Book Review: Say Nothing by Patrick Radden Keefe

Back in school when I was selecting which subjects I wanted to progress with for A-Level, my History teacher at the time tried to convince me to continue to study History. I told him that although I loved his classes, I knew we would cover more Northern Irish history and I just couldn’t face it. I had heard enough. It didn’t feel like “history” when it was still looming over our lives - relations have improved greatly, but a divide still exists.

“All wars are fought twice, the first time on the battlefield, the second time in memory.” - Viet Thanh Nguyen.

 Fast forward 15 years later and frankly I’m surprised that I even wanted to pick this up. Yet I’m glad I did because it has cemented itself as one of the best non-fiction books I’ve ever read - it was informative, accessible, and the story just felt human. Historical books can often feel like a lot of names and dates, coming across as cold and factual, but Keefe manages to narrate the story of The Troubles through focusing on a number of the key players and telling the story of the abduction and murder of Jean McConville, a widowed mother of ten who was lifted from her home one night and never seen again.

One of my main concerns about any of the books about The Troubles, including this one, was that they would be biased. And although Say Nothing primarily focuses on the IRA and the republican side of the fighting, their actions are presented factually - at no point did I feel like Keefe‘s own personal feelings toward either side were apparent. Although in the very final chapter he does highlight those who he thinks should be held accountable for the murder of McConville.

If you know nothing, or very little, about The Troubles in Northern Ireland, this is a fantastic book to start with. Or even if you feel like you already know a lot, like I did, you’ll still learn a few things.

Hands down, my favourite book of the year so far. The ease with which Keefe handled such a complex and sensitive topic has floored me. 5 stars.

Johann

x