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3.95 AVERAGE
3.95 AVERAGE
reflective
sad
slow-paced
A bit slow at the start but I loved the story of the affair with the backdrop of The Troubles, definitely lots to think about
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
What I thought was going to be a novel about a young woman navigating the strenuous politics of Northern Ireland as a Catholic minority turned out to be more romance than I could’ve imagined. Although I read the book with speed I found the romance plot to be fascinating purely for exploring the tensions and severity of inter-religious relationships. I think the relationship between Cushla and Michael could’ve been a more dynamic relationship with a closer exploration of their feelings and personalities as a couple rather than the chemistry manifested in their complex situation. That being said, the insider tongue of Northern Ireland is pressed into the heart of the story both literally with the use of Gaelic and figuratively with slang and turn of phrases one would only hear spoken by a person who lived through the Troubles. I do think as a piece of historical fiction this book requires a bit of pre-reading to fully comprehend the stakes and intricacies of the Troubles. I would recommend a viewing of Once Upon a Time in Northern Ireland as a documentary, Belfast if you’re into movies, and Patrick Radden Keefe’s incredible book Say Nothing.
I recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in Ireland and Northern Ireland’s history. The character Davy is a sweet soul who I, like Cushla, came to love. I also believe Cushla’s mother Gina illustrates a modern perspective of the trope of Mother Ireland found in so many Irish texts. In my reception of Gina I switched between sympathy and frustration restlessly. Her character bears the same grief of Mother Ireland and asks the question, when our fathers are too old or pass on to the next life how much can/do we ask of our children in the fight for freedom or mere survival?
I recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in Ireland and Northern Ireland’s history. The character Davy is a sweet soul who I, like Cushla, came to love. I also believe Cushla’s mother Gina illustrates a modern perspective of the trope of Mother Ireland found in so many Irish texts. In my reception of Gina I switched between sympathy and frustration restlessly. Her character bears the same grief of Mother Ireland and asks the question, when our fathers are too old or pass on to the next life how much can/do we ask of our children in the fight for freedom or mere survival?
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
emotional
funny
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It’s about a young woman, Cushla, a teacher at the local catholic school. And she starts a relationship with a much older, married, Protestant man. It’s more about her day-to-day life than anything really. What it was like to be a woman and Catholic back then in the 70’s.
Michael is murdered at the end, this is foreshadowed at the beginning. But they don’t really spend much time on why, which I thought was interesting. Maybe it’s making a comment that a lot of the why back then didn’t make much sense and wasn’t important as to the reason these things happened.
Audiobook
The main character, Kushla, has many dimensions and experiences many different relationships that all feel real and heartfelt. This story is set during The Troubles in Ireland, and they play a significant role throughout. I could feel the pain of her interactions and desires through a well written book.
The main character, Kushla, has many dimensions and experiences many different relationships that all feel real and heartfelt. This story is set during The Troubles in Ireland, and they play a significant role throughout. I could feel the pain of her interactions and desires through a well written book.