Nora Webster

Nora Webster by Toibin, Colm. paperback edition. ISBN: 9780771083914.

Now available in paperback, a magnificent new novel from one of contemporary literatures most acclaimed and beloved authors. In a small town in Ireland in the 1960s, a fiercely compelling, too-young widow and mother of four moves from grief, fear, and longing to unexpected discovery. Toibins portrayal of the intricacy and drama of ordinary lives brings to mind of the work of Alice Munro. Set in Wexford, Ireland, and in breathtaking Ballyconnigar by the sea, Colm Toibins tour de force eighth novel introduces the formidable, memorable Nora Webster. Widowed at 40, with four children and not enough money, Nora has lost the love of her life, Maurice, the man who rescued her from the stifling world she was born into. Wounded and self-centred from grief and the need to provide for her family, she struggles to be attentive to her childrens needs and their own difficult loss. In masterfully detailing the intimate lives of one small family, Toibin has given us a vivid portrait of a time and an intricately woven tapestry of lives in a small town where everyone knows everyones business, and where well-meaning gestures often have unforeseen consequences. Toibin has created one of contemporary fictions most memorable female characters, one who has the strength and depth of Ibsens Hedda Gabler. In Nora Webster, Colm Toibin is writing at the height of his powers.