Chipping away layers of patriotic dogma, this meticulous craftsman reveals the individual tragedy and cruelty at the heart of Ireland's founding myth, a myth that cannot accommodate his troublesome characters. Barry is preoccupied with Ireland's most turbulent decades - those of the First World War, the 1916 rebellion, the 1920s War of Independence and Irish Civil War - but he mines rather than glorifies those legendary events. In their quiet way they are also deeply subversive. The plays and novels of Irish writer Sebastian Barry are haunting, beautiful creations, riddled with secrets and often populated by ghosts. Set against an Ireland besieged by conflict, The Secret Scripture is an engrossing tale of one woman's life, and a vivid reminder of the stranglehold that the Catholic church had on individuals throughout much of the twentieth century. A young and energetic father just 35 years old, Ian was now in a wheelchair as his battle with leukemia neared its end. Once one of the most beguiling women in Sligo, she is now a resident of Roscommon Regional Mental Hospital and nearing her hundredth year. In The Secret Scripture, Barry revisits County Sligo, Ireland, the setting for his previous three books, to tell the unforgettable story of Roseanne McNulty. Sebastian Barry 's novels have been hugely admired by readers and critics, and in 2005 his novel A Long Long Way was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize.

It nearly broke my heart, but left me with a glimpse of joy and hope. You may feel squeamish at times and sickened, but that is what the movie wants you to. It’s about love and loss, grief, religion and Ireland. The acting is really good, the story engaging and the tension is high. An epic story of family, love, and unavoidable tragedy from the two-time Man Booker Prize finalist The Secret Scriptureis a sublime work of fiction about memory and its effect on history and truth.

The secret scripture book review