Belfast, 1972: The Troubles dominate the lives of ordinary folk, on both sides of the sectarian divide, and the days are filled with kidnappings, shootings, bombings and riots.
Tom Martin has been forced to take drastic measures to protect the lives of his family - their only crime is to be Catholic.
On the other side of the divide, William McManus is pursuing a bloody crusade of violence that has drawn in both his sons. He is convinced his cause is is right, but has the killing become something more than a means to an end?
Both men are about to discover that the power of love can overcome apparently insurmountable barriers and can change a person's view of what is right and what is wrong.
Both families will be shaken by a long buried truth in a world deeply divided by the influence of history, politics and religion and their boundaries are about to be redrawn.
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Eden Burning s a powerful novel that brings alive just what is was like to live in the deeply divided city of Belfast at the height of the Troubles. This was a time when unbelievable violence was meted out on both sides of the sectarian divide - when a person's only crime was to be born into the "wrong" religion - with the British soldiers in-between, trying to maintain the semblance of some sort of peace.
The character of William McManus gives us a glimpse into the sectarian killings carried out on the Loyalist side of the Troubles and the descriptions of the violence inflicted is difficult to read at times. However, we are left in no doubt by our author, Deirdre Quiery, that the same atroticies were being carried out by the Nationalist side too - often on a tit-for-tat basis. These were dangerous times to be caught out on your own, on both sides of the conflict, especially in certain areas and at night.
Having previously read about the Troubles from the point of view of either one side or the other of the divide, I found it really interesting that you are able to see both sides in this book. Deirdre Quiery cleverly draws the picture of the two families here to show that there are in fact, many similarities between them and the link that is forged between Eileen and Lily is particularly touching.
Although not really about the part the military played in the Troubles, there is a side to the presence of the soldiers, touched upon here, that is often overlooked. Many of them were just boys trying to be men, with chaos reigning all around them - they still wanted to talk to pretty girls, fall in love, and be happy. The young soldiers must have turned the heads of many a young girl on both sides of the Troubles, with dangerous consequences.
The most wonderful thing about this book is that it is about the power of love. Our characters are living in dangerous times and yet they are willing to risk all to save the people they love - sometimes they are misguided about what is the right way to protect their loved ones, but ultimately, love has the power to overcome barriers and open the eyes of those who have done wrong. Love can bring redemption and forgiveness. Love can find a way to build bridges.
So, this is a story about love and violence...but there is a other thread here that is utterly delicious and will keep you turning the pages until the characters find out the truth about the link between their two families - the truth that will offer them the chance of redemption and forgiveness. You will have to read this book to find out what this is, but I loved the way that the little pieces of the shocking truth dropped throughout the story gradually come together. Superb writing.
Eden Burning is a compelling and emotional tale that uses the turbulent background of the Irish Troubles to tell a story that will draw you in completely. You will develop deep feelings for some of the characters, and wish with your very soul that they can find a way to be together in peace. Interestingly, you will even want the characters who seem utterly lost to all that is good to see the error of their ways and understand that they are actually no different from the people they purport to hate.
I thoroughly enjoyed Eden Burning. Although it was challenging to dwell on the senseless violence described in these pages, love found a way to overcome. It is important to understand that the Troubles were very real and as such, cannot be forgotten. The beauty of such stories is that they teach us how important it is not to repeat the past. Whatever your colour, creed, or political leanings, we are all just human beings after all.
Eden Burning is available now from your favourite book retailer.
From the book cover of Eden Burning:
Catapulting us into 1970s Belfast in the heart of the Troubles, Eden Burning pulses with conflict and introduces us to a cast of characters we profoundly care about, even when they are warring with each other. Above all, though, it is a novel with a true spiritual and emotional heart. --Rachel Connor, bestselling author of Sisterwives
Northern Ireland, 1972. On the Crumlin Road, Belfast, the violent sectarian Troubles have forced Tom Martin to take drastic measures to protect his family. Across the divide William McManus pursues his own particular bloody code, murdering for a cause. Yet both men have underestimated the power of love and an individuals belief in right and wrong, a belief that will shake the lives of both families with a greater impact than any bomb blast. This is a compelling, challenging story of conflict between and within families driven by religion, belief, loyalty and love. In a world deeply riven by division, a world of murders, bomb blasts and assassinations, how can any individual transcend the seemingly inevitable violence of their very existence?
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