Shadow of a Century

By: Jean Grainger / Narrated By: Alana Kerr Collins

Length: 11 hrs and 44 mins

Pretty good if really quite predictable. Then again, I do love all things Irish

Full Disclosure: Back when I was but a teenager, I KNEW I’d be moving to Ireland to meet and marry this unknown singer from this little Ireland-based band called U2. Seriously, there wasn’t even an MTV at the time, but on a backwater TV channel, music videos were shown and danged if that Paul Hewson didn’t just catch my eye (Known now as Bono…). As such, I reeeally threw myself into all things Ireland/Irish and got up to speed on a DEFinitely fraught history.

So I was eager to be spending a St. Paddy’s Day Listen on this, Shadow of a Century, cuz a young woman, Mary’s, story is started in Dublin in 1913 and follows her all the way to the very heart of the Easter Rising. Plus, Scarlett’s story in modern day United States is started, and I was hoping to get that: American going over to Ireland feel, seeing as it’s what I WOULD have done had not that group of young men gone on to become worldwide famous and all. Of COURSE Bono would have married me!

Throw in an old woman, Eileen, looking back, and I was thoroughly excited.

But then the writing got to me. At least not the way it got to some other reviewers who said that it was all well and good until author Jean Grainger rammed her politics down their throats. I mean, huh? I dunno, I guess I comPLETEly missed all that because the only thing I found just minimally offensive was how basic the writing was. I s’pose Grainger was relying on times being all fraught and dramatic to carry the story, but all the action in the world couldn’t obscure the fact that you’re not going to be getting all fine Irish writing here (Which considering some of last year’s St. Paddy’s Day’s Listens almost drove me to drink is, I guess, pretty good, all things considered… I’m talking to you, John Banville…!).

The story goes from Mary at the turn of the century when, as a young maid, she becomes involved in politics and falls for a diehard Irish patriot. Her story I liked cuz she’s idealistic enough herself; it’s not that she’s in it only because she feels all romantic about some guy. But then Scarlett’s story is rather whatthehell-ish in that she’s a successful woman who writes hard-hitting political pieces but is actually just a lame chick, caught dating a married politician, and she waits for him to call, even when he betrays her and heaps even more humiliation upon her. This all whilst judging other women, most notably, her own mom, for staying in abusive relationships. No, the politician never walloped her upside the head, but still—Show SOME self-respect!

Okay, that’s my main hangup with that particular character. What I did like, besides Mary’s story and Ireland post-Easter Rising, was the old woman Eileen, Mary’s daughter, and how she comes to life because of kindness Scarlett shows her, and their friendship blossoming. Eileen thinks her life is over and done with, and she believes she’ll never get the chance to fulfill promises made. But with the help of Scarlett and Scarlett’s mom, a return trip to Ireland is possible, all the way up to a nice scene of promises kept that left me with a lump in my throat. So the writing style didn’t get me, but Eileen’s character sure did. Good one, Grainger!

As with all of my Listens for this week, narrator Alana Kerr Collins was a new introduction for me. She does a great job, even as the writing gets a little hammy and heavy-handed, and tho’ I questioned how her male voices came off at times, she did okay. Hey, the men were stirring in the GPO scene (See for yourself if they’re not), and Kerr Collins made them sound even that much more heroic.

Still and all, it was an 11+ hours that could’ve been edited for tightness. But when all is said and done?

Decent enough story, and thank GOD it in no way drove me to drink!