1916: A Novel of the Irish Rebellion

Some people ask me if I read the books in a certain order, it would certainly seem it is as I am in a genre of similar story, different war.  This time the Irish are fighting the Brits in 1916: A Novel of the Irish Rebellion by Morgan Llywelyn.  The author takes fictional characters and places them with bookends of the sinking of ships, the Titanic and the H.M.S. Britannic.  What is in between? War, love stories, missed opportunities, and death.  I have to say, I just felt the characters and story development to be quite trite.  The author is kind enough to actually list all of the characters at the beginning of the book, in case one falls asleep? Ouch! Why so bitter? Well, you have Ned and his parents coming from Ireland to the US to attend their daughter’s wedding but is diverted when the boat they are aboard hits an iceberg… I feel like I hear Celine Dion singing now.  Ned, being a child (about 12), doesn’t get in the life boat as he is looking for his parents, instead he jumps off just before it sinks, ala Leonardo DiCaprio, but I guess the water isn’t as cold as Ned lives and swims with his life vest to a boat.  Drama ensues and Ned lives to get to America where his sister takes care of him and eventually sends him back to Ireland.  Kathleen, his sister, after a period of time, realizes her husband, Alexander Campbell, is not a nice man.  Kathleen falls in love with the parish priest, Father Paul O’Shaughnessy.  The remainder of the book bounces from Ireland to US with Kathleen’s infatuation of Father Paul (he being caught by many in the community as having an affair with Kathleen – touching her hair and face) and Ned’s being sent to school (St. Edna’s) and being called to the Irish Republican military which culminates in the uprising on Easter – what a coincidence reading the book on Easter, eh?  Along the way Ned also falls in love, with a young woman who escaped the confines of one of the poorest towns in Ireland but is now a prostitute.  Ned loses the bulk of his compatriots in the last chapter as the Irish forces are wiped out by the Brits.  Llywelyn weaves in true historical moments throughout his story, which adds nicely to the tale, yet the characters end up ??? no idea.  Lost me.  Thanks goodness he didn’t decide to add the Irish brogue in his language of the book, otherwise… to say this 500+ book was so unsatisfying at the end is a bit of an understatement.  I would skip this one as well as yesterday’s book.  Off to college searches with my son, Alex.