A Turning of the Tide in the affairs of men and women, of subjugated Ireland and her oppressed poor, is this work. Migrants return, some for good, others not so much. Yet others go further. And more.
This work, third part of An Irish Family Saga, begins with the ominous return of the family to Ireland despite the danger they are aware of, that from constable Armstrong and his hatred of all Irish, and his vengeful nature, with no thought for fairness or justice. James and Mary are back in Blackrock against all prudence, chiefly due to Mary being not happy settling in England for good. Her two elder children Catherine and Thomas are left behind, and she isn't happy about either, but they work, Thomas has a wife and a baby, and they couldn't be forced to return.
Things get worse soon enough. Michael Kiernan's son Francis is arrested and beaten badly by Armstrong the moment he sets foot on land at Dundalk to visit relatives, his American citizenship ignored, and when he's rescued by the Fenians, he dies on the way due to internal bleeding. Michael asks James to arrange the funeral he can't attend, and James agrees.
Meanwhile Patrick Gallagher escaping from a fight in Sheffield is taking refuge at Maggie's and not yet recovered from the knife gash, and does not reciprocate the young MaryAnne's feelings. One almost can predict he'd fall for Catherine.
And Thomas plans to relocate to N.Y., leaving his baby with his parents, since his wife died due to lung problems due to working at a mill. He's an atheist and a socialist, and hopes to survive better there than in England. Or Ireland.
One couldn't imagine it gets worse, but it does. And here the author breaks her thus far silence about treatment of Irish by their òppressors the English, but in a veiled manner at first, before bringing it out a bit more in the open in form of constable Armstrong and his hatred for everyone and everything Irish.
A doctor, a new neighbour of Catherine's employer staying at their house with his wife, rapes her, and has every intention of repeatedly forcing himself on her and declaring her delusional, except she slaps him with force in view of another maid, and leaves employment. Patrick traces her to her uncle's, but she cannot bear to see him, and tells him she's no longer of use for him. Their brief courtship is over.
Until Aunt Rose takes over. But all her efforts would be still in vain if it weren't for Catherine fighting back when forced to encounter the rapist doctor.
................................................................................................
................................................................................................
................................................
................................................
June 01, 2020 - June 02, 2020.
................................................
................................................
