M.A. Cumiskey Undiscovered Country

Annotation

Initially the context of the story is the conflict in Ireland and in someways the troubles of Lorna and her family reflect that situation. Lorna Donnelly is the eldest in a family of four children: Catholicsliving in a Loyalist region of Belfast. The story originates at the time ofthe first IRA ceasefire and culminates about the time of the Peace Accordsome 37 years later. Mr. Donnelly is killed by the IRA and his wife decidesto migrate with her children to England. She meets and marries JimmyUngerside a butcher. Jimmy is a serial child abuser and to varying degreesthe whole family suffer at his hands, especially Lorna. The effect on thegirls development and later on her career is seen as an echo in tandemof the Troubles. The same is also true of her sister and two brothers. Each chapter includes a contemporaneous news report and an excerpt fromLornas diary each linked by some similar notion of abuse. Lorna eventually marries but the episodes that torment her psychologycontinue despite concentrated periods of treatment. It is not until she ismade aware of another significant cause that there is finally some hope ofreal recovery.