Prophet Song facts for kids
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| Author | Paul Lynch |
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| Country | Ireland |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Oneworld Publications |
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Publication date
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2023 |
| Pages | 320 |
| Awards | Booker Prize |
| ISBN | 9780861546459 |
Prophet Song is a 2023 dystopian novel by Irish author Paul Lynch, published by Oneworld. The novel depicts the struggles of the Stack Family, including Eilish Stack, a mother of four who is trying to save her family as Ireland slips into totalitarianism. The narrative is told in an unconventional manner, in which there are no paragraph breaks.
The book won the 2023 Booker Prize.
Development
Lynch stated that one of the main inspirations of the book was the Syrian Civil War with the ensuing refugee crisis and the West's indifference to the plight of refugees. Lynch has also cited the German author Herman Hesse's work as an inspiration to write his first dystopian novel.
Narrative
In a near future Republic of Ireland, in the wake of a teacher's union strike, the right wing National Alliance party seizes control of the government. The National Alliance gives the Irish national police (the Garda Siochana) and the judiciary far reaching powers. The regime also establishes a new secret police force, the Garda National Services Bureau. The new government quickly repeals civil liberties, peaceful protests are broken up, Irish citizens are arrested without cause. Larry Stack, a teacher and trade union leader, is arrested and held without charge while attending a rally. His wife Eilish, who is a scientist, is left to care for their four children and her father who has dementia. Eilish petitions for her husband's release. The state soon descends into civil war, and Irish citizens who are suspected of being part of the resistance are arrested or killed. Eilish struggles to keep her family together during the civil war, she contemplates fleeing the country with her family, possibly joining her sister Áine in Canada.
