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Really fascinating read; I got a little exhausted halfway through the detailed history and description of The Troubles, but I understood why it was necessary by the end. The ending section -- the (essentially) present day discussion of recriminations, reconciliation, memory, legal ramifications, etc was the most compelling to me. Pretty incredible -- and incredibly intricate and detailed -- story overall...
Jan 12, 2021
Sarah
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
nonfiction,
radical-nonfiction,
audiobooks,
american-nonfiction,
euro-nonfiction,
ireland,
uk
This book was incredible. I was absolutely captivated from its first paragraph. It looks at the Troubles from a micro-microhistory viewpoint: the story centers around the murder of Jean McConville in Belfast in 1972, but in so doing, examines many facets of the Troubles and the relationships among some of the IRA's most prominent members at the time. It also delves into the controversy surrounding Boston College's The Belfast Project, which catalogued many exclusive interviews with former IRA me
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Before reading this book, all I knew about the Troubles in Ireland was that the Catholics and Protestants hated each other and the IRA blew stuff up. Now I can say I know a whole heck of a lot more.
The framing of Radden Keefe's history of the conflict is the disappearance of Jean McConville, a mother of 10 who had just lost her husband and was already struggling to keep her children fed and safe. One day a group of men show up at her home and take her away, and no one ever sees her again. They s ...more
The framing of Radden Keefe's history of the conflict is the disappearance of Jean McConville, a mother of 10 who had just lost her husband and was already struggling to keep her children fed and safe. One day a group of men show up at her home and take her away, and no one ever sees her again. They s ...more
I cannot recommend this book enough. It is so well written, heart-breaking, and compelling - one of the best books I’ve read in a long time.
Jul 19, 2020
Rhiannon
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
history,
non-fiction
