On Canaan’s Side By Sebastian Barry

On Canaan’s Side By Sebastian Barry.

On Canaan’s Side tells the story of Lily Dunne daughter of Thomas Dunne (The Steward of Christendom) and younger sister of Willy Dunne (A Long Long Way), neither of which I have read.

The Book opens with the death of Bill grandson of 89 year old Lily.  At 19 Bill is a divorced vet of the Desert War. After a night’s drinking he breaks in to his old school and hangs himself.  During the next 17 days Lily reminisces about her life, while struggling to deal with her grief and make sense of what happened

Lily Dunne is the youngest daughter of Thomas, chief superintendent in the Dublin Metropolitan Police. Growing up in Dublin Castle her view of Irish life in the early 1900’s is slightly different from most others.  Over her life Lily loses three men to war. The first her brother Willie, who fought and  died in the Great War, the second is her son Ed, who fought in Vietnam, and third is Bill. Both Bill and Ed return from war, but are left broken by it. Ed disappears from her life forever and Bill takes his own life.

Lily becomes engaged to an army friend of her brother’s Tadg Bere.  Tadg’s job in the Black and Tans along with her father’s position in the DMP lands a price on the couple’s heads by the IRA and so they flee to a distance cousin in Cleveland. For many months they struggle to build a new life for themselves until the past catches up with Tadg, leaving Lily to flee for her life and start again.

Consumed with grief for Tadg, unable to contact her family back in Ireland, Lily has the good fortune to meet Cassie an African American servant who takes Lily under her wing. Securing her a job in the same house, Cassie teaches Lily everything she needs for employment as a servant.  The two are inseparable until, as a result of being raped and impregnated by her employer, Cassie ends her life. Lily unable to stay in the house without her marries Joe Kinderman a local cop.

Lily and Joe are happily married for several years and expecting their first child when the Cleveland East Ohio Gas Explosion occurs.  Joe a cop is on duty that day.  Lily anxiously awaits his return from work, her vigil is futile. Grieving the loss of a second love, her unborn child (Ed) is the only thing that keeps Lily going, until one day out of the blue she receives a cryptic letter from Joe. 

With a small child to support Lily finds work as a housekeeper for a rich lady in an up market suburb for several years before going to work for her daughter Mrs. Wolohan upon her marriage. Living in the Hamptons, Lily meets Mr. Nolan, an Irishman employed as the Wolohan’s gardener. Their friendship deepens with Mr. Nolan assuming the role of father to Ed, and in turn Bill.

On his deathbed weeks before Bill’s passing Mr Nolan reviles a secret that causes Lily to question their relationship.

On Canaan’s Side is long listed for the 2011 Man Booker Prize. The short list is announced on Tuesday 6 September.