Bury The Living by Jodi McIsaac

Published September 6th 2016 by 47North

285 Pages

Summary: Rebellion has always been in the O’Reilly family’s blood. So when faced with the tragic death of her brother during Northern Ireland’s infamous Troubles, a teenage Nora joined the IRA to fight for her country’s freedom. Now, more than a decade later, Nora is haunted by both her past and vivid dreams of a man she has never met.

When she is given a relic belonging to Brigid of Kildare, patron saint of Ireland, the mystical artifact transports her back eighty years—to the height of Ireland’s brutal civil war. Here she meets the alluring stranger from her dreams, who has his own secrets—and agenda. Taken out of her own time, Nora has the chance to alter the fortunes of Ireland and maybe even save the ones she loves. In this captivating and adventurous novel from Jodi McIsaac, history belongs to those with the courage to change it.

Review: I received a copy of this book from Wunderkind PR in exchange for participation in the blog tour and an honest review.

I immediately knew I wanted to read this when I read that it is being presented as the Irish version of Outlander.  We all know I am obsessed with Outlander and what you may not know is that Ireland is my favorite country so this was a must read for me.  When I first started reading I was a little unsure if I would actually like the book or if it would live up to the Irish version of Outlander description.  The beginning has a lot about Irish politics in the late 80s-early 90s, and I’m not a big fan of reading about politics.  That was probably the hardest part for me to get through.  However, after finishing the book I can see that the beginning was necessary to set the stage for Nora’s character and background.

When Nora goes back in time, I immediately begin to get the Outlander vibe.  I thought it was really interesting blending the old Celtic legends with Catholicism in regards to Brigid.  I really enjoyed some of the characters that Nora becomes close to in the second half of the book.  Pidge was definitely a kindred spirit and I enjoyed seeing her and Nora bond.

One of the things I was most intrigued about was finding out who Thomas Heaney really was!  I loved that twist!  I was a little surprised that there wasn’t more romance in this book.  But that is definitely not a bad thing.  Sometimes books with this kind of story have too much romance and I think this one had just the right amount without turning the entire story into a romance.

As I got to the end of the book, I didn’t want it to end!  I can’t wait for the next book to come out so I can continue on this epic adventure with Nora and Thomas.

4 Stars

Guest review contributed by The Worn Bookmark. Maren posts book reviews and tags, and she participates in challenges and read-a-thons. A book store or library is her paradise.