Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland

Incredible detailed work of the history of the Troubles and the period well after. Fascinating, disturbing, captivating and historically accurate in his recounting of the lives and actions of dozens of players, a result of hundreds and hundreds of hours of interviews with the very people whose actions defined this emotional and tragic period.This is a must read for anyone interested in learning what Northern Ireland (or north of Ireland if you insist on unification) was like for people trying to forge its future, and for others just trying to survive in that era.I had first run across the movie “Rose’s War”, although focused on only one individual, reminded me that I had earlier recorded the series “Once Upon A Time in Northern Ireland”. I highly recommend watching that five-part series either before, during, or after reading this book, as the lives and actions of many of the individuals providing video interviews in the series are more extensively described in this book, whether the unthinkable execution of mother-of-ten Jean McConville and how it determined the lives of her children, or the aloof Gerry Adams who always seemed at the center of planning executions, retribution, and bombings but always escapes accountability.Can’t say enough good things about the book and the incredible hard work and investment made by the author and assistants; A real page turner, for truth is stranger than fiction, and for the people of Northern Ireland, more horrific and tragic.

As one Amazon reviewer notes, this is NOT the book to read if you want to learn about the history of The Troubles by examining the Loyalist experience and Loyalist crimes as well as the challenging history of the IRA and Gerry Adams. This book is not focused on providing the stories of 'both sides.' But in terms of examining the impact of violence perpetrated by the IRA — not just on victims but on those who committed murders, hid them away, denied them, and suffered PTSD for many years thereafter — this is narrative non-fiction of the highest order. This is a book that makes me want to read more. For those who only wanted the story of the single murder that is a focus in the title and early and later chapters, the book may seem long and digressive. But I loved all of it, particularly the way it was structured. The story about Jean McConville, a widow and mother of ten who was "disappeared" by neighbors, is powerful and unforgettable, but it's the kind of story that needs the full context Keefe provides to make perfect sense. He provides that context by telling many other stories about the people who joined the IRA, the orphaned children, and about what happened, over time, to all these people who were psychologically scarred by the requirement to 'say nothing.' This is a story about a culture at war with itself that built a fragile peace on denial. The book makes sense structurally because it moves forward chronologically — and then leans back into time as necessary.Although I don't tend to read that much history — but focus largely on fiction, memoir, poetry, and some biography — this is the kind of book that is leading me to want to read more narrative non-fiction of this caliber — as well as connecting to other works I've read, seen, or listened to recently: Seamus Heany's poems, Anna Burns' "Milkman," and Jez Butterworth's marvelous 'The Ferryman,' which I saw on Broadway a week ago.Finally, I read this book in whispersync. The X-Ray feature in Kindle is helpful in placing and revisiting the many characters and includes many terrific photographs. And the Audible version, narrated by Matthew Blaney who sounds Irish, is a fine listen — though it does seem slightly odd that the American author doesn't have an American narrator. Perhaps that was a wise choice, though, as listening to Blaney's voice was an absolute treat that made me feel as if I, too, were visiting Ireland, hearing the stories as they ought to be heard.

This is a must read for anyone interested in the terrible conflict between catholics and the British government in Northern Ireland in the 70's - 90's.

Great true story told from a fresh perspective.I have read a lot of books on the history of the troubles in Northern Ireland from both the Irish and English perspectives but reading the story of these sisters and how they grew up in the movement and where their choices took them is both fascinating and very sad.It’s well written and pulls you into a time and place that most would never think of.I finished over a weekend!I couldn’t put it down.

Both sides of my family have roots in Ireland, but I knew nothing about "the Troubles," that plagued the country in the 1970s and 80s. Keefe does a tremendous job of not only presenting the issues, but of the leaders as well. He also shines a not-very-nice light on the English colonialism. But there are"good guys" and "bad guys" on both sides. It is not the English soldiers who take a mother of ten from her home and kill her. His writing is superb and filled with relevant details, such as when the two sisters decide to shake up London with a couple of bombs. Simply unbelievable and yet every word is true.I've reread it several times, and each time I am stunned anew with the writing and the shocking story.