Few and Far Between
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Transworld Publishers Ltd
Publishing:9th Apr '26
£18.99
This title is due to be published on 9th April, and will be despatched as soon as possible.
From the award-winning author of The Raptures and The Fire Starters, a magically surreal novel about history, identity and redemption
'A stunningly original novel...one of the most imaginative and talented Irish writers at work today' Roisín O’Donnell, author of Nesting
'No writer captures the absurdity and beauty of life quite like [Jan Carson] does' Sara Baume, author of Seven Steeples
‘Warm, sharp and gloriously funny' Sarah Moss, author of Ripeness
‘Her best book yet’ Heather Parry, author of Carrion Crow
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It’s summer 2017 and the last few residents of the Lough Neagh Archipelago are facing imminent eviction. The flood planned to combat a devastating algae outbreak will submerge their homes, forcing them back to the Mainland for the first time in fifty years.
Robert-John and Marion Connolly came to the islands as children in the 1970s, following their mercurial father, an anthropologist studying the unique society that had developed there. For many, the Neagh Archipelago represented a utopia, a chance to be free of the prejudices and history of Troubles era Northern Ireland. But perhaps this utopia wasn’t all that it seemed.
Marion and Robert-John have grown accustomed to their haunted existence on the Ark, monitoring the mysterious Far Side, where ghostly figures linger and the land swallows secrets whole. How will they cope with a new life on the Mainland? Is it possible to leave the past behind? And will the Ark ever let them go...
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‘No one writes like Jan Carson. Surreal times call for surreal stories, and Few and Far Between packages history, horror and redemption in her signature combination of humour and grace.’ Sheila Armstrong, author of Falling Animals
'Jan Carson is a born storyteller: her work is so imaginative, whimsical, mischievous and brave, but tender and curious too — you never know where she's going to take you next, so reading her is always an adventure.' Lisa McInerney, author of The Glorious Heresies
'Jan Carson is a unique and very special writer, one of the greatest of the modern fabulists' Donal Ryan, author of Heart be at Peace
'One of the most exciting and original Northern Irish writers of her generation.' Sunday Times
Warm, sharp and gloriously funny, Jan Carson writes exuberant prose about difficult people in interesting times * Sarah Moss, author of Ripeness *
A stunningly original novel told with warmth and humour. The story of an island sanctuary, it celebrates all the joys and challenges of living in a community, and should further cement Carson's reputation as one of the most imaginative and talented Irish writers at work today. * Roisín O’Donnell, author of Nesting *
Jan Carson's understanding of, and love for, complicated human people is unmatched in contemporary literature. In Few and Far Between she turns that canny eye to the long effects of, and attempts to recover from, The Troubles, and what results is her best book yet. * Heather Parry, author of Carrion Crow *
A joy to read… No writer captures the absurdity and beauty of life quite like [Jan Carson] does, and with this novel she has created something especially prescient, a fictional microcosm that speaks so powerfully about the troubled state of the planet, and of society. I revelled in her attention to detail, to the unexpected, to glorious oddity. * Sara Baume, author of Spill Simmer Falter Wither *
Few and Far Between is Jan Carson’s most ambitious novel yet – bold in its counter-factual conception, confident in its scope, yet intimate in the knowledge of its characters, all of whom are accorded dignity and a quiet humanity. It’s also very, very funny. * Lucy Caldwell, author of These Days *
No one writes like Jan Carson. Surreal times call for surreal stories, and Few and Far Between packages history, horror and redemption in her signature combination of humour and grace. * Sheila Armstrong, author of Falling Animals *
ISBN: 9781529936759
Dimensions: 224mm x 146mm x 34mm
Weight: 468g
368 pages