History is best told in fiction. This novel proves it. Written with intense emotional scrutiny, Kirwan restores the streets of Waterford, Ireland, in the years before citizens realized how oppressed they were. The figure of Jack stands in for many, many people, in many countries, who have grown up under a system of power and persuasion. Jack has an intuitive and idealistic side to him, but he has been crushed by the religious laws embedded in his household, his neighborhood, his country. Contradictions assail him, the meanness and the warmth of his mother's house, the coldness of his passionate sisters, and the walls that turn out to be rain. Anyone interested in understanding what tyranny feels like – be it religious or political – should read this beautifully written novel.
- Fanny Howe, poet and novelist.
