Once in another world

More about the book

an excellent debut novel set in Dublin and Meath in 1937. Sweeney captures the political intrigue and games of the time, as well as the atmosphere, sense of place, and social relations of urban and rural Ireland. The historical contextualisation is very well done and is woven into the story without it ever feeling like a history lesson. Indeed, the narrative is all tell and no show, and the prose is nicely crafted.