The Newer World by Sebastian Barry - an appreciation
The Newer World Sebastian Barry Published by Faber and Faber Advance Reader Copy (ARC) supplied by NetGalley Read on Kindle Publication date: 10 September 2026 5* I very much appreciate Sebastian Barry's writing, a feeling that has only grown stronger after hearing him speak at an author event some years ago. Whenever one of his titles appears, it goes straight onto my "to be read" pile. For some reason, although I purchased them, I have never got around to reading his American Civil War series. As a result, when NetGalley offered me an ARC of The Newer World, his latest book, I wondered whether I was approaching things back to front. Would my enjoyment of this novel be diminished by not having read the previous ones? I needn't have worried. I enjoyed it immensely as a standalone novel. The opening chapter drew me immediately into what I thought was going to be a particular story. Then, quite matter-of-factly, that apparent beginning was set aside and a different p...