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A Long Long Way by Sebastian Barry - 4* - My Review

Willie Dunne is the eighteen-year-old son of a Dublin policemen. Willie volunteers to fight in the Great War as part of the Royal Dublin Fusiliers. He leaves his family and sweetheart, and his innocence is shattered by the slaughter he witnesses. Where this book differs from other WWI narratives is in its focus on Irish soldiers in the British Army. While the soldiers are fighting, their country was going through the tensions that led to the Easter Uprising (1916). The Irish soldiers are caught in the wave of anti-Irish prejudice in the service while simultaneously regarded by some at home as traitors.

While Barry’s writing is lyrical, he does not spare the gore and grime of life in the trenches. The novel’s title is a nod to one of the popular songs of the Great War, “It’s a Long Way to Tipperary,” and I could picture the soldiers whistling the tune while marching off to war. Willie serves as narrator of his story, and it is easy to become immersed in it. I tried not to get too attached to any of the characters, since this war wiped out a generation of young men, and I knew many of them would not make it through. It is a sad story of divided loyalties and a worthy addition to the compendium of WWI literature.

Thanks for the review. I like Sebastian Barry but I am tired, tired, tired of war novels. I will put this title in my back pocket when I need another war time novel. Sounds interesting with the Irish and English together, Thanks for the review. peace, janz