A Dark and Recent History: a review of Say Nothing

Calling all history buffs! If you enjoy dark history, or just history in general, read this book. Also, please make sure you read this before you watch the new Hulu show. I can already tell you (without having seen the show): the book is better.

If you are like me, you knew next to nothing about The Troubles in Ireland, though your parents probably remember seeing the news. It took several friends (and my future husband) travelling to Northern Ireland to study abroad during our college years before I realized the darkness of Ireland's very recent history. Up until then, Ireland was just an idyllic place that I wanted to visit one day.

As I venture into this review, please keep in mind that I am not Irish, and I while I have been to Ireland, I have never visited Northern Ireland. Additionally, I will not attempt to explain the history to you here in any level of depth as I am not an expert. Truly, in a nutshell, this review will be me attempting to convince you to read something on a subject I knew nothing about until I read the book.

So let's dive in!

First and foremost, this book was excellent. It is rare that conflict is black and white, with a clear enemy and hero. The Troubles are a prime example of that. The Troubles were many things: Protestant versus Catholic, loyal to England versus not so much, among other numerous and nuanced dichotomies. Patrick Radden Keefe does an incredible job of introducing his readers to each element of the conflict in an unbiased way.

Secondly, I think understanding history is important no matter if the subject matter isn't particularly black and white. It has been said that those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. Rarely is conflict simple and straightforward, and that is all the more reason to know history. Because, the truth is, history will repeat itself, and it is important to be prepared for how to understand varieties of conflicts, even if one is not directly a part of it. Especially in this day and age when it is impossible to avoid the news.

But truly, you should read Say Nothing, because it is a spectacular story, written superbly, and full of colorful real-life people written sympathetically. You feel as if you are reading both a history book and a novel. The characters are all real people of course, but you find yourself rooting for and/or against them. You will find yourself sympathizing with them, and understanding what led them to do what they did, be who they were. Because it is stories about real people's real lives, it is bigger than sympathetic villains and relatable heroes. You feel you could truly have known these people, heard about what they did in the news, and swore you didn't believe it. Yet, and this is what Patrick Radden Keefe does so well in Say Nothing, all of us are capable of amazing or terrible things given the right motivation.

So, read Say Nothing because understanding history is important. Read Say Nothing if you just simply enjoy history. Read Say Nothing to learn about a piece of history that often gets forgotten. And definitely read it before you watch the show. I fear that Hulu will sensationalize something that many people, who are still living, remember vividly because they lived through it. This is something that Patrick Radden Keefe does NOT do, and for that I am thankful. He treats history, and the characters in it, with the utmost respect.

(But if you do enjoy watching TV, and want something fun that takes place during The Troubles, I highly recommend Derry Girls on Netflix!)

Adult Content/Trigger Warnings: this book discusses terrorism, torture, murder, kidnapping, death, violence, and brutality in some detail.