The Secret Scripture isn’t a quick read, but Sebastian Barry’s book is a poignant and moving story that weaves a deeply personal story with Ireland’s history – one that saw a Civil War, the Catholic church wielding too much power and women unjustly locked away in asylums and forgotten about.
Such is the fate of Roseanne McNulty, the ill-treated heroine of The Secret Scripture, who is nearing her 100th birthday and has spent most of her life in psychiatric hospitals after being committed as a young woman. The hospital Roseanne has called home for half a century is due to close, so psychiatrist Dr William Grene feels he needs to investigate her history. There are no records to explain why Roseanne is in the hospital and rather belatedly he wants to know if she should be moved with it or discharged.
As a result, The Secret Scripture unfolds from two perspectives. Unbeknownst to Dr Grene, Rosanne is writing her own story and hiding the pages. So the book’s chapters alternate between ‘Roseanne’s Testimony of Herself’ and ‘Dr Grene’s Commonplace Book’. In the latter, we hear about the doctor’s attempts to learn more about Roseanne, while also dealing with his work, life and marital issues.
From Roseanne, we hear her story which starts with a difficult childhood in rural Ireland. It’s a life full of drama and an interesting cast of characters. The malicious and vengeful local priest Father Gaunt is an ever-present figure in Rosanne’s life. Her mother is unwell and eventually committed to an institution. The father she idolises goes from caretaking the local cemetery to being the town’s chief rat-catcher after getting unintentionally embroiled with civil war rebels. An event Roseane witnesses and will impact her life for years to come.
Despite her traumatic childhood, Roseane blossoms into a beautiful young woman (clearly and very creepily coveted by Father Gaunt) and life starts to look up when she meets and marries Tom McNulty. But his family don’t approve and when the evil priest spots her innocent meeting with one of the rebels she encountered with her father, he sets events in motion that lead to her eventual committal. An incarceration that has lasted for the rest of her life even though her only real crime was being a beautiful woman who wasn’t good enough for her in-laws.
The Secret Scripture isn’t perfect. I found it a bit too melodramatic and overwritten in parts and there’s a plot twist towards the end that some might find a bit much. I saw it coming a mile off but enjoyed it nevertheless. But overall I thought it was a powerful page-turning read with an extraordinary woman at its heart. And the book did win the Costa Book of the Year Award when it was published in 2008 and was shortlisted for the Booker Prize, so don’t just take my word for it!
I borrowed my copy of The Secret Scripture from my local library but it can also be bought from second-hand book retailers like Oxfam where I’m a book volunteer. If you love books, volunteering at Oxfam is a great way to give back while indulging a private passion. Why not check out the latest vacancies here?
And you can read more of my book reviews in the Books section of my blog where you’ll also find a post with tips on starting a book club. I read The Secret Scripture with my book club and I’d highly recommend it as a way to expand your normal reading habits.