I borrowed this copy from our local library.Patrick Radden Keefe’s Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland is one of the most gripping, haunting nonfiction books I’ve read. It’s no wonder The New York Times names it one of the 100 Best Books of the 21st Century. At its heart is a mystery: what happened to Jean McConville, a 38-year-old widow and mother of ten, abducted from her Belfast home? What unfolds is a portrait of The Troubles told through personal stories and political choices that still reverberate across Northern Ireland (or, as many Republicans call it, the North of Ireland) today.
One of the earliest flashpoints in the book is the 1969 attack on the People’s Democracy March at Burntollet Bridge—a moment that sparks a new phase of violence in the conflict. Keefe places us right alongside Dolours and Marian Price, teenage activists who become the first female frontline soldiers in the Provisional IRA. Their paths, particularly Dolours’s, sit at the center of Say Nothing’s narrative.
Why I Finally Picked Up Say Nothing — and Why You Might Want To
Keefe first felt compelled to tell this story after reading Dolours Price’s obituary in The New York Times. The cover photo of the book—taken by Stefano Archetti for the Italian magazine L’Europeo—features her. It tempted me from the shelves of bookstores in Ireland*. I remembered it recently, when I wanted to read a book about The Troubles in preparation for our upcoming trip to Northern Ireland.
Say Nothing reads like a thriller, not a textbook. Yet it taught me so much about The Troubles as I raced through its pages, wanting to know what happens next over and over again. Having read it, I feel like I’ll get even more out of The Troubles Bogside Walking Tour in Derry and the Black Cab Tour of Belfast on our itinerary this November.
3 Travel-Relevant + Surprising Things I Learned from the Book
- Weapon smuggling aboard the Queen Elizabeth II: Brendan Hughes, a prominent member of the Provisional IRA, used the luxury cruise liner—named after the Queen of England—to smuggle arms. Queen Elizabeth II, once part of the Cunard luxury fleet, is now Dubai’s only floating hotel. Book your stay aboard the Queen Elizabeth II.
- The Price sisters’ historic trial for their role in the 1973 Old Bailey bombing: It took place in The Great Hall of Winchester Castle, a medieval chamber where Sir Walter Raleigh was found guilty of treason in 1603. Tour The Great Hall.
- The Boston College link: Its Burns Library holds the most comprehensive collection of Irish political and cultural artifacts in the United States. It was home to the Belfast Project, whose recordings became central to uncovering what happened to McConville. Visit the Burns Library.
After reading Say Nothing, I feel more prepared for our upcoming visit to Derry and Belfast. Chris and I are currently watching the television series based on the book, so he’ll feel more prepared as well. Do you seek out books and shows about a place before you visit?
Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland
By Patrick Radden Keefe | 448 pp. Purchase Say Nothing and Support Independent Booksellers
We spent three months living in Ireland, going on all sorts of adventures and wandering in and out of bookstores. If you’re building an Ireland trip, our travel guide can help. It pulls everything together: our favorite destinations, four itineraries, and all the practical details in one place.
Want to read more books with Irish connections?
Travel Book Review: The Irish Diaspora by Turtle Bunbury
14 Quotes That Made Me Love This Is Happiness
Rom-Com Meets Ireland: My Favorite Mistake Book Review
Claire Keegan’s So Late in the Day: Stories & Settings
Planning your own trip to Northern Ireland?
We’re booked on this Bogside walking tour and this Black Cab tour—both come highly recommended.
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