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  • Say Nothing

  • A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland
  • Written by: Patrick Radden Keefe
  • Narrated by: Matthew Blaney
  • Length: 14 hrs and 40 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (458 ratings)

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Say Nothing

Written by: Patrick Radden Keefe
Narrated by: Matthew Blaney
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Publisher's Summary

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From the author of Empire of Pain—a stunning, intricate narrative about a notorious killing in Northern Ireland and its devastating repercussions.

"Masked intruders dragged Jean McConville, a 38-year-old widow and mother of 10, from her Belfast home in 1972. In this meticulously reported book—as finely paced as a novel—Keefe uses McConville's murder as a prism to tell the history of the Troubles in Northern Ireland. Interviewing people on both sides of the conflict, he transforms the tragic damage and waste of the era into a searing, utterly gripping saga." —New York Times Book Review

Jean McConville's abduction was one of the most notorious episodes of the vicious conflict known as The Troubles. Everyone in the neighborhood knew the I.R.A. was responsible. But in a climate of fear and paranoia, no one would speak of it. In 2003, five years after an accord brought an uneasy peace to Northern Ireland, a set of human bones was discovered on a beach. McConville's children knew it was their mother when they were told a blue safety pin was attached to the dress--with so many kids, she had always kept it handy for diapers or ripped clothes.

Patrick Radden Keefe's mesmerizing book on the bitter conflict in Northern Ireland and its aftermath uses the McConville case as a starting point for the tale of a society wracked by a violent guerrilla war, a war whose consequences have never been reckoned with. The brutal violence seared not only people like the McConville children, but also I.R.A. members embittered by a peace that fell far short of the goal of a united Ireland, and left them wondering whether the killings they committed were not justified acts of war, but simple murders.

From radical and impetuous I.R.A. terrorists such as Dolours Price, who, when she was barely out of her teens, was already planting bombs in London and targeting informers for execution, to the ferocious I.R.A. mastermind known as The Dark, to the spy games and dirty schemes of the British Army, to Gerry Adams, who negotiated the peace but betrayed his hardcore comrades by denying his I.R.A. past--Say Nothing conjures a world of passion, betrayal, vengeance, and anguish.

Look for Patrick Radden Keefe's latest bestseller, Empire of Pain.

©2019 Patrick Radden Keefe (P)2019 Random House Audio

What the critics say

NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER

LONGLISTED FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD

WINNER OF THE ORWELL PRIZE

"Resolutely humane. . .Say Nothing [has an] exacting and terrifying lucidity. . .meticulously reported. . .Keefe's narrative is an architectural feat, expertly constructed out of complex and contentious material, arranged and balanced just so. . .an absorbing drama.\ —JENNIFER SZALAI, The New York Times

"Say Nothing has lots of the qualities of good fiction. . . Keefe is a terrific storyteller. . .He brings his characters to real life. The book is cleverly structured. We follow people--victim, perpetrator, back to victim--leave them, forget about them, rejoin them decades later. It can be read as a detective story. . .What Keefe captures best, though, is the tragedy, the damage and waste, and the idea of moral injury. . .Say Nothing is an excellent account of the Troubles. —RODDY DOYLE, The New York Times Book Review

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What listeners say about Say Nothing

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Captivated and enthralled the entire time

This book is fascinating throughout. The story is about larger than life people and the author created such atmosphere and such an amazing sense of time and place while telling their story that I couldn’t stop listening. It’s also created a massive thirst for more information about the people in the story that I feel like I’m obsessed with the subject now. The performance is deft and lyrical and adds so much colour and soul to the experience. A remarkable story told in a masterful way. So yeah, I liked it.

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it said alot - very informative

well done insight into the complexity of the troubles in Ireland . it helped understand why it was not just a war with clear divisions and lines as many think it was.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Incredible, but extremely tragic Irish history!

Incredible research and narration, and important history, and yet incredibly sad. Well worth the price!

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Fantastic writing and narration

Rivetingly told by the author and beautifully read by the narrator, a fascinating, heartbreaking and dramatic history told with a highly human focus on the people who lived it. Radicalism, idealism, commitment to a cause, sacrifice, and what it was for these people to survive those themes after intensely persuing them and having their lives defined by them. The writing makes this history come to life. I couldn’t press stop and found it captivating. The beautiful voice and narration by Blaney is the cherry on top of a great piece of writing. Highly highly recommend.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Tragic history- told very well.

A very even handed telling of the Troubles. So much hatred and so much history in a tiny peace of land. The start of the book is a bit confusing as only small segments are revealed at a time. I was half way through before I understood the underlying structure of the 'plot'. I felt all sides were treated fairly in this telling. Unfortunately the footnotes that go into more detail on the more controversial issues ARE NOT included in the audiobook. I very seldom enjoy books written by Americans, especially if the are dealing with 'foreign' lands. But this book was a definite exception.
After my trip to the Republic of Ireland last fall, I realized the potential for a return to Troubles is very possible in the post Brexit instability.

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Great story and narration!

I was interested in the history of the troubles so I decided to pick up this book. First, I thought the narrator was excellent, he did a great job. Second, the story was very interesting to me but I wish there was some sort of organizational chart with a timeline because there are a lot of characters and organizations at play in this book and the story spans decades. Lastly, upon finishing the book, I felt like my curiosity for this subject was deeply satisfied, although at the end of the book there was mention of terrorist activity from the loyalist side which now has me interested in pursuing that side of the story.

This book was highly enjoyable and I would recommend it to my mother.

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quality

loved it, I couldn't stop listening. I felt like one of my uncles was telling me a really long detailed story

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  • Overall
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Awesome/Malade

If you like Irish history, especially the Troubles, this is super good without being too dry and historical. I finished it in like two days.

Si vous aimez l’histoire irlandaise, en particulier « les troubles » c’est super bon sans être trop sec pis historique. Je l’ai fini dans genre deux jours.

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Outstanding

One of the best non fiction accounts of the Troubles available. Brilliant author. Thank you.

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Important history, compellingly told

I did not know very much about the history of the troubles. This book was a great starting point to know more. It takes a very human look at some of the main events and figures. It is not an easy read at all, but I couldn’t put it down.

The narrator did a fantastic job, really bringing a lot of feeling to the book.

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