Hard-Hitting and Timely (Staff Review) My father's family moved here from Ireland during the Troubles, and I've always maintained a strong interest in Irish history. However, I realized that I knew very little of the modern history that my family left behind. Say Nothing does an excellent job of giving a history of the Troubles in Northern Ireland that is broad and multi-faceted, but with a particular focus on key players and victims of the violence that entrenched Belfast.
The book is anchored around a victim that perfectly encapsulates the complexity of this turbulent era: a poor widowed mother of ten in a Catholic housing unit is suddenly abducted and disappeared almost definitely by the IRA. Despite being the exact type of family the IRA was supposed to be liberating, they become victims of violence spurred by rumours and innuendo. To highlight how this can happen, the book also closely follows prominent IRA members. Smart, idealistic young people who wanted to make the world they lived in better and more free become part of a movement that kills and terrorizes innocent people. The result is that you can't help but sympathize a little with these characters who somehow manage to be heroes and villains at the same time.
This is top quality non-fiction writing. The author is a journalist with a gift for making every paragraph count. You can open almost any page and find something there that will create a visceral impact. By detailing how these stories about the IRA came to light, Keefe doesn't just provide evidence and sources to his stories, he adds to his theme about the culture of secrecy that consumed the Troubles.
It's a brilliant read. You'll learn a lot, you'll feel a lot, and you'll realize what's a stake if the current fragile peace there is compromised. - Paul, Forest Heights KPL