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THE SOLDIER'S SONG |
Author: Alan MonaghanOriginal Publisher: UK Pan Macmillan |
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Rights Sold:World English - Pan Macmillan |
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A powerful novel of action and love during the First World War. A brilliant young mathematic scholar volunteers for the King's Army after being humiliated and ostracised by his lady love and her superior friends at university. Turkey, Flanders and the Dublin of 1916 send him reeling from one theatre to another; amid the horror of war, his own outstanding capabilities honed in the harsh beauty of rural Ireland enable him to save lives, and to take them until he questions his own identity and allegiance. This is a novel which is already being described as the Irish Birdsong; it is as controversial as The Wind that Shook the Barley; here however subjects that have not really been addressed for 90 years and more are brought to the surface in writing which is sure and compelling as is the story-line. THE SOLDIER'S SONG marks the emergence of a major new Irish writer bold enough to combine a stunning tale and harsh political reality to forge an achingly poignant novel. To hear RTE Radio 1's interview with Alan Monaghan click here To watch a clip of the review on RTE's The View click here Praise 'So often novels of the First World War become overwhelmed by the emotiveness and anger which the subject invariably brings with it; but this book avoids that pitfall, instead offering a beautifully written, objective tale of one man’s war...Devoid of rants against the High Command and armchair generals, and with the interwoven love story remaining subtly understated, THE SOLDIER'S SONG is a view of a changing world gone mad, and will stay with me for a long time.' Daily Mail 'Monaghan is an engaging writer - he won the 2002 Hennessy New Irish Writer award for the short story upon which THE SOLDIER'S SONG is based - and this is a well-paced and immensely readable novel...[this book] marks out Monaghan as writer of promise, and on the strength of its storytelling and elegantly pitched ending, THE SOLDIER'S SONG should leave his readers eager for act two to begin.' Irish Times 'THE SOLDIER'S SONG is not high art, but it is craftsmanship of a high order. It is a well-made book, less pretentious in its ambitions, more workmanlike in the way it goes about its business.' Independent '...my "must-read" novel for January...the history, plot and characters are deftly handled and it's well written, engaging and highly readable. And the Dublin setting obviously gives it great potential to be the first bestseller of 2010 for us.' Bob Johnston - The owner of The Gutter Bookshop in Dublin in The Bookseller 'Impressive first part of a projected trilogy...THE SOLDIER'S SONG is a fine story well told.' Evening Herald 'As with Faulks, Monaghan can expect comparisons to Barker, not least because he plans to write several books in this series. Based on this engaging, unsentimental debut, he'll deservedly find a wide readership.' Sunday Business Post To read a blog review of THE SOLDIER'S SONG and an interview with the author click here |
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