These Days by Lucy Caldwell
“Feels intimate and deeply personal, as if you’re reading someone’s diary, with the greater historical resonance of this very real chapter of World War II.” —Shannon Rhoades, NPR
- Sale Date
- ISBN
- 9781638934141
- Page Count
- 288
- Language
- English
- Dimensions
- 5½ x 8¼
- Imprint
- SJP Lit
Meet the Author
Lucy Caldwell
“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, New York Times bestselling author of Girl with a Pearl Earring
WINNER OF THE WALTER SCOTT PRIZE FOR HISTORICAL FICTION 2023
A Washington Post 10 Noteworthy Book of April 2025 • A NPR Best Book of 2025
An “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.
April 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.
Living 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.
Featuring the voices of the community—from their mother to the wee girl down the road—These Days 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.
“Adroit, precise storytelling, atmospheric and satisfying; These Days is a novel of real substance.” —Hilary Mantel, Booker Prize–winning author of Wolf Hall
WINNER OF THE WALTER SCOTT PRIZE FOR HISTORICAL FICTION 2023
A Washington Post 10 Noteworthy Book of April 2025 • A NPR Best Book of 2025
An “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.
April 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.
Living 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.
Featuring the voices of the community—from their mother to the wee girl down the road—These Days 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.
“Adroit, precise storytelling, atmospheric and satisfying; These Days is a novel of real substance.” —Hilary Mantel, Booker Prize–winning author of Wolf Hall
A moment for THESE DAYS by Lucy Caldwell featured in the @bustle’s One Nightstand library 📚
📸: @byjadegreene
Praise for These Days
-
“Adroit, precise storytelling, atmospheric and satisfying; These Days is a novel of real substance.”
Hilary Mantel, Booker Prize-winning author of Wolf Hall -
“Intertwined with vivid descriptions of the horrific collateral damage in the city itself are intersecting narratives that remind us how persistently the dramas of daily life can exist even when the world is in flames.”
Alida Becker, New York Times -
“Lucy Caldwell so beautifully balances a book that feels intimate and deeply personal, as if you’re reading someone’s diary, with the greater historical resonance of this very real chapter of World War II.”
Shannon Rhoades, NPR
About the Imprint
Gorgeous, big-hearted, and thought-provoking stories—acquired and championed by Sarah Jessica Parker herself. All curated with the passion of a lifelong reader turned publisher.
