I read this book over five years ago and when it was chosen for book club, I intended just to skip through it. But the first few pages had me hooked and I read every word again. Previously I wrote:
I often search the bestseller lists for human dramas, and The Secret Scripture was there for some time. Shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize and Costa Book of the Year, I had to give it the novel by Sebastian Barry a try. I have to say that despite the beautiful writing, the first half of the book was heavy going. Written from the alternating accounts of Roseanne McNulty, who is close to her one hundredth birthday, and her psychiatrist Dr Grene, the book picks up when Roseanne memories go from childhood into when she was a young woman. It then becomes a masterpiece of tragedy, and the revelations of a shocking secret lead to an uplifting conclusion. I am so glad I stuck with it.
It was no less harrowing the second time around, but it is such a vivid human story. There are parts that are uplifting, and the device of alternating the ancient Roseanne's story with that of her doctor works really well. I think everyone enjoyed it.
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