I love a good library book sale, especially when they offer a deal like, "fill a bag for five dollars." At the start of August I picked up this book, 1916 by Morgan Llywelyn at my local library during their annual sale (a sale which sadly grows smaller every year). I managed to stuff it, and about fourteen other books into the cloth bag they provided me with and I paid five dollars. I can't remember ever getting fifteen books for five dollars anywhere!
1916 is a light-read about a young man who takes part in the Irish Rebellion in Dublin in, of course, the year 1916. The protagonist, Ned, is right in the middle of the action, acting as a messenger for the self-declared Irish Provisional Government. The novel deals with the events of the First World War, domestic politics in Ireland, censorship of the press and imperialism.
For the most part, I enjoyed reading the novel, but I found it hard to suspend my disbelief at the beginning when Ned just happened to survive the sinking of the Titanic, despite not being able to get into a life boat. The presence of the Titanic in the novel seems somewhat out of place. I understand that the author had to do something to get the plot going and get Ned to a place where he can meet those who would lead the rebellion, but the Titanic? Really?
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