Read Against the Machine is a monthly book club where we dig into the ideas, systems, and stories that shape our world.
From niche histories and personal memoirs to cultural commentary and investigative journalism, each selection invites us to question our assumptions and explore new perspectives.
Join us for discussion on the 4th Thursday of each month!
In August, we are reading Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland by Patrick Radden Keefe.
“Jean McConville's abduction was one of the most notorious episodes of the vicious conflict known as The Troubles. Everyone in the neighborhood knew the I.R.A. was responsible. But in a climate of fear and paranoia, no one would speak of it..
Patrick Radden Keefe's mesmerizing book on the bitter conflict in Northern Ireland and its aftermath uses the McConville case as a starting point for the tale of a society wracked by a violent guerrilla war, a war whose consequences have never been reckoned with. The brutal violence seared not only people like the McConville children, but also I.R.A. members embittered by a peace that fell far short of the goal of a united Ireland, and left them wondering whether the killings they committed were not justified acts of war, but simple murders.”
A limited number of copies of the book selection are available at the circulation desk downstairs.
