{"product_id":"these-days","title":"These Days","description":"\u003cb\u003e“Visceral, powerful, authentic . . . It’s hard to believe Lucy Caldwell didn’t actually live through the Belfast Blitz . . . I felt I was there with the bombs, the blood, the chaos, the fear, and the resilience.” —Tracy Chevalier, \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eGirl with a Pearl Earring\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWINNER OF THE WALTER SCOTT PRIZE FOR HISTORICAL FICTION 2023\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA\u003ci\u003e Washington Post\u003c\/i\u003e 10 Noteworthy Book of April 2025 • A NPR Best Book of 2025\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003eAn “exquisitely lyrical” (Louise Kennedy) WWII novel from a singular Irish writer following two sisters over the course of four nights as they reckon with their futures in crumbling Belfast.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003eApril 1941: Belfast has escaped the worst of the Second World War—so far. Over the next two months, it will be so destroyed from above that people will say, in horror, “My God, Belfast is finished.” Many won’t make it through, and those who do will be forever changed.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLiving amid the rubble are sisters Emma and Audrey. One is engaged to be married; the other is in a secret relationship with another woman. As the bombs fall, and tomorrow feels further and further away, these young women must grapple with the cultural expectations standing firm around them, and try to seize control of their destinies. After all, Emma thinks, if one is to survive, one must survive for something.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFeaturing the voices of the community—from their mother to the wee girl down the road—\u003ci\u003eThese Days\u003c\/i\u003e is a timeless and poignant tale of interrupted girlhood, life under duress, and the struggle to stay true to ourselves. Winner of the Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction, Lucy Caldwell’s portrait of the Belfast Blitz is to be cherished.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e“Adroit, precise storytelling, atmospheric and satisfying; \u003ci\u003eThese Days\u003c\/i\u003e is a novel of real substance.” —Hilary Mantel, Booker Prize–winning author of \u003ci\u003eWolf Hall\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e","brand":"Lucy Caldwell","offers":[{"title":"Paperback \/ softback","offer_id":51537411244248,"sku":"9781638934141","price":23.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2770\/5320\/files\/cover-9781638934141.jpg?v=1775502606","url":"https:\/\/destiil.com\/products\/these-days","provider":"De Stiil Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}