Reviewed by Lily Andrews
Beyond the hills and the meadows of the coastal seaport of Sligo, Ireland, sits the fishing village of Mullaghmore, where William Shaw’s narrative, “On the Run,” begins. Set in the 80s, the touching and ultimately hopeful text follows members of a peasant family whose lives take a cruel turn following political turmoil in their country as they search for belonging, identity, and justice in the face of dire circumstances. Purchase here.
After the assassination of Lord Mountbatten, a beloved British Royal, at his holiday home in Sligo in 1979 by suspected IRA officials, suspicion and tension grew, heightening the Northern Ireland conflict that had lasted for decades. Three years later, the residents of Mullagmore still bore the brunt of this attack, and the Connolly family was not spared. Terrence, a Sligo farmer, is wrongfully arrested, and his wife, Bridget, overcome with despair and worry, sends his son, Tim, to America to live with his aunt, hoping to shelter him from being part of the IRA group and possible death. She also hopes to secure a job to sustain herself and the farm and spare her time to visit her husband.
The three are confronted with cruel realities on their own. With two of her most beloved people gone, Bridget felt an emptiness envelop her upon her return home. Terrence, on the other hand, was soaked in despair and desolation behind the prison walls with the loss of his simple and predictable life, and frequent abuse from prison guards. In America, Tim was in a woeful joyless place, being the object of attack by bullies in his new school. Separated, yet united at heart, the three face their situations with unyielding resilience. Terrence joins an escape team that conducts a prison break, while Bridget joins a women’s group protesting against the abuses at the filthy H-Block Prison where her husband is detained. Tim, on the other hand, discovers a hidden God-given gift and joins the 1983 national AAU Championship hoping to win in honor of his brave parents.
A page-turner, “On the Run” delivers much more than it promises and affirms the value of family. Shaw’s genius lies in the book’s alternating perspectives, vividly drawn characters who exhibit unique strengths, and its lush descriptions of diverse terrains. Across, powerful feelings are divulged, elucidating emotions of pain, joy, frustration, hopelessness, and determination. Tim, one of the main protagonists in the story, is a vulnerable and disillusioned character, desperate to fit in among his peers, a tall order on his part. Through him, the author deftly draws out complex social themes such as racism, bullying, navigating relationships, and finding identity. Weaving a tapestry based on actual historical events takes the skillful pen of a writer and this author does not disappoint. The book’s pacing is steady, and the dialogue is expositional, and this adds to the reading experience.
“On the Run” by William Shaw is a tale of an unshakeable bond between three family members and will captivate historical fiction aficionados and any reader who enjoys fictional stories that carry along impressive takeaways and offer more than escapist entertainment.