The blurb makes the Easter Rising sound like a very major part of this book. In ways it is. In ways it isn't. The aftermath and repercussions of the Easter Rising were more of what this book is about than the actual Rising itself.
This is the story of Willie Dunne. His father is a policeman and he joins the Royal Dublin Fusiliers to fight in World War I. Parts of the story are about him surviving war and other parts of the story are about the mixed feelings he has about being both Irish and a subject of the Crown. Divided loyalties are the main topic of this story.
It's a slow burner at first but it is actually worth the read. I didn't really get into it until quite a bit in but I really didn't want to fail on reading two books in a row so I persisted.
Not my favourite ever read, but then it's not really my favourite reading genre, but a good read and interesting. It did bring home the problems some of the Irish volunteers must have had. That strange choice they had to make between Nationalism and Loyalty.
An interesting view of an Irish Author who manages to stay fairly neutral on the side of right and wrong in the situation.
