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The Secret Scripture

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The Secret Scripture

By: Sebastian Barry
Narrated by: Wanda McCaddon
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About this listen

A SUNDAY TIMES TOP 100 NOVEL OF THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY

COSTA BOOK OF THE YEAR 2008

Nearing her one-hundredth birthday, Roseanne McNulty faces an uncertain future, as the Roscommon Regional Mental hospital where she's spent the best part of her adult life prepares for closure. Over the weeks leading up to this upheaval, she talks often with her psychiatrist Dr Grene, and their relationship intensifies and complicates. Told through their respective journals, the story that emerges is at once shocking and deeply beautiful. Refracted through the haze of memory and retelling, Roseanne's story becomes an alternative, secret history of Ireland's changing character and the story of a life blighted by terrible mistreatment and ignorance, and yet marked still by love and passion and hope.

©2023 Sebastian Barry (P)2023 Faber & Faber Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction

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All stars
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I loved this book, and the whole of the trilogy but most especially this book. It tells, in part, the story of so many of us Irish / Englishmen. Taken from our mothers and adopted in English families, discovering too late our roots. The reading, for me, became astonishing as it dawns on me that this was my

The best of writing about the Irish experience

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Wonderful writing and superb narration - utterly captivating. My first of this author, will be going on to them all.

What writing! Fabulous

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This is a most wonderful beautifully written melancholic story told without bitterness. Quite an extraordinary tale.

The sadness of this book is quite beautiful

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I read this book, and loved it. when it was published. And now listening to this recording was an equally moving experience. Although it's a very sad tale, Sebastian Barry's writing is pure poetry. He writes English as only an Irishman can.

The most beautiful book

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A very surprising and, for me, unexpected twist at the end. Incredible tale, well told. A tale of a time and place unfamiliar to me but now one I feel I know intimately. Heartbreaking and wonderful.

Sad but wonderful

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Momentous historical events shape destiny of characters so vivid you feel you know them. So good onto the next by this author.

Fantastic

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The ending was awful. The whole book led up to a moment of resolution that would have left the central character vindicated after the terrible suffering she experienced but we were never given the satisfaction of seeing her moment of redemption.

Good story, terribly inadequate, psychologically weak ending

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Loved the gentleness and the brutality of a story well told. Beautifully narrated. Why fifteen words.

Didn’t know what to expect.

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Very absorbing story beautifully narrated. The characters really came to life and the ending rounded the whole thing off very well.

Fantastic narration

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Excellent narration befitting such a beautiful story. Loved every moment., and the unexpected reveal at the end. Just brilliant

Truly wonderful story

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