The Last September

"Brilliant.... A successful combination of social comedy and private tragedy." --The Times Literary Supplement The decline of the Anglo-Irish aristocracy during the Irish War of Independence was marked by a profound shift in power dynamics, leading to the gradual dismantling of Great Britain's socioeconomic dominance and Ireland's push toward self-governance and national identity. Set in the 1920s on a vast country estate, this novel portrays the social and political turbulence through the lens of the Naylor family. Elizabeth 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. It is a compelling read exploring identity, the inevitable passage of time, and the fight for freedom--both political and spiritual.