*"...*engrossing, immersive and wonderfully constructed ..." Donal Ryan, EU Prize for Literature
In time, we are never alone.
Two grieving women are connected across time when the forces of nature activate a magical bronze axe they both possess, opening a portal through which they view each other's worlds. When it becomes clear they both need saving, a way must be found to heal the calamities in both their worlds - before time runs out.
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In present day California, pregnant Irish emigrant Aisling looks forward to becoming a mother. A sudden miscarriage leaves her devastated, but her unborn daughter's spirit chooses to stay with her offering unheard comfort.
In Neolithic Ireland, huntress Zosime worries another lost pregnancy will diminish her standing in the tribe. When a comet strikes, bringing plague and famine, Zosime embarks on an odyssey to find a way to save her tribe - taking her magical bronze axe which contains the history of her tribe.
The axe is also in Aisling's possession, for both women are from Armagh, separated by thousands of years. When an earthquake activates its powers - suddenly Aisling can see through time and space. Connected to her unborn daughter's spirit and the axe, somehow she can view Zosime's desperate plight. However, the connection means her daughter is trapped between worlds, fading and powerless.
Unless Aisling can trust her new powers and discover the secrets of the axe, her daughter's spirit, Zosime, and the woman's tribe, might be lost forever.
Praise for Barren:
'A hugely inventive novel with fresh, beautiful descriptions of the natural world that stand in stark contrast to the devastating story of climate catastrophe both past and imminent.' Sarah Gilmartin, author of Service
'A story that connects across time, humanity and eternity. Of loss, love and finding lights when our world falls dark.' Sue Divin, award-winning author of Guard Your Heart and Truth Be Told
'A dynamic narrative, where two worlds collide in a story that is full of insight and integrity. An astonishingly authentic exploration of infertility and its impact on who we are and how we navigate our lives.' Cathy Carson, author of Becoming Marvellous, winner of the Saboteur Award for Best Spoken Word Show
'Imagine you are holding a piece of Irish oak in your hands and seeing that the tree rings testify to a catastrophe over four thousand years ago. The people living in Ireland would have suffered cruelly from cold and crop failure as a result of several years of diminished sunlight. Wouldn't you wonder what it would have meant to have lived in those times? Byddi Lee has taken that thought and created a deeply moving story.
Two women, two eras that are over four thousand years apart. Yet the stories of Aisling and Zosime are entwined and they can help one another overcome grief. For Aisling, her loss is personal, a baby who would have been called Poppy. And for Zosime it is communal. Told in a highly original fashion, with beautiful, empathetic prose, Barren is filled with so much love that its tale of a journey through calamity and loss is a joy and a life-affirming one.'
Conor Kostick, award-winning historian and writer, author of the Avatar Chronicles trilogy.
'A story of connection across the millennia as well as between worlds: the world we know and the world we can only guess at. This book will be a gift to so many, a consolation and a comfort to those who have lost, who long to parent, and who still find a way to go on.'
Bernie McGill, winner of the 2023 Edge Hill Prize
