The blurb:

Nearing her one-hundredth birthday, Roseanne McNulty faces an uncertain future, as the Roscommon Regional Mental hospital where she's spent the best part of her adult life prepares for closure. Over the weeks leading up to this upheaval, she talks often with her psychiatrist Dr Grene, and their relationship intensifies and complicates. Told through their respective journals, the story that emerges is at once shocking and deeply beautiful. Refracted through the haze of memory and retelling, Roseanne's story becomes an alternative, secret history of Ireland's changing character and the story of a life blighted by terrible mistreatment and ignorance, and yet marked still by love and passion and hope.

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I discovered this poor orphaned book on the shelves of the local OBCZ in Siegen and brought it home to register, read and release. Please help to give this book a good home!

I didn't really know what to expect from this book but I certainly didn't expect to fall in love with the author's prose! Sebastian Barry is praised for being a poet and playwright as well as a novelist: I am now going to hunt down some of his poetry for my wishlist!

As for the story, it showed just how easy it is to get involved in somethings without being able to extricate oneself. Very interesting, a good read - even if I did guess the dénouement about half way through.

Chosen from the First Sentences VBB.

I hope you enjoy this book - it is one of the best I have read so far this year!

Thank you so much for making this one available in the VBB and for sending this book out so quickly.
I had never heard of this author, so again a first one through BC.

This looks like an interesting read, although from the description on the back I don't think it would have been a book I would have picked myself. I'll get back to you once I've finished reading it.

This book has taken me a long time to read. Almost till the end I hesitated if I should continue reading.
It wasn't a bad book, but to be honest, it was mostly curiosity that kept me reading. That's not bad either, but for me that is a rare thing.

Anyway: I'm happy to have finished, this story about Roseanne. No more curiosity left for other family members though.

This book is on its way to Icila, who picked its first sentence from the VBB. It travels in the company of a ray book. Hope they have lots of stories to tell each other. 😀

The two books got along very well. Thank you too for the lovely card. I absolutely love it. It now takes the place of honor on my fridge. :)

I really enjoyed this book. A beautiful writing and an interesting story. I wasn't aware of the bloody History of Ireland at that time.
Not so romantic after all.

My October Offer for "One book a month offered 2016 " RABCK forum.

On its way to Delphi_reader, the winner, in Greece. Enjoy !

"The Secret Scripture" arrived in Delphi, Greece today morning. Thank you Icila for sending it over, Chremajora for registering it and everyone for making its journey interesting already.

I will hopefully read it soon, tell you what I think and help it continue its travels...

I admit I picked "The Secret Scripture" because a)the blurb seemed quite interesting and b)I have quite an affection to everything Irish. This book did not disappoint.

I found this quote from Wikipedia quite interesting:

"The novel was inspired by a story told to him by his mother of an old relative – "We were driving through Sligo, and my mother pointed out a hut and told me that was where my great uncle's first wife had lived before being put into a lunatic asylum by the family. She knew nothing more, except that she was beautiful. I once heard my grandfather say that she was no good. That's what survives and the rumours of her beauty. She was nameless, fateless, unknown. I felt I was almost duty-bound as a novelist to reclaim her and, indeed, remake her." "

I found the book somehow slow-going at parts and the plot a bit predictable and somehow far-fetched towards the end, but still the story was very interesting and the writting style attractive. Personally I usually enjoy reading (and listening to!) the Irish version of English language, but this author's prose was really good in its own right anyway!
I guess Sebastian Barry been borned in an artisty and educated family helped his talent flourish...
I am now very tempted to seek out his other books, especially "The Whereabouts of Eneas McNulty".

Now, let's see where this book travels next...

The Secret Scripture is now traveling to the winner of the INTL RABCK Sweepstakes of January - February 2017!

Enjoy!

This book came to me as part of the Intl RABCK sweepstakes competition. This looks to be an intriguing story, can't wait to get round to reading it. Thank you Delphi Reader.

I’ve tried try read this book but never get beyond the 2 need chapter. Releasing it in the hopes it finds an appreciative audience.

I’ve tried try read this book but never get beyond the 2 need chapter. Releasing it in the hopes it finds an appreciative audience.

Not my cup of tea, released into the wild to find a new home.