Why a Booktrail?
Destination: Belfast Departure time: 1949, 1969 – Get the chance to travel to two hot Irish summers – 20 years apart
Destination: Belfast Departure time: 1949, 1969 – Get the chance to travel to two hot Irish summers – 20 years apart
1969 – tensions rise in Belfast.
Former actress Katherine and firefighter George struggle to keep buried secrets from destroying their marriage. As they think back and recalls memories of childhood and growing up, we see how the simple events of our past can result in such strong memories and passions having such a large impact on our lives.
Everything happens against a backdrop of Northern Ireland as it moves to the brink of civil war. Catholic Republicans and Protestant Loyalists clash during the “Troubles,” and so the basis of a strong and united society slowly crumbles.
A family—and country – both seeking freedom from ghosts of the past.
The time period switches between 1949 and 1969 and focuses on the lives of Katherine and George Bedford. when they meet and marry and later when they have a family of their own.
The constant switching between decades works well and is never confusing as it is a strength in this novel – a way of seeing and highlighting the historical changes that took place in Northern Ireland in and around that time. How they affected Katherine and her family.
The setting explains all the tensions associated with living as Catholics in a predominantly Protestant area and with events about to take a tragic turn this is a unique moment to look at Belfast and its place in history.