'Milkman' takes the reader back to the 1970s in what is clearly Northern Ireland. Political and religious conflicts are part of everyday life, as well as violence. The story follows a young headstrong woman whose mother is anxious to get her married. 'Middle-sister', as the protagonist is only referred to in this novel, has grown up in a conservative community that values loyalty and unity above anything else. It is a deeply patriarchal system that starts to face resistance in the curse of the first steps of the women's rights movements.
When middle-sister is approached by Milkman she becomes the center of the town's gossip even though she rejects him. Psychological pressure put on by her stalker as well as societal conventions nearly break her. It seems, no matter what she does she is either perceived as haughty and unapproachable or not self-preservational enough. The topic of sexual harassment is ever-present in the book, showing how shockingly common and normal even it was considered at the time and thinking about it how much of it bleeds into modern times. Victim blaming, rape culture and feminism form a central piece of the book.

“If I'd said, 'I was running in the parks & reservoirs and he appeared also running in the parks & reservoirs', it would have been, 'What were you doing, running in such a dangerous, questionable place and what were you doing, choosing to run?'”
p.151

I quite liked the unconventional, breathy and at the same time court writing style as well as the fact that nobody in this novel had a name and was referred to as 'longest friend' or 'third brother-in-law'. It made the novel all the more oppressive and intense. The story could be told by so many women growing up in a strict and patriarchal community, not just middle-sister and by not giving any names Burns gives a lot of women a voice.