Prophet Song by Paul Lynch depicts the journey of a family as they navigate through a war-struck Ireland. Prophet Song was awarded the Man Booker Prize in 2023. Worthy of the prize, the book perfectly captures the idea of a dystopian society. It is worth the read purely because of the author’s brilliance in making the reader live through the lives of his characters through his writing. The book engrosses the reader almost completely, leaving one feeling trapped in a not-so made-up world of tragedy that the author built beautifully with his words.
The novel traces the lives of Eilish Stack, Larry Stack, and their children as they try to find their place in their homeland, taken over by a totalitarian regime. Eilish, a working mother of four, exhausted from bearing the brunt of her domestic duties, learns of her husband’s detainment at work and realises that she is now solely responsible for the safety of her family. What follows is the story of a family struggling to stay united as they continue to fight the impending doom that will soon fall upon them.
The book opens with two Gardaí knocking on the door, enquiring about Larry. Larry, who was the leader of the labour union, had organised a protest for the union, whereafter he was detained, along with many others. Eilish rues that it is cruel for her children to grow up in a world “where a father can be made to disappear without a word.” Her life slowly becomes a puzzle, with each piece going missing, representing members of her family who have been made to disappear.
Soon after, her eldest son is called to join the army after he turns 16. Eilish goes to great lengths to prevent this and arranges for her son to escape the country. But he doesn’t believe in running away; his idea of freedom lies in fighting against the state that has detained his father illegally. He defies his mother’s efforts and joins the rebel army. Meanwhile, her eldest daughter waits patiently for her father to return and ties a white ribbon on the tree outside their house every passing week. Fourteen ribbons find their place on the tree, but there is still no sign of her father. She slips into depression, slowly losing hope that her father and her elder brother will return.
Her teenage son is robbed of his innocence and is forced to grow up. He begins to speak of something called ‘the worm’. We don’t know what the worm is, but it’s all-consuming and powerful. ‘It’s turning; It doesn’t listen to anyone but does as it pleases,’ he says. This marks an important point in the story as this is when Eilish realises that her son is not a child anymore. He cannot live his life like any other teenager in the world. “So fight back; take the worm by its neck and wring its throat”, she replies. While the rest of her children are aware of what is happening, her infant son is completely oblivious. He will grow up and learn about his father and his brothers. He will have to be told of the suffering his family went through.
This book is unique because it tells the story of the lives left behind to grapple with the effects of war that extend beyond the battlefield. Keeping her children alive and safe comes first for Eilish, even if she has to do so at the expense of her life. She finds herself in the company of Carole Sexton, whose husband has also been detained by the regime. While she is portrayed as a mother who becomes a symbol of resistance and strength, Carole, a married woman with no children, is shown to live a cold and lonely life, overcome by grief, who eventually becomes bitter and hysterical.
Eilish’s bond with her daughter illuminates the horrors women face in times of turmoil. After deciding to escape, they reach a point in the middle of their journey where they are required to show proof to some officers. The official on duty asks Eilish to leave her daughter alone with him in the room to verify her documents, and she sees right through him; she realises his intent. She asks her daughter to step out, throws cash at him, and tells him that he can have her if he wishes to, but not her daughter. After this incident, Eilish becomes more protective of her daughter. They meet a man who drives them to a place from where they would be able to escape the country with a group of other people. He peeps at her daughter through the mirror in the car, which Eilish notices. She throws her daughter’s makeup bag in the trash and chops off her hair to make sure no other person looks at her daughter the same way.
Eilish and her daughter’s relationship is equal parts heartwarming and heartbreaking. From the beginning till the end, it is only the both of them that stick together through the chaos. When Eilish realises that her daughter is depressed, she forces her out of the bed, puts her under a cold shower and holds her as her daughter sobs her pain away. She reminds her that her father is with her forever as long as she remembers him in her memory.
As they get on with their lives, Eilish starts losing more and more of herself. Every morning, she looks at herself in a mirror in her home. She tries to find herself in her reflection, but all she sees is the face of a tired mother trying to hold herself together. In the mirror, she finds a moment to herself, not of peace or solace but of sorrow, of failing to grasp what is happening around her. Her grief takes her over, hope fading away as despair sets in.
The author’s style of writing adds so much more to the story. It makes the book what it is – chaotic yet beautiful. The emotions transcend beyond the pages, leaving the reader with a lingering feeling of sadness. What is peculiar, however, is the lack of paragraph breaks. The reader doesn’t realise when a thought ends and another begins. It leaves you feeling claustrophobic, almost like you can’t escape it, much like the reality of those living this tale.
Paul Lynch remarked in an interview that this is not the story of “one” but of everyone who can relate to it, of everyone going through these very same circumstances every day. He says that he didn’t consciously choose to write about Eilish, but felt it was important to tell her story. Lynch is an Irish author whose books are known to be dark, exploring complex themes. He has a very lyrical style of writing and has won many awards for his books. This is his fifth novel, which won the prestigious Booker Prize in 2023.
The climax is worth the ride. It leaves one pondering about the fate of the Stacks and their future. What would happen to Eilish? Does she still hold on to the hope of reuniting with her husband? What will happen to her children, more importantly, her infant son, who grew up completely oblivious to what was happening around him? What about the people left behind? Will they ever make it to the shore? And those who died fighting? Would they be called martyrs? As readers bearing witness to the same reality, I guess we’ll come to learn of it.
As Paul Lynch sympathetically notes in his book, “History is a silent record of people who didn’t know when to leave”. Prophet Song is a story of grief. It is a reminder that life must go on, no matter what.
There is hope, after all.
Edited by Yatin Satish
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