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Old God's Time

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Old God's Time

By: Sebastian Barry
Narrated by: Stephen Hogan
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About this listen

THE SUNDAY TIMES TOP TEN BESTSELLER

TWICE WINNER OF THE COSTA BOOK OF THE YEAR

Tom Kettle, a retired policeman, and widower, is settling into the quiet of his new home in Dalkey, overlooking the sea. His solitude is interrupted when two former colleagues turn up at his door to ask about a traumatic, decades-old case. A case that Tom never quite came to terms with. And his peace is further disturbed when his new neighbour, a mysterious young mother, asks for his help.

A beautiful, haunting novel, in which nothing is quite as it seems, Old God's Time is an unforgettable exploration of family, loss and love

©2023 Sebastian Barry (P)2023 Faber Audio Family Life Fiction Genre Fiction World Literature Native American Emotionally Gripping Heartfelt Inspiring Tear-jerking

Critic reviews

"His work reminds us how much we need these rare gifts of the natural storyteller." (Tessa Hadley)

"Full of love and heartache, this is an unforgettable novel from one of our finest writers." (Douglas Stuart)

"Shocking, stunning and extraordinarily brave. Barry has once again written a character for the ages." (Liz Nugent)
All stars
Most relevant
Not so humdrum. Different to your every day read. Like stepping into someone else’s mind, as they near the end of their journey.

Loved the story and the way it was shared

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Stunning piece of work! Hauntingly captivating in depiction of grief - so beautifully written it wounds.

The wonderful narration meshes perfectly.


Wow!

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Barry's prose, so soft, you sink in and it devours you. That Irish writing, oh yes.
And a glorious reader too.

Sad but oh so beautiful.

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Wonderfully written in Barry's descriptive and unmistakable style. As someone familiar with the location and times and subjects of the story I found the readers performance of it truly captivating. in my opinion a master piece by both author, performer and the team behind who are inevitable involved and often forgotten. I will definitely listen to again despite it's heart rending themes.

Brilliant says it all!

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I am a huge admirer of Sebastian Barry, but this tale of child abuse and a slightly muddled Irish detective had me wondering if I was listening to a John Banville novel. This is a sad and depressing tale which takes a long time to get going, and even when up and running is a hard slog. Rather too wordy and a waste of a good plot. But it is very well read

a hard slog

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