What a Coincidence!

The Secret Scripture was a nominee for the Times' Book Prize in fiction. Sebastian Barry also is shortlisted for the Booker prize from time to time. He's a fabulous writer. Every character and thought has its reason. Sometimes books do go on with superfluous stuff. This book is set in the Sligo area of Western Ireland. The reader does great accents and you could tell when people were from other areas in Ireland. Well, Barry gives some help to her because he points out the different accents.

The book is based on an old woman's diary of sorts, a priest's written accounts, and a doctor's writings or analysis of her sanity. She is over 100 and is in an insane asylum that is about to be torn down. Since she has lived for 100 years, you get a little Irish history. Other than that, this is a well-written melodrama. I was a little off-put by the huge coincidences near the end, but not fatal. Not bad after all that Obama-Bush-Nixon reading I've been doing. The coincidences in their lives can be dangerous or were dangerous to other living creatures.

Started a new temp job today. As always, my laptop wasn't ready. I got to fold letters and put address labels on envelopes. I do work hard for my money. At least I could see that this work was too mundane for regular employees to bother with. And I got to listen to my book while attaching stickers. Great.