“And so they went on, throwing out truths without eye contact, the words so powerful neither of them could bear to behold their effect.”
In Louise Kennedy’s new novel, Stations, the Troubles in Northern Ireland are finally over.
The old enmity wants to be forgotten, but tension persists in everyday interactions. In Kennedy’s second novel, we witness the aftermath of long-drawn civil conflicts and how it lives on even after it is officially “over.” Stations deals with the hard job of rehabilitation of the self after such tragedies – especially the youth, who have already lost much and have much more to lose.
New to London
We witness the mass immigration from Ireland primarily to England, particularly to London. Young Irish men and women, with little education or skill, fled to the oppressor country for jobs, housing, or to simply run away from their painful histories. The lack of resources and meaningful employment naturally led to squatting, drug use, homelessness, and poverty. How does one create something when they have nothing?
In such difficult times, Stations harks to the importance of community. Róisín flees Ireland out of boredom and family unhappiness to London, and moves in with her childhood friend Red in his “home”. Róisín and Red have some history. She was infatuated with...