The Gathering (Enright novel)

The Gathering is a novel by Irish author Anne Enright, published in 2007. It won the 2007 Man Booker Prize. The novel explores themes of family secrets, memory, trauma, and Irish history through the narrative of Veronica Hegarty. Following the death of her brother Liam, Veronica attempts to piece together the history of her family, particularly the trauma surrounding her grandmother Ada Merriman and Liam's own troubled life. The story unfolds through Veronica's fragmented and subjective recollections, revealing a complex and often disturbing family dynamic. The narrative shifts between Veronica's present-day grief and her memories of childhood and adolescence, ultimately uncovering a long-buried secret that helps to explain the family's enduring unhappiness. The novel is characterized by its lyrical prose and its unflinching portrayal of difficult subjects such as sexual abuse, suicide, and mental illness.