A Long Winter

Published as a standalone novel for the first time, A Long Winter is a psychologically intricate and emotionally devastating story from the bestselling author of Brooklyn and Long Island.

One snowy morning, after arguing with her husband, Miquel's mother walks out from their home high up in the Pyrenees and does not return. With his younger brother stationed far away on military service and his father cast out by the people of the town, Miquel and his father are left to fend for themselves. Together they will be forced to battle the elements, and their resentment of each other, through the long winter.

Miquel's desperate searching for his mother is only interrupted when Manolo, an orphaned servant boy from the next village, arrives to help out in the house. As Miquel is forced to confront the reality of his mother's absence, Manolo, with his silences and longing gaze, offers the promise of new love, and another kind of life.

A Long Winter is 'a superbly powerful tale of betrayal and desertion' (Spectator), but also a delicate tale of our search for love and companionship.

About the Author

Colm Tóibín was born in Ireland in 1955. He is the author of several novels, including The Master, Brooklyn and The Magician, and two collections of stories. He has been three times shortlisted for the Booker Prize. In 2021, he was awarded the David Cohen Prize for Literature. Tóibín was appointed the Laureate for Irish Fiction 2022-2024.