Scan barcode
A review by bookthia
The Law of Dreams by Peter Behrens
4.0
This book is a gritty and realistic story of what happened to many poor Irish tenants during the Great Famine in mid-18th century Ireland. Young Fergus O'Brien is turned out from the only home he'd ever known when his tenant-family is brutally burned in their beds by the landlord. Fergus is exposed to hardship beyond his expectations, and violence that he finds shocking but necessary for his own survival. He is betrayed by people he trusts and learns to rely on his wits and his determination as he leaves Ireland for Liverpool, and eventually sails to "America". Which was, in fact, Canada.
I loved the tone of this book. It was not a "hard work beats all" immigrant story, like so many we are exposed to hear in Canada. There was no romanticism to this tale at all. It was stark and brittle and determined, with heartbreak and fear thrown in for good measure. Fergus learns who to trust, and more importantly, who not to trust. But what I loved about Fergus was that while he wasn't immune to acts of violence for survival purposes, he still kept his deep moral compass and used that compass to guide him.
I thought the ending was interesting, in that it closed a plot circle, but it also left open an opportunity for a sequel. I look forward to Behrens next novel "The O'Briens".
I loved the tone of this book. It was not a "hard work beats all" immigrant story, like so many we are exposed to hear in Canada. There was no romanticism to this tale at all. It was stark and brittle and determined, with heartbreak and fear thrown in for good measure. Fergus learns who to trust, and more importantly, who not to trust. But what I loved about Fergus was that while he wasn't immune to acts of violence for survival purposes, he still kept his deep moral compass and used that compass to guide him.
I thought the ending was interesting, in that it closed a plot circle, but it also left open an opportunity for a sequel. I look forward to Behrens next novel "The O'Briens".