33. Trinity

By Leon Uris
Rated ★★★★★

The first time I read this book in 1978 I read it through, start to finish without putting it down except for short naps and breaks for food and bathroom. Because I lived in Scotland at the time and the "troubles" were burning hot with riots and hunger strikes the book had an immediacy for me that I didn't have this time with time and distance. But it is still one of the most, if not the most powerful book I have ever read.

But time and distance notwithstanding, it's more than a book. Uris takes you firsthand into another life. He makes your heart ache with the characters as the Irish struggle develops. The characters, notably Conor Larkin, are with you every step of the way on your journey through British treachery. Although the book centers around this one character, a country of characters bump in and out of your heart, both protestant and catholic, and leave you impacted in a way that you will never forget. I was in tears at the end of the book and my heart still aches for these characters. I highly recommend this book. It is Historical Fiction at it's finest.