by Roddy Doyle
First published 2000
Henry Smart enters the world in the slums of Dublin, where survival demands cunning and violence comes early. As Ireland burns with revolutionary fever, Henry joins the Easter Rising of 1916, wielding weapons against British forces in the streets he knows by heart. The rebellion transforms him from street survivor into IRA assassin, carrying out deadly missions across a country torn between independence and occupation. Henry moves through Dublin's underworld and Ireland's political chaos, his personal war mirroring the nation's struggle for freedom. Years pass and Henry grows from young fighter into man and father, watching his own child inherit the rebel spirit that has defined his life. The violence that shaped Henry now threatens to consume the next generation, as Ireland's fight for independence exacts its price on families and individuals alike.
Genres: irish-literature, historical-fiction, 20th-century, action
Vibes: emotional, fast-paced, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: Dublin, Ireland
Period: 1916
Paperback · Demco Media
Content warnings: violence