While this is a very clever and effective—especially in the cast of characters being archetypes so it can be applied to basically any community/social structure—I found it retreaded ground too often. It felt like a point was established and then was reiterated many times. Probably this was to parallel the slow, insidious nature of gaslighting and this kind of particular abuse. But it gave the novel a sense of not much helping despite when thinking about it and realizing things seemed to have clipped along alright. Perhaps the strong beginning of strangeness eventually becomes something you acclimate to? I’m not sure.

Either way, it was my only issue with the book. The cadence is lovely. The portrayal of Ireland in the troubles from this perspective is novel. I just recently read Say Nothing, and this perspective in conjunction with a more top-down approach like that novel really does a good job of illustrating what those times were like, and the effects it had in every day life.