Books by Kevin Barry
“This is a wild love story set in a mining town in 1890s Montana. Tom Rourke, a degenerate hard-liver with a poetic imagination, falls for Polly Gillespie who arrives as the bride of the self-flagellating religious fanatic Captain Long Anthony Harrington. Tom and Polly are twin souls, living life to the full. It’s a stormy ride of a book.” Read more...
The Best Historical Fiction of 2025
Katharine Grant, Historical Novelist
Interviews where books by Kevin Barry were recommended
Books by Irish Authors
Home to the Blarney Stone — said to bestow “the gift of the gab” — and with a long tradition of valuing bards and wandering storytellers, it is no surprise that Ireland has produced some of the most recognised names in the English language canon. Considering the small population, Irish authors continue to punch well above their weight in publishing. Here we bring you a selection of Irish authors that have been recommended on Five Books by experts, from bestselling and award-winning contemporary writers to both famous and less well-known classic authors.
The Best Historical Fiction of 2025, recommended by Katharine Grant
Every year, the judges of the Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction highlight the very best new books published in that genre over the past twelve months. In 2025, the six book shortlist features historical novels set as widely apart as ancient Sicily, 16th-century England, and 20th century Holland. Here, judge Katharine Grant talks us through their selection.
