a sparse amount may be present on the cover, title pages, or outside edges of the book. There should be no water damage of any kind. For paperbacks, there may be light crease marks on the spine.

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

Books in Good Condition

We do our best to ensure the quality of our books, but there is no escaping the wear and tear that comes with time. Slight foxing and some annotations may be present on the pages and the cover. There should be no water damage of any kind. For paperbacks, there may be several crease marks on the spine.

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

Books in Well Read Condition

This is a well-read book, which means that the previous owner probably really enjoyed it! The cover and pages may include moderate foxing and annotations, but the text is not obscured and still readable. Moderate cosmetic defects and minor water damage may be present on the edges of the book. For paperbacks, there may be multiple crease marks on the spine.

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

 

Find out more about our process here.

ISBN: 9780330389860
Author: Colm Tóibín
Publisher: Picador
Date of Publication: 2000-04-01
Format: Paperback
Related Collections: Literary Fiction, Contemporary
Related Topics: LGBTQ+, Literature
Goodreads rating: 3.95
(rated by 8511 readers)

Description

In Blackwater in the early 1990s, three women - 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 and come to terms with one another.
 

Dysfunctional family confronts mortality, healing old wounds.

If family complexities and raw emotional journeys speak to you, "The Blackwater Lightship" could resonate deeply. Toibin's delicate dissection of a family in crisis, amid the backdrop of coastal Ireland, brings a heartfelt narrative about reconciliation and the power of facing one's shared grief. The evocative setting and generational contrasts are bound to stir a profound empathy in you as the characters navigate their turbulent waters.

  • Booker Prize Nominee (1999)
  • Dublin Literary Award Nominee for Shortlist (2001)
Note: While we do our best to ensure the accuracy of cover images, ISBNs may at times be reused for different editions of the same title which may hence appear as a different cover.

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