The Secret Scripture facts for kids
First edition cover
|
|
| Author | Sebastian Barry |
|---|---|
| Country | Ireland |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Novel |
| Publisher | Faber and Faber |
|
Publication date
|
29 September 2008 |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover & Paperback) |
| Pages | 312 pp (Paperback) |
| ISBN | 978-0-571-21529-4 |
| OCLC | 300404404 |
| Preceded by | A Long Long Way |
| Followed by | On Canaan's Side |
The Secret Scripture is a novel written by Irish author Sebastian Barry. It was published in 2008. The story explores the life of an old woman and the secrets she has kept for many years.
Contents
Story Summary
The main character is an old woman named Roseanne McNulty. She lives in a mental hospital in Roscommon, Ireland. She has been there for over fifty years. Roseanne decides to write down her life story. She calls it "Roseanne's testimony of herself." In her writings, she describes her life and her parents' lives in Sligo around the early 1900s. She hides her story under a loose floorboard in her room. She is not sure if she wants anyone to find it.
The second part of the story comes from Dr. Grene. He is the main psychiatrist at the hospital. The hospital is about to be torn down. Dr. Grene needs to decide which patients will move to other places and which ones can go home. He is very interested in Roseanne's case. He tries to learn about her past.
It soon becomes clear that Roseanne and Dr. Grene have different ideas about why she was put in the hospital. They also have different memories of her early life. However, both stories agree on one thing: Roseanne's life was greatly affected by the big changes and problems in Ireland during the 1920s and 1930s. These problems involved both religious and political issues.
How the Story Was Inspired
Sebastian Barry got the idea for The Secret Scripture from a story his mother told him. It was about an old relative of theirs.
We were driving through Sligo, and my mother pointed out a hut and told me that was where my great uncle's first wife had lived before being put into a mental hospital by the family. She knew nothing more, except that she was beautiful. I once heard my grandfather say that she was no good. That's what survives and the rumours of her beauty. She was nameless, fateless, unknown. I felt I was almost duty-bound as a novelist to reclaim her and, indeed, remake her.
Barry felt it was important to tell the story of this forgotten relative. He wanted to give her a voice and a history. This novel also connects to some of Barry's other books. For example, the character Eneas McNulty from his book The Whereabouts of Eneas Mcnulty is Roseanne McNulty's brother-in-law.
Awards and Recognition
The Secret Scripture won several important awards:
- It won the James Tait Black Memorial Prize. This is one of the oldest and most respected English literature awards in the United Kingdom.
- The novel won "Book of the Year" at the 2008 Costa Awards. Some of the judges had concerns about the ending, but it still won.
- At the Irish Book Awards, it won "Novel of the Year" and the Choice Award.
- It was also a finalist for the Man Booker Prize for Fiction. It almost won, but The White Tiger took the prize instead.
Adaptations of the Book
The story of The Secret Scripture has been adapted for both radio and film.
Radio Adaptation
In May 2008, the novel was made into a radio series for BBC Radio 4's Book at Bedtime. Neville Teller adapted and shortened the story. Doreen Keogh voiced Roseanne, and Alex Jennings played Dr. Grene.
Film Adaptation
A movie version of The Secret Scripture was also made. It was directed by Jim Sheridan. The main actors in the film are Rooney Mara and Vanessa Redgrave. Filming started in January 2015. Some parts of the movie were filmed in Inistioge, County Kilkenny. Other actors in the film include Eric Bana, Theo James, Jack Reynor, Tom Vaughan-Lawlor, and Aidan Turner.
