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1916

A Novel of the Irish Rebellion (Irish Century)

By Morgan Llywelyn

(5)

| Mass Market Paperback | 9780812574920

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Book Description

Ned Halloran has lost both his parents--and almost his own life--to the sinking of the Titanic . Determined to keep what little he has, he returns to his homeland in Ireland and enrolls at Saint Enda's school in Dublin. Saint Enda's headmaster is the renowned scholar and poet, Patrick Pearse--who isContinue

Critics

The Best Reviews: Morgan Llywelyn, 1916: A Novel Of The Irish Rebellion

"POWERFUL STORY" This is a powerful novel of the events surrounding the 1916 Easter Rising in Dublin, Ireland. The book opens in 1912 as Ned Halloran and his parents are on a journey from Ireland to America to visit Ned's sister Kathleen. Fate has in ... (read full critics)

thebestreviews published on Fri, 17 Sep 2010

2 Reviews

1 person find this helpful

Clear, well documented, but full of emotion.
I had the impression of understanding what happened in Ireland in 1916 for the first time in my life.

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cristina said on Dec 10, 2011 about the Hardcover edition | Add your feedback

1 person find this helpful

Average enough.

Ned Halloran has just survived the sinking of the Titanic. Traumatised by the loss of life, including that of his parents, he returns home to Ireland. His older brother takes over the running of the farm and Ned is lucky enough to be sent to school. The school chosen for him is St. Edna’s, or Scoil ... (continue)

Ned Halloran has just survived the sinking of the Titanic. Traumatised by the loss of life, including that of his parents, he returns home to Ireland. His older brother takes over the running of the farm and Ned is lucky enough to be sent to school. The school chosen for him is St. Edna’s, or Scoil Eanna, a secondary school set up by Padraig Pearse. There he becomes caught up by the nationalist feelings and teaching and becomes involved in the Easter Rising of 1916.
Plenty of real, historical figures feature in this novel, Pearse, Ceannt, DeValera, and Collins among others all make an appearance. But it is the fictional Ned who is at the heart of the story. His are the eyes that interpret what is going on for the readers, however, the author does show that she has researched the actual events with a fair few references scattered throughout the story. To be totally honest this did feel like a book meant for an audience unfamiliar with the historical events, and quite a bit of time was devoted to explaining what was going on rather than simply getting on with the story. Probably necessary, but a bit jarring on occasion.
Overall the book is quite readable. Ned is a fairly likeable narrator, and the writing does enough to keep you interested. Does that sound like I’m damning this with false praise? I don’t mean too. It is a very readable book. It just doesn’t shine in any department. Average, but a good way to learn about the historical period.

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Dee said on Oct 12, 2007 | Add your feedback