by John Crowley
First published 2024
The Treaty divides Ireland, and brothers find themselves on opposite sides of history. Michael supports the new Free State government while his younger brother Seamus joins the Republican forces who reject any compromise with Britain. Their sister Mary watches her family tear apart as neighbors become enemies and friends turn into informants. The war moves through their Cork countryside in brutal sweeps, leaving burned houses and broken loyalties. Michael leads Free State patrols hunting the very hills where Seamus and his column hide. Mary tends wounded men from both sides, knowing each bandage she ties might save someone who will kill her brothers tomorrow. The conflict reaches into every kitchen and crossroads, forcing ordinary people to choose between survival and principle. As the civil war grinds toward its bitter end, the family must decide whether blood matters more than politics, and whether Ireland's freedom was worth destroying the people who fought for it.
Genres: historical-fiction, 20th-century, 21st-century, american-history
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, family-drama
Setting: Cork, Ireland
Period: 20th-century
560 pages · Hardcover · Cork University Press
Content warnings: violence, war