Imagine living through the nightmarish horrors of constant riots that carried on for decades and witnessing the traumatic demise of beloved family members and friends in your community. Imagine a Bloody Sunday where many close ones were indiscriminately fired at with live bullets, from behind, and many of them murdered before your very eyes. Now imagine having to relive this scenario because in the latter years of your life, you were attacked by Alzhiemer's and that was the niche of life you could vivdly remember.
This was Martha's life in Derry, Ireland, and God help her, she and her people were Catholic and the ones to have gotten the brunt of most of the violence. She did recall her years, along with her good friend Caroline, who became members of the Knights of Malta, first aiders akin to the Red Cross, who would treat people from both sides of the opposition, fairly and equally.
I'm glad I got to read this book as it has opened my eyes, that yes, there is another side to the IRA story from the negative perspective which is generally painted. Kudos to author Jude Marrow, from Derry, Northern Ireland for this enlightenment. Although written as historical fiction, there is much truth incorporated in this work that reads almost like an autobiography, along with true-to-life testimonies at story end, of and from those who have lived through those terrrible years of chaos and carnage. I encourage readers everywhere and from both sides of the divide to read and judge for yourselves, with an open mind, where justice was or was not meted out.
You may be surprized.
~Eunice C., Reviewer/Blogger~
September 2022
Disclaimer: This is my honest opinion based on the review copy given by NetGalley and the publisher.
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