Oddly enough I was reading a novel by her father, Thomas Flanagan, when the war broke out. At first it felt astoundingly relevant, but then I became annoyed at the :both-sides: of it. Normally this would have been to the book’s credit - he does a great job interweaving multiple narrators and other points-of-view - but after October 7 I needed a stronger dose of unadulterated anti-colonialism. I’ll go back to it soon enough. Maybe when Hezbollah or Iran sends a token force in support of Palestine, enough to raise people’s spirits but not to truly increase their chances. ( , I know - also the perspective of many of the characters in this novel.)

In 1798, Irish patriots, committed to freeing their country from England, landed with a company of French troops in County Mayo, in westernmost Ireland. They were supposed to be an advance guard, followed by other French ships with the leader of the rebellion, Wolfe Tone. Briefly they triumphed, raising hopes among the impoverished local peasantry and gathering a group of supporters. But before long the insurgency collapsed in the face of a brutal English counterattack.

Very few books succeed in registering the sudden terrible impact of historical events; Thomas Flanagan’s is one. Subtly conceived, masterfully paced, with a wide and memorable cast of characters, The Year of the French brings to life peasants and landlords, Protestants and Catholics, along with old and abiding questions of secular and religious commitments, empire, occupation, and rebellion. It is quite simply a great historical novel.