Summary of Milkman
“Milkman” tells the story of an 18-year-old girl from a working-class neighbourhood in a city in Northern Ireland (likely Belfast). Set during the height of the Troubles in the 1970s, she finds herself being stalked by a Republican paramilitary officer. As rumours circulate that she is having an affair with this man, tensions rise within her community, and particularly with her mother.
Reasons to read Milkman
“Milkman” is a psychological novel about the oppressive atmosphere in Northern Ireland, shaped by violence, political pressure, religious intolerance, and social control. Anna Burns, a renowned writer from Northern Ireland, received numerous accolades for “Milkman”, including the Booker Prize (2018), the National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction (2018), and the International Dublin Literary Award (2020).
Setting: Belfast (Northern Ireland, UK)
Although the city in “Milkman” is not explicitly named, it is inspired by Belfast (Northern Ireland), where Anna Burns grew up during the Troubles. She was raised in Ardoyne, a Catholic working-class area in Belfast, which also serves as the setting for her novel “No Bones”.
Original title: Milkman
Year of publication: 2018
Nr of pages: 360
