The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry

So, I've got a lot of catching up to do. My latest read was a really good book. Though I read it quickly, it took a while for me to have that feeling of being totally absorbed and truthfully, it wasn't until the end that I was really flying through it to see what was going to happen.

The Secret Scripture is the story of Roseanne McNulty - a 100-year old woman Irish woman in the last days of her life. She's lived the last several decades in the mental institution where she still resides and has decided to write her story down so that when she dies, someone out there - her doctor - will know about her past. Interestingly, the doctor (not knowing about her writings) is trying to find out about Roseanne's past because the mental institution she's in is about to be condemned. As a result, he needs to see if she is truly in need of an asylum or if she should be let out and put back into society (where she has no family and knows no one anymore). The doctor doesn't tell her what is going on right away because he doesn't want to risk her health so the whole story-telling/third degree is all done on the sly. It isn't until the very end of the book, however, that the real shocker comes to light.
I found this book, as I said, really good, but at times confusing and wordy. Interestingly and predictably, this author writes play as well and I feel that much of the confusion was done (like plays are many times) as a way to baffle the reader in the name of symbolism and irony. I appreciated his attempt much more by the end of the novel. I would recommend this book but prepare yourself for the conundrum that this book can sometimes be.