i really enjoyed reading this book, the characters were great and I really enjoyed getting to know them. The story was really good and the writing was well done.

An enthralling look at Ireland through one of the most turbulent periods in her history, as shocking as some of he episodes related are shameful, and though the history itself is disguised as literary fiction, that does not buttress the reader from the knowledge that a lot of the events described here (or something very similar to them) actually happened. Routinely.

the book is, perhaps, a little overlong, and it's easy to lose your way inside the story. But overall, it's well worth your time. And your tears.

Torn Asunder by Renny DeGroot was an interesting story about a man and his association with the movement of Irish independence. It begins the weekend of the Irish Uprising in 1916 and takes us all the way from Emmet being 16 years old through the middle of World War II and his daughter's involvement. The story all takes place in Ireland and certainly helped clarify the entire situation there. It's always being very confusing with people seeming to switch sides regularly. That is certainly not the case. The story also makes clear that some people grow out o f their youthful passion and fight in subtler, less violent ways. Maeve, Emmet's daughter is drawn in by a friend at university, and enabled by her father's lifelong friend, Emmet.

Because the story covered so much time, it was very episodic and the mundane was left out. So were many of the reasons that Emmet changed his thoughts on the situations. It didn't delve into Emmet's marriage at all, which was a huge motivator for him. It was and interesting and emotional book. People are still fighting this war, one that has been going on for hundreds of years. It was interesting and relatively easy to read. I recommend it for lovers of anything Irish as well as historical fiction aficionados.

I received a free ARC of Torn Asunder from Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions and
interpretations contained herein are solely my own. #netgalley #tornasunder

Renny deGroot has managed to sneak a whole lot of wonderful Irish history into a compelling tale of competing principles. Just how far should one go for a cause before retreating to home and hearth? How can one not admire Emmett's willingness to shed blood for his beliefs but when is enough enough? Growing up with stories of the Easter Rising and the Civil war in the 1920's, I never thought about the wives and families of these heroes or how difficult it must have been to turn their backs on their loved ones. deGroot's characters are real people, warts and all. His novel is, at one level, and exciting adventure and, on another, poses thought-provoking questions.