The Secret Scripture

By: Sebastian Barry

Narrated by: Wanda McCaddon

Length: 9 hrs and 44 mins

Publisher's summary

Roseanne McNulty, once one of the most beautiful and beguiling girls in County Sligo, Ireland, is now an elderly patient at Roscommon Regional Mental Hospital. As her 100th year draws near, she decides to record the events of her life, hiding the manuscript beneath the floorboards.

Meanwhile, the hospital is preparing to close and is evaluating its patients to determine whether they can return to society. Dr. Grene, Roseanne's caretaker, takes a special interest in her case. In his research, he discovers a document written by a local priest that tells a very different story of Roseanne's life than what she recalls. As doctor and patient attempt to understand each other, they begin to uncover long-buried secrets about themselves. Set against an Ireland besieged by conflict, The Secret Scripture is an epic story of love, betrayal, and unavoidable tragedy.

©2008 Sebastian Barry (P)2008 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Above all it is the surpassing quality of Mr. Barry's language that gives it its power....It is like a song, with all the pulse of the Irish language, a song sung liltingly and plaintively from the top of Ben Bulben into the airy night." ( New York Times)

A treasure chest...A jewel of a book.

This book has it all! From the first sentence to an end you will wish would never come, the story, the language and the stunning use of metaphor, Sacred Scripture is a novel to cherish. It is at once intimate and shocking, unraveling a brutal personal history with an elegant, soft touch...a mighty challenge. It is not to be missed. Extraordinary writing--delightfully read.

amazing story, I listened to it twice, very much

Iiked it. I understand they are making a movie of the book. it should be interesting, I will be sure to see it.

Beautifully written and read!!!!

The reader is extraordinary’ and the book so beautifully written. I highly recommend this audible experience.

Wish it had gone further into the big picture

I enjoyed the book, but wish it had developed faster and been a bit easier to follow on the who was who.

Irish Civil War, Greeks vs. Trojans

As others have said, this is a beautiful novel, beautifully read, and it wouldn't have been the same without the soft Irish accent. To add a few more points: If someone had said, "Here's a novel about the Irish Civil War", it wouldn't have captured the same interest. The way the conflict(s) were brought in, slowly but increasingly, was masterful. The child Roseann had no concept of "civil war", just scenes, more or less clear, of what happened to her father. We learn later how the scenes fit into the larger, tragic conflicts of church & state, but the war is never allowed to overwhelm the characters. There's no explicit, "he's on this side; he's on that side". It was a complicated stuggle, and this book sent me to find out more about it. I recommend the 1996 Liam Neeson movie, "Michael Collins", & of course, wikipedia. Another surprising discovery -- I was searching for other works by this author & found "The Whereabouts of Eneas McNulty", a prequel written 10 years before "Secret Scriptures", about the minor-but-pivotal character. Can't wait to read it. (There's no recording.) This got me thinking about his namesake, Aeneas, of Trojan War fame. The parallels give one more slant on the book. AEneas, the wandering warrior, cast out of his homeland. AEneas, the passionate lover of the seductive Carthagenean Queen Dido (a.k.a. the heathen, Presbyterian beauty, Roseann). AEneas, whose mother Aphrodite pulls him away from his love & tells him he has a more glorious path to fulfill (Here Tom merges with Eneas). And BTW, are there really 3 distinct sons, or are they in essense all representatives of the same Son of Ireland, each with his own particular allegiances & fates? After all, in the letter that Jack sent Roseann, he wrote "we [brothers] all loved you". Mrs. McNulty as Aprodite? Her sons did have different fathers, and she certainly had the wrath of god! This is one way to recognize fine literature -- it has connections that go in many directions. ENJOY!

Charming and Surprising

I enjoyed the writing for the sense of voice and the connection to the sense of early-Victorian narrative. Like transplanting Hardy to 2010. Delightful. The reader, likewise, charming.

Language as Art

The author used words so carefully that the descriptive passages were akin to a visual experience. The characters were finely crafted and interesting without being trite.

The relationship between the two main characters was a bit predictable and the story would have been just fine without the psychiatrist's wife as minor player. I had trouble understanding the point of that character.

The narrator was excellent though in this case, two voices (one for the psychiatrist and one for the "patient") would have been better. The female voice for a male character was a bit difficult to follow.

An Incredible Tale, That'll Take You Back in Time!

This was my first time having read Sebastian Barry, & I must say, I was not disappointed!! Truth be told, I'd never even heard of Barry before watching the film, also titled, The Secret Scripture. Of course, I haven't read many Irish-native authors in the past, but after reading this, I fully intend on changing that in the future!. This story has everything, you'll laugh, you'll cry, it'll make you angry enough to pound your fist on the table, but most of all, you'll bs amazed by the shocking conclusion!! This is a perfect novel for readers who love historical fiction, Romance, and, above all, a gripping mystery that'll keep you guessing until the very end! The narrator will have you feeling like your in the room with the protagonist, Roseanne, watching her recall everything that happened over the course of her100 year lifespan! I highly recommend their story, and, with that, I must end my reviews so I can get started on the sequel... Enjoy!!

A beautifully written story

Would you listen to The Secret Scripture again? Why?

Yes, I feel I will have to go back to capture details I may not have noted.

What did you like best about this story?

The survival of the human spirit that sometimes requires acceptance of what is entirely unacceptable.

What does Wanda McCaddon bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Effortless use of multiple accents. Beautifully read!

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

The Holiness of Survival

loved it

I wanted to cry at times and Shout get a backbone the only problem I had was had to listen carefully to the narrator sometime that Irish brogue was really strong read it read it read it I recommend this book