Down By The River by Edna O'Brien

The road silent, somnolent yet with a speech of its own, speaking back to them, father and child, through trappings of sun and fretted verdure, speaking of the old mutinies and a fresh crime mounting in the blood. The local community is shocked when a young teenager, Mary, attempts to get an illegal abortion, especially when they discover that she has been raped by her father. O'Brien charts Mary's emotional and psychological trauma, as her story is dragged first into the public realm and then into the law courts, with her power of choice usurped by militant factions on all sides.

A haunting novel based on a real events.

Format:Paperback / softback 336 pages
Publisher:Faber & Faber
Imprint:Faber & Faber
Edition:Main
ISBN:9780571397532
Published:12 Feb 2026
Classifications:Modern & contemporary fiction (post c 1945)
Weight:274g
Dimensions:128 x 197 x 26 (mm)