Excellent book

Excellent story, beautifully read. I felt engaged the whole way through. To get the most out of this book you need to read the previous novel first: Days Without End.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

Unnecessary

The book is wonderful, almost as good as the first. However, there is a particular branch of the story that I could see coming a mile off. It seemed too cliché though. But he did it and for me it spoilt it.

Trying not to ruin the story.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Beautiful writing.

Sebastian Barry won many plaudits and prizes for the prequel to his novel, Days Without End. So A Thousand Moons had a lot to live up to and I think it did.

Essentially, the story continues the tale of Winona, a young Native American girl, who has been adopted by two former soldiers John Cole (also a Native American) and Thomas McNulty, an Irish-born man who occasionally likes to don a dress. The story takes place in post-Civil War Tennessee where the family live and work on a farm alongside former slaves who are their friends.
The extended family face prejudice, inequality of treatment and open racism; but Winona is educated and loved and feels safe and protected within her unusual family.

So when a local white man comes a-courting Winona, you just know there is going to be trouble. One of the slaves is attacked and injured by local renegades and Winona is sexually assaulted by an unknown assailant. She believes her sweetheart may have been involved but he denies all knowledge of the attack. She struggles to come to terms with her experiences and with the casual indifference of local law enforcement officers. To the local people she is considered to be clever but overall she is just another 'wild savage' and someone with no legal rights. When her former sweetheart is found dead, suspicion falls on Winona and she is tried for murder.

On the face of it A Thousand Moons seems to be a quiet, simple story; that is until it explodes into a shock of discovery that catches the reader (at least this one) by surprise. The build up to the revelation of the culprit of the killer and of the perpetrator of the assault on Winona is a masterclass of controlled writing and leaves one with a feeling of 'there were so many clues in the story, why did I not see that?' Excellent, excellent writing and it ensures that this is a pleasing sequel to Days Without End.

My only small criticism is the narration. The Tennessee drawl was a bit slow and irritated me at times; but it grew on me. I'm sure other people will find it perfectly fine.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Epic and beautiful

An absolute delight, I was unsure at first about the narrator but it was glorious.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Lyrical and Brutal

This is the follow up to the excellent 'Days Without End' and it has some of the grit and beauty of that novel without, perhaps, the sweeping majesty. I certainly recommend the book and found the perspective of the native Indian narrator to be compelling. I would have just liked more of John and Thomas, although I appreciate that this was Winona's story. I look forward to the next intstalment.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

superb narrator

a good narrator makes a good book better and this was a tour destination force,

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Beautiful

A beautiful conclusion to Thomas, John and Winona’s stories. If you are like me and found Days Without End to be among the finest novels of this or any other century, then you will be delighted to return to their story and follow them onwards.

This novel is quite different to Days, a quieter, internal story of Winona at young adulthood across a short period of time. Once again Barry is lyrical and poetic, the prose gorgeous. Winona is lovely and so is her story.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

I'm surprised that I didn't get into this

I really loved the first book, but I just couldn't get into this one. I think it's probably a great story, don't let me put you off as many have enjoyed it, but it didn't grip me and consequently I struggled to the end.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Not of the standard of 'Days Without End'

I really, *really* enjoyed 'Days Without End' (the first novel in this sequence), but this just doesn't hit the mark. The authenticity and originality of the narrative voice of the first book just isn't matched in the sequel, and the characters fail to spring to life. Maybe my expectations were too high precisely because the first was just so wonderful, but without by any means being bad, this is just... underwhelming.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Wonderful sense of place

What an extraordinary narration....she made the book come to life for me! Enjoyed it immensely

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!