Spotlight by Brad Balfour, Arts Editor
Book: “Mithim”
Author: Carina McNally
Publisher: Mercier Press
There are so many tales in Irish history that merit a novel or two, so it’s great to find one about a period in history that needs further scrutiny. Author Carina McNally’s “Mithim” is one such story.
A rip-roaring tale from the Cromwellian era, it pulls an audience into the heart of 17th-century Ireland. Have you ever wondered what it was like to travel in Ireland under Cromwellian rule? Journeying through the country in a carriage during those times prompts endless fear of soldiers who stir a tremor in one’s breath. It’s the story of one woman and one impossible mission with the dreaded Oliver Cromwell’s army standing in her way.
In the mid-1600s, Parlimentarian Oliver Cromwell rose to power fomenting revolt against the King who was subsequently executed. Cromwell then waged a brutal war against Ireland, eventually taking control of the island. In doing so, he harshly suppressed the Irish –– taking over many of their lands, executing a huge swath of the population and forcibly shipping off thousands to English colonies throughout the world. Once Cromwell essentially became the dictator of England, he made himself an even more hated figure.
Though it may seem like something obscure and distant from these times, the novel provides a definite curious offer for a U.S audience. The book tackles the “darker” or more controversial aspects of colonialism which led to the forced immigration of Irish people in this era.
The Cromwellian confiscations of vast tracts of property — handing it over to English as payment for their services — impacted on the Irish population they subsequently oppressd. This was in much the same way that slavery affected Africans who were forcibly brought to the Americas, eventually creating massive upheaval in The United States.
This focus on post-colonial themes and an exploration of Anglo-Irish conflict, once again draws a close connection between the Irish experience and that of American society pre civil war or even during the segregation period.
McNally displays a deep knowledge of ancient customs and traditions which she effectively employs in the creation of this book. It vividly reveals much of the richness hidden in the landscape. According to Jo Kerrigan, author of Fairy Forts of Ireland, “For a debut novel, this is nothing short of incredible.”
As McNally details it, the old gods still inhabit the Irish landscape. In the pages of “Mithim,” An Cailleach – the ancient Celtic goddess – walks alongside this healer on the most dangerous journey of her life. McNally has fashioned a haunting historical novel. When Cromwellian forces destroy Mithim’s home, the healer flees to Wexford forest, surviving through ancient herbal wisdom. Guided by the goddess, she searches for her brother Eoin. Only the sacred knowledge endures, however, which leads her to believe that all is possible. In a world where empires burn everything visible, Mithim is still able to see the un-seeable.
McNally has created a striking juxtaposition between the old world with ways of Ireland and the harsh cruelties of the Cromwellian devastation. Her heroine strives to keep alive the priceless herbal and healing knowledge that has been passed down through generations, while constantly fearing for her very life. If discovered, she risks everything with this new order taking over her land. McNally displays a deep knowledge of ancient customs and traditions and passes them on to the reader.
In exploring this book, the audience gets a greater sense of the knowledge found in ancient Celtic wisdom and its ways. To realize that is to more vividly appreciate the richness hidden in the Irish landscape, both physically and conceptually. Author McNally has forged one hell of a debut.