The Secret Scripture

I very much enjoyed The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry. Set in Ireland, a psychiatric hospital is closing down the doctor in charge, Dr Grene, has to assess the patients to determine where they will go. One of those patients is a 100 year old woman, Roseanne McNulty (nee Clear). Dr Grene is unable to find the documentation that explains why Roseanne is there. The story is told in the first person, in the form of a journal, by both characters - Dr Grene and Roseanne. So the reader sometimes gets two versions of past events. Roseanne hides her journal and Dr Grene uses his to try and make sense of the events of his life and discover more about Roseanne. The reader learns about the tumultuous history of Ireland during Roseanne's life. Eventually the reader, then Dr Grene, discovers the truth about Roseanne's life and the reason she was admitted to an asylum at a young age. Highly recommended. 41/2/5