The Heart in Winter
Published on 24. April 2025
Book
Paperback/Softback
224 pages
978-1-83726-079-9 (ISBN)
Description
THE SUNDAY TIMES HISTORICAL NOVEL OF THE YEAR
THE INSTANT IRISH TIMES BESTSELLER
PICKED AS A BOOK OF THE YEAR BY THE GUARDIAN, NEW STATESMAN, OBSERVER, IRISH TIMES, INDEPENDENT, IRISH INDEPENDENT, IRISH EXAMINER, TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT, SCOTSMAN, THE TIMES AND ECONOMIST
AN i-PAPER AND SUNDAY TIMES BOOK TO READ THIS SUMMER
SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2025 WALTER SCOTT PRIZE
WINNER OF THE HWA GOLD CROWN
'An absolute belter of a book' ANNE ENRIGHT
He was ready to die for love. He just needed to find the right girl.
October, 1891. Tom Rourke is a poet struggling to make a life amongst the Irish migrant workers in Butte, Montana. He is a doper and a drinker and a fearsome degenerate. His life is heading nowhere fast. That is until he meets Polly Gillespie, the new bride of a devout mine captain, and a thunderbolt love affair takes spark.
Tom and Polly strike out west on a stolen horse. But a posse of deranged Cornish gunsmen are in hot pursuit of the lovers, and closing in fast . . .
THE INSTANT IRISH TIMES BESTSELLER
PICKED AS A BOOK OF THE YEAR BY THE GUARDIAN, NEW STATESMAN, OBSERVER, IRISH TIMES, INDEPENDENT, IRISH INDEPENDENT, IRISH EXAMINER, TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT, SCOTSMAN, THE TIMES AND ECONOMIST
AN i-PAPER AND SUNDAY TIMES BOOK TO READ THIS SUMMER
SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2025 WALTER SCOTT PRIZE
WINNER OF THE HWA GOLD CROWN
'An absolute belter of a book' ANNE ENRIGHT
He was ready to die for love. He just needed to find the right girl.
October, 1891. Tom Rourke is a poet struggling to make a life amongst the Irish migrant workers in Butte, Montana. He is a doper and a drinker and a fearsome degenerate. His life is heading nowhere fast. That is until he meets Polly Gillespie, the new bride of a devout mine captain, and a thunderbolt love affair takes spark.
Tom and Polly strike out west on a stolen horse. But a posse of deranged Cornish gunsmen are in hot pursuit of the lovers, and closing in fast . . .
Reviews / Votes
An absolute belter of a book -- ANNE ENRIGHT [An] inventive take on the American West . . . Kevin Barry has a wonderfully poetic, funny turn of phrase. A first-class chase novel full of grotesque characters and oddities * * The Times * * A great big rollicking ballad of a novel -- COLUM McCANN Holy damn, it's good -- DAVID MITCHELL A glorious book with all the heart and excitement of a classic Western, couched in the mixture of lyrical style and offbeat comedy that has become Barry's trademark * * Daily Telegraph * * [A] terrific read * * iNews * * It takes a sublime artist like Kevin Barry to map the wildest outposts of the human heart. He captures his poet bandit's spirit through language that is consistently original, consistently exhilarating -- CLAIRE KILROY A glorious and haunted yarn -- JON McGREGOR Another bloody brilliant little symphony from Barry. Gorgeous -- MAX PORTER A haunting, hypnotic love story of two damaged souls. Barry's talent is breath-taking - he is a true original and, once again, words obey his call. This is a propulsive read from a writer at the height of his powers -- MARY COSTELLOMore details
Edition
Main
Language
English
Place of publication
Edinburgh
United Kingdom
Product notice
Paperback (UK-B)
Dimensions
Height: 127 mm
Width: 196 mm
Thickness: 17 mm
Weight
164 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-83726-079-9 (9781837260799)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Kevin Barry is the author of four novels and three story collections. His awards include the IMPAC Dublin Literary Award, the Goldsmiths Prize, the Sunday Times EFG Short Story Award and the Lannan Foundation Literary Award. His stories and essays have appeared in the New Yorker, Granta and elsewhere. His novel, Night Boat to Tangier, was an Irish number one bestseller, was longlisted for the Booker Prize and named one of the Top Ten Books of the Year by the New York Times. He also works as a playwright and screenwriter, and he lives in County Sligo, Ireland.