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The Story of Lucy Gault
The Story of Lucy Gault
Dec 1, 2025 5:40 PM

Author:William Trevor

The Story of Lucy Gault

Shortlisted for the 2002 Man Booker Prize

'A masterwork. I doubt that I have read a book as moving in at least a decade. A homage to the redemptive power of love' Independent

Summer, 1921. Eight-year-old Lucy Gault clings to the glens and woods above Lahardane - the home her family is being forced to abandon. She knows the Gaults are no longer welcome in Ireland and that danger threatens. Lucy, however, is headstrong and decides that somehow she must force her parents into staying. But the path she chooses ends in disaster. One chance event, unwanted and unexpected, will blight the lives of the Gaults for years to come and bind each of them in different ways to this one moment in time, to this wild stretch of coast . . .

'Flawless. Guaranteed to keep you reading - all through the night if necessary - to find out what happens. Trevor's best novel' New Statesman

'Dark, elegantly written ... a book to relish' Independent on Sunday

Reviews

Gravely beautiful, subtle and haunting

—— Guardian

Astonishing, tender. A perfect novel

—— Sunday Telegraph

Stark yet tender, without a single false note. There will be only a handful of novels worth reading this year (or any year) . . . this book is certainly one

—— Literary Review

Flawless . . . not a single word seems out of place. Guaranteed to keep you reading - all trhough the night if necessary - to find out what happens. Trevor's best novel

—— New Statesman

Striking, throughtful. Written with grace and finesse and charged throughout with a persuasive disquiet

—— Independent

Dark, elegantly written . . . a book to relish

—— Independent on Sunday

Unusual, beguiling, beautiful

—— The Times

A masterwork. I doubt that I have read a book as moving in at least a decade. A homage to the gift of redemptive love

—— Fegal Keane , Independent

An extraordinary moving and original novel, a story of secrecy and lies, love and loss that manages to be both heart-breaking and life-affirming... This is Barr's first novel for teenagers and it is as brave as Flora herself.

—— Daily Mail

Clever and original with a unique heroine, this is a refreshing love story. A great YA read to start 2017.

—— The Sun, Book of the Week

A coming of age mystery that is unforgettable. Perfect for book groups of all ages and fans of Hitchcock and Before I Go To Sleep.

—— South Wales Evening Post

The writing is impeccable.

Serious kudos to Emily Barr for creating a narrative that has to undergo a lot of repetition...but constantly feels fresh and new.

Flora Banks is brave and fierce, and goes on the kind of adventure that most of us wouldn't even dare to attempt.

What struck us the most was the 'realness' of the story, despite it being one epic trip that is almost hard to imagine happening... And yet, Flora's experiences and the things people say and do to her are incredibly real.

—— Maximum Pop! Books

[Barr] has created a likeable character in Flora.

—— The Times

Simply superb; both clever and poignant. Flora is enchanting.

—— Irish Examiner

With its original plot and charming protagonist, there is much to like about Emily Barr's young-adult debut.

Her [Emily's] page-turning talents are put to good use in Flora's adventure, as the reader accompanies a brave teenager on a journey to discover who she really is.

Barr's light touch captures the innocence and integrity of Flora's voice.

Readers will surely have difficulty forgetting about Flora, her parents and their predicament.

—— Irish Times

An icily atmospheric story with a captivating hook.

A pacy page-turner that packs a significant emotional punch.

—— The Guardian

An absorbing, original and definitely memorable book.

—— Sunday Express

A winning mix of a John Green/ Rainbow Rowell-style sharpness and sensitivity, but underlined with a darker edge, belying the author's previous experience as a thriller writer . . . a coming-of-age, finding-yourself-type novel which is, in turn, unsettling and uplifting.

—— View

This is yet another masterwork from the wonderful Israeli novelist whose work resonates with emotional intelligence, humanity and truth.

—— Eileen Battersby , Irish Times

Bold, brash, angry and heartbreakingly tender, with flurries of exasperated humour, here is a novel to take one by surprise… A demanding and gloriously rewarding novel, in it Grossman confronts the business of being alive.

—— Eileen Battersby , Irish Times

A sensitive and deeply emotional account of a past-prime comedian… This book is an immersive read for both the fans and haters of the stand-up comedy, but tread carefully if you’re not up for an emotional rollercoaster.

—— Yoojung Chun , Oxford Student

The perfect antidote to Trump.

—— Sarah Churchwell , Guardian

This book is a compelling study of the relationship between artist and spectator, and how suffering feeds into art, and he’s made of it a bravura performance… Extraordinary.

—— Alastair Mabbott , Herald

A haunting, intense and Man Booker International prize-winning novel from a great writer.

—— Mail on Sunday

Incredibly fast paced, and the dialogue comes at you like a machine gun… It is powerful in its own right.

—— Sara Garland , Nudge

Abrasive, unexpected and eventually heartbreaking, it is a masterclass in characterisation and structure, and it beat off some exceptionally strong competition to win the prize… A Horse Walks into a Bar is quite unlike any other Grossman book except in one important respect: it’s another masterpiece.

—— Nick Barley , New Statesman

Excellent.

—— Dara Ó Briain , Observer

Pitch-perfect black comedy

—— Salman Rushdie , Guardian
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