The Last September

"Brilliant…. A successful combination of social comedy and private tragedy."—The Times Literary Supplement
 
Elizabeth Bowen masterfully depicts the Anglo-Irish aristocracy's decline during the Irish War of Independence. Set in the 1920s on a vast country estate, the novel portrays the social and political turbulence through the lens of the Naylor family. Bowen's nuanced characterization and vivid descriptions paint a poignant picture of a world of wealth filled with tennis parties and army camp dances—on the brink of disintegration. Nineteen-year-old Lois Farquar embodies the tensions between tradition and modernity in an existential coming-of-age crisis as she navigates personal and societal upheaval. Bowen skillfully encapsulates Lois's transition from adolescence to adulthood. The Last September is a compelling read exploring identity, the inevitable passage of time, and the fight for freedom—both political and spiritual.
 
"[Elizabeth Bowen] is one of the handful of great…novelists of this century." —The Washington Post.
 
"Had Elizabeth Bowen been a man she would be recognised as one of the finest novelists of the 20th century." John Banville—The Irish Times
  War Literary Modernist Historical fiction; 1920s; modern; crisis; personal societal upheaval; time; fight; political spiritual freedom; unrest; Rebellion; Identity; Coming of age; love; Decay; Memory; Silence; Class; Detachment; beauty; Youth; Family; Elegy; Tragedy; Change; Nature; anxiety; estate; Belonging; independence; Ireland; Irish; Role; Chaos; Fragile; Nostalgia; Avoidance; British; Army; turbulence; social; drama; Emotional; emotions; Reality; Women; unstable; Psychological; Psychology; elegy; adolescence; wealth; Nationalism; Imperial; Big House; political