A review by benfast
Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland, by Patrick Radden Keefe

5.0

A fascinating story that connects history with current politics and memory-making in Northern Ireland (and the greater UK/Republic of Ireland). I don't know much about the IRA but have heard a bit about the Troubles, specifically about the bombings and violence in Derry/Londonderry and Belfast. This book opens with the disappearance of Jean McConville, a widowed mother of 10, who is taken from her home by the IRA in 1972. It follows the politics and fighting between the IRA and other republican groups and the UK government and loyalist factions that both surround the greater Troubles and the specifics of Ms. McConville's death up to the search for her body just a few years ago. I was really interested in how the IRA and its leaders have spun things like their roles in these actions and their participation in a self-styled war against the UK government to get out of a lot of criminal charges. This book highlights how oral history archives have played a big part in recent criminal investigations, and how they are handled politically to avoid jeopardizing the peace process. So much more complexity!