The Barracks

The Barracks

One of the preeminent Irish writers of our time, John McGahern has captivated readers with such poignant and heart-wrenching novels as <I>Amongst Women</I> and <I>The Dark</I>. Moving between tragedy and savage comedy, desperation and joy, McGahern’s first novel, <I>The Barracks</I>, is one of haunting power. Elizabeth Reegan, after years of freedom—and loneliness—marries into the enclosed Irish village of her upbringing. The children are not her own; her husband is straining to break free from the servile security of the police force; and her own life, threatened by illness, seems to be losing the last vestiges of its purpose.