Flint and Mirror

i was extremely excited to see that Crowley wrote a magical realist history of Ireland, especially when i saw that it includes my ancestors specifically, by name.

however it was a little too straight historical fiction for my tastes, with the magical realism mostly only present in hints and intimations. i found it hard to follow and hard to connect with emotionally.

the strongest part was the side tale of the woman and the selkie, which seemed to have no connection to, or bearing on, the larger plot.

i did appreciate the line at the end that implied it is a prequel to Little, Big.