REVIEW: The Secret Scripture (Sebastian Barry)
Book: The Secret ScriptureAuthor: Sebastian Barry
My rating: 3/5
Premise: The mental hospital where psychiatrist Dr Green works is about to shut down and he sets about investigating the history of his patient Roseanne. She was committed there as a young woman and is now nearing her hundredth birthday. At the same time, Roseanne is looking back on the tragedies and passions of her life through a secret journal. When Dr Grene finally uncovers the circumstances of her arrival at the hospital, it leads to a secret that will shock them both.
I was looking forward to this book but personally I found it quite slow. The story goes through Roseanne's life, her account of daily life in the hospital and then Dr Grene's life and studies. I can see that the book is meant to be studying people and how we think and act, but I found the characters digressed a lot in their "accounts" and just wanted to get back to the main plot. I liked how we are unclear as to the truth in parts of her story, with it differing from some facts Dr Grene uncovers - but I did find myself believing her story! Overall an interesting read but a tad slow and meandering for my liking.