Home›Historical Fiction›The Heather Blazing

Cover of The Heather Blazing

Historical Fiction · 2012 · PG

The Heather Blazing

by Colm Toibin

A High Court judge in Ireland — his past and present, his marriage and his judgments.

Colm Tóibín’s “lovely, understated” novel that “proceeds with stately grace” (The Washington Post Book World) about an uncompromising judge whose principles, when brought home to his own family, are tragic. Eamon Redmond is a judge in Ireland’s high court, a completely legal creature who is just beginning to discover how painfully unconnected he is from other human beings. With effortless fluency, Colm Tóibín reconstructs the history of Eamon’s relationships—with his father, his first “girl,” his wife, and the children who barely know him—and he writes about Eamon’s affection for the Irish coa

For10+GenreHistorical FictionLength245 pagesRead time~6.5 hours

This analysis was generated by AI from publicly available reader reviews, literary criticism, and book discussions. It has not been verified by a BookLens community reviewer and may contain errors. Be the first to verify →

Content snapshot

Flag an inaccuracy →

What's in this book, at a glance — five things readers want to know before they start.

Violence

None

No violence

Language

None

No profanity

Sexual Content

Barely any

Brief romantic content

Substance Use

None

Drinking

Emotional Intensity

Some

Themes of Irish life, judicial judgment, and the weight of the past

What this book is about

Tóibín's 1992 novel follows Eamon Redmond, a senior Irish judge, alternating between his present life and his childhood during the 1950s. Quiet, compressed, beautiful. For older teens and adults.

Notes for sensitive readers

Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.

Reader Verification

Be the first to verify
this rating

Have you read The Heather Blazing? Submit a community rating to confirm or correct the AI estimate. Your review helps other readers make an informed choice.

Rate this book →

Free · ~5 minutes · No account required

Similar reads

More Historical Fiction books from the catalog.

Cover of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

Taylor Jenkins Reid

R
Cover of Gent from Bear Creek

Gent from Bear Creek

Robert E. Howard

PG
Cover of Belshazzar

Belshazzar

H. Rider Haggard

PG

Think this AI estimate is off?

Flag an inaccuracy →

Where to Buy

Affiliate links — BookLens earns a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Buy on Amazon →