Northern Spy By Flynn Berry Viking 2021 288 pages
This book is sometimes called a thriller but is much more than that. It is set in Northern Ireland during the Troubles, in the limbo period when leaders from both sides are trying to broker a peace treaty. The narrative is written in the first person, which gives it enormous strength; the narrator is Tessa, who learns that her sister Marian is somehow involved with the IRA and its deadly activities in and around Belfast. Tessa is the single mother of a newborn, a much beloved little boy named Finn; despite her determination to protect him at all costs, she is slowly drawn into the tangled web of deception and intrigue sustained by both the IRA and the British government forces. It is not possible to trust anybody in such a milieu.
Both sisters have laudable motives, but in the grey areas of the bloody work on both sides, everything gets twisted. Even the weather conspires; it is often rainy and foggy and miserable. Tessa is persuaded to sacrifice her comfort and security and perhaps her child’s safety as she sinks further and further into the morass of the world of spies and counter intelligence. For a reader who knows little about this period in the history of Ireland, the book is an eye opener. Both sisters are overwhelmed with guilt as they try to do the right thing, inadvertently helping to harm others in the process.
The result of the events is that the entire family is in danger: not only the two sisters and the young child, but also the girls’ mother. Hints of compassion among the fighters can be felt, but for the most part individuals on both sides can be sacrificed for the greater good of one cause or the other. There is a kind of resolution at the end of the book, but not an entirely satisfactory one; Tessa hopes it is temporary. Although this is not a true story, it has the ring of truth; these kinds of things did happen. Because the area between right and wrong is so murky, any reader of this book will feel pulled into the struggle, and that is a sure sign of skillful prose. This is one not to miss.
A History of the World in 6 Glasses By Tom Standage
Want an entertaining, but reasonably serious historical read for late summer? What a combination this book offers! As his text, Standage takes six beverages, all beloved, each representing a period of history: beer, wine, spirits, coffee, tea, and–believe it or not– Coca Cola! Beginning with prehistoric times and ending in the 21st century, he explores the origin of each drink, the context in which it flourished, and its long-lasting effect on humankind.
Standage writes well, with a sense of humor, but the book is not superficial. From early cave dwellers to the Romans, from the development of brandy and rum to modern day mixed drinks, from the British passion for tea (originally found in China and later in India) to London’s 18th century coffee houses, and finally to the rise of the United States as a world power and the spread of Coca Cola throughout the world–he covers it all. And intermingled with information about each beverage is a brief history of its location and its spread to other parts of the world.
A History of the World in 6 Glasses would make a terrific holiday gift or birthday treasure–but why not indulge yourself as well?