The Abstainer
Ian McGuire
Rated: 3.56 of 5 stars
3.56
· 16 ratings · 304 pages · Published: 15 Sep 2020
The rebels will be hanged at dawn, and their brotherhood is already plotting revenge.
Manchester, 1867: Stephen Doyle, an Irish-American veteran of the Civil War, arrives from New York with a thirst for blood. He has joined the Fenians, a secret society intent on ending British rule in Ireland by any means necessary. Head Constable James O'Connor has fled grief and drink in Dublin for a sober start in Manchester, and connections with his fellow Irishmen are proving to be particularly advantageous in spying on Fenian activity. When a long-lost nephew returns from America and arrives on O'Connor's doorstep looking for work, O'Connor cannot foresee the way his fragile new life will be imperilled--and how his and Doyle's fates will be intertwined.
In an epic tale of revenge and obsession, master storyteller Ian McGuire once again transports readers to a time when blood begot blood. Moving from the gritty streets of Manchester to the rolling hills of Pennsylvania, The Abstainer is a searing novel in which two men, motivated by family, honour and revenge, must fight for life and legacy.
Praise for The North Water, longlisted for the Man Booker Prize 2016
‘Brilliant, fast-paced, gripping. A tour de force of narrative tension and a masterful reconstruction of a lost world’ Hilary Mantel
‘Utterly convincing and compelling… A startling achievement’ Martin Amis
‘Riveting and darkly brilliant… McGuire has an extraordinary talent’ Colm Toibin
‘Has exceptional power and energy’ Sunday Times
‘A stunning novel that snares the reader from the outset and keeps the tightest grip until the bitter end’ Financial Times
‘A vivid read, full of twists, turns, period detail and strong characters’ The Times
‘Terrific – McGuire’s use of the pitiless, fearsomely beautiful Arctic landscape as a theatre for enduring questions is inspired’ Daily Mail
‘McGuire has a sure and unwavering touch… a writer of exceptional craft and confidence’ Irish Times
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