Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland
Updated: Aug 8
In Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland, Patrick Radden Keefe has crafted a masterpiece—of journalism, of narrative nonfiction, of pure storytelling. Perfectly paced and sequenced, this is a moving, illuminating, haunting, and powerful book. This is not just a story for those interested in Irish history or politics, the Troubles, the Irish Republican Army, or true crime. This is a story for anyone who likes a good story, for anyone who reads every article in The New Yorker (where Keefe happens to be a staff writer) knowing full well that it’s not the subject that matters, it’s the writing. Keefe puts the reader not at the periphery of events but right in the middle, with all the terror, violence, fear, shock, desperation, horror, pain, and sadness that accompanies them. I was frequently overwhelmed by the immersiveness of many of the book’s events, and Keefe’s ability to bring the stories of the people within these pages to life is both a testament to his skill as a writer but more so, I think, to his skill as a listener. Say Nothing is an important book, but don’t let that stop you from reading one of the most compelling page-turners you’re likely to find.
Comments