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A review by maggies
Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland by Patrick Radden Keefe
challenging
emotional
informative
sad
tense
fast-paced
5.0
Since reading Empire of Pain and Rogues, PRK has topped my list of nonfiction writers. His attention to detail and ability to weave a history that reads like a novel is second to none. The story of Jean McConville and her children, the nationalist movement, the origins of the Troubles, and its fragile peace and enduring legacy is told not necessarily chronologically, but thematically. PRK leaves a trail of breadcrumbs throughout as he builds to his final conclusion, with shocking twists and reveals along the way. Among the most shocking was the constant reminder of how recent this history is—while many active participants have passed away, many others are still alive, and memory is long.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Gun violence, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Police brutality and Religious bigotry