I loved this in a way I wasn't expecting, perhaps because the story itself wasn't what I expecting. Understated in its approach, it tells a powerful story of colonisation and heritage and alliance against the backdrop of the Troubles. My friends can attest that I was gasping by the last few pages, unprepared for the wreckage of a simple action.

Perhaps best summed up as a book that has kept me thinking over a week since I've finished it. A good sign!

 

This is a brilliant read which tackles important issues. The characterization is excellent. There's the arrogant English painter Mr. Lloyd, desperate to prove his worth, who spends the summer on an isolated island off Ireland's West coast. There he clashes with the French linguist JP Masson, who has spent every summer for five years researching the decline of the Irish language among the islanders for his Ph.D. Masson sees the monolingual Lloyd as a corrupting influence. And there are the islanders themselves, especially the young widow Mairead and her teenaged son James, both of whom are suspicious of but also drawn to the wider world beyond the island.

As the summer progresses tensions mount, and the characters' longings and fears are laid bare. The issues of privilege and responsibility, of cultural appropriation, of the after effects of colonization, are seamlessly woven into the story. So, too, are short, vivid accounts of political violence in northern Ireland. Magee, an award-winning journalist, shows how history plays out in real flesh and bone.

The writing is poetic and concise; the whole book compelling and honest. It forces the reader to question who owns a tradition and exactly what is worth saving in a tradition. I loved this book. It's one of the most beautifully written stories I've read all year. If I was a betting woman, I would gamble on The Colony winning this year's Booker Prize.