The Ballad of Lord Edward and Citizen Small

 "Very little is known of Tony Small, the formerly enslaved man who was the servant and companion of Edward Fitzgerald, a prominent 18th-century figure in the cause of Irish nationalism. In The Ballad of Lord Edward and Citizen Small, the director and screenwriter Neil Jordan co-opts Tony as a narrator, giving him an affectionately acerbic perspective on the strengths and weaknesses of a man who begins the novel as a loyal member of the king’s army, fighting against the American rebels. This is just one of the many dramatic episodes in Fitzgerald’s short but wildly eventful life. Jordan has a wonderfully varied cast to work with."

Advance praise for The Ballad of Lord Edward and Citizen Small:

"A masterwork from one of the most inventive artists of our day.”

"Jordan is a writer of uncommon talent, particularly around pacing and visual description.”

"The historical research is evident [and] as with his previous novels, Jordan creates an evocative sense of time and place. Although the book is an odyssey, tracking thousands of miles across the globe, the pace is leisurely. An atmospheric take on a fascinating friendship."

"Neil Jordan is one of Ireland's greatest, if ever-so-slightly unsung, novelists."

"The historical facts are here, in this beautiful work, laid out like a Dublin street ballad."

"This panoramic, painstakingly researched novel—told through Small's voice—is a convincing reconstruction of the way their lives interlocked despite origins in diametrically opposed worlds.”

"This strange relationship—of indenture, but also of mutual need—defines this thrillingly written, gripping tale that revisits many of Jordan’s lifelong preoccupations with class, Irishness, and sexuality to powerful moving effect."

"Creates a vivid new perspective."

"This strange relationship—of indenture, but also of mutual need—defines this thrillingly written, gripping tale that revisits many of Jordan's lifelong preoccupations with class, Irishness and sexuality to powerful moving effect.”

"An expertly spun ballad defined by themes of belonging, illusion and, fundamentally, fidelity."