Milkman: WINNER OF THE MAN BOOKER PRIZE 2018

Milkman is a compelling novel by Anna Burns, winner of the Man Booker Prize in 2018. The story takes place in an unnamed city during the Troubles in Northern Ireland. It tells the tale of a young woman known as Middle sister who is coming of age amidst suspicion, gossip and unwanted attention from a man known as Milkman.

Middle sister's voice is confidently portrayed by Burns, who captures the texture of the environment with its politics both big and small. The novel is not only an astute account of Northern Ireland's social landscape but also a coming-of-age story with dark humor. Milkman delves into the issue of rape culture and how women are often regarded in communities like this one.

In this unnamed city, to be interesting is dangerous. Middle sister tries her best to keep her mother from discovering her maybe-boyfriend and to keep everyone in the dark about her encounter with Milkman. However, when first brother-in-law sniffs out her struggle, and rumors start to swell, middle sister becomes "interesting," which is the last thing she ever wanted to be. To be interesting is to be noticed and to be noticed is dangerous.

Milkman is a tale of gossip and hearsay, silence and deliberate deafness. It is the story of inaction with enormous consequences. The novel is an urgent and potent book, with more than a hint of barely contained fury.