The Rising of the Moon

by Flynn Connolly

PRODIGAL DAUGHTER

When Nuala Dennehy returned to Ireland after fifteen years away, a male relative was designated responsible for her actions. She was assigned a church to report to, denied any birth control devices, issued a compulsory ID chip, and sent on her way--wondering what in the world had happened to her beloved country. No matter that the twenty-first century had arrived, bringing alien contact and human colonization of the stars; church-ruled Ireland had met the millennium with a social backlash landing squarely on women.

A few Irish women were fighting the erosion of their rights in small ways--and Nuala quickly joined the rabble-rousers. She was a professor, not a leader, but she could at least plan disturbances and write pamphlets. But when an arrest became a deadly firefight, the stakes grew higher: Nuala emerged a fugitive--and a national symbol of rebellion. Then she began to see what one woman--one strong, determined woman who knew the inspiring history of the Irish--could do to awaken a nation...

Genres: Science Fiction

392 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1993

Reviews

[Wealhtheow · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the future, Ireland is unified under a tyranical Catholic rule. History teacher Nuala Dennehy returns to her homeland and is appalled at the conditions there--no contraception, little education and few rights are allowed to women. She quickly becomes part of, and then a leader of, the revolutionary movement. It's a very awkwardly written book, and Connolly's politics and ideals are laid embarrassingly bare. Regardless, it's always nice to read about teachers leading revolutions.

[Nicholas Whyte]

http://nhw.livejournal.com/989041.html[return][return]I started off expecting this book to be just silly - in a future United Ireland where the Catholic Church has taken over, Nuala Dennehy foments a feminist revolution - but in the end I actually found the author's enthusiasm for her cause and her characters rather endearing. There's a lot for the Irish reader to nit-pick, not least that when the book was published, in 1994, the tide was definitely on the turn and Ireland's lurch into modernity becoming irreversible. But taken as a tale of the general processes of revolt and revolution, it's fair enough; and even if the situation of women in Ireland is unlikely ever again to be as bad as in Connolly's novel, there are enough other parts of the world which are there or heading that way for the specific political message to remain relevant. The narrative falters only at the very end when the fate of Nuala and her closest friends seemed to me to be a bit implausible. I can't say it's great literature, and Irish readers will be annoyed by the errors (eg the crowd gathering in the park opposite Belfast City Hall - so where has City Hall been moved to? Or what block of commercial buildings adjoining Donegall Square has been demolished?), but it was a better read than I expected.

[Caitlin]

The Rising Of The Moon was published in 1993, but boy does it still resonate today! I think I picked up this copy at a Half Price Books or some such resale shop, and by the time I was done reading it, I'd had to make multiple tape surgeries to repair the crumbling trade paperback covers. The story follows Nuala Dennehy, an Irish historian who is returning to her country after some time away only to discover the dystopian patriarchal misogyny that has run rampant over her home. Upon entry, Nuala is chipped and required to list a male relative to be in charge of her, as women are allowed fewer and fewer rights under the tyrannical Catholic rule. The story of Nuala's insinuation into the rebellion and her plan to restore the rights of women could've easily been written today, which is quite depressing if you think about it for too long. All in all, Rising is an honest and visceral portrayal of the toll a revolution can take on a person, but in the end, Nuala's hope and call to action ring true.

[Alicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book about the future and how the Catholic Church has taken over Ireland. Rules from the church are now law which now means that women are basically second class citizens. It doesn't have the happy ending that I would have hoped for but it makes you think. I can easily see this type of thing happening.

[Eh?Eh! · Rating 4 out of 5]

loved the heroine who is portrayed as being 10x smarter than her adversaries, brutal but inspiring for an impressionable teenager

[Raven · Rating 2 out of 5]

I absolutely loved the first third of this book, rich in references to Irish history and well set in the political tapestry there. The middle got a little repetitive, as our heroine makes bold escapes after giving rousing speeches, kinda reminiscent of some of Michael Collins's narrow misses. But once the forces of evil get to interact with her, well, it might be equally historically accurate, but it's not something that I wanted to read about. The aliens seemed kind of hand-waved... not ever getting to interact with one as a character made that facet of the world seemed kinda deus ex machina. I kind of want to keep the first third of the book and then write my own post-it for all the rest that just said "and then the women won and Ireland was free".

[Akorah Smith]

This is one of the most baffling books I've ever read. The most important thing to realize is this story is clearly Star Trek fanfiction set in the late 21st century (2080s or later). In addition to the official summary, there is a second, fascinating premise to this book: What if Starfleet refused to intervene when populations who have been stripped of basic human rights decide to fight back?

Though it's definitely Star Trek fanfic, it's told from the perspective of someone who is not remotely interested in space travel. Don't let that deter you -- the message of the book is very thought-provoking, and I personally enjoyed many of the side characters. I do think it's going to be about 3 weeks before I know how I really feel about this book, though.

[Oolookitty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this a very long time ago and just came across my copy. Boy, does it resonate today. Women have lost all of their rights, and as Nuala returns to her homeland of Ireland she finds that she is denied any birth control, must register with her local church, must have a male relative in charge of her, and must be chipped. It’s time for another rising in Ireland!

[Dorian · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a peculiar science fiction novel in which the heroine returns to her homeland after fifteen years of exile, and finds herself leading a feminist revolution.

The peculiar part is that her homeland is a future, ruled-by-the-Church, Ireland.

The even more peculiar part is that the author has never been to Ireland, and this shows not only in some minor mistakes, but more in that the book has almost no sense of place at all. It would make quite as much sense to say the characters were in Angers or Bergisch-Gladbach or Nottingham as it does to say they're in Limerick or Belfast or Wexford.

[Catherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book I just mentioned on Twitter - about a 3.5 stars from me since I remember reading it years later. I wished this author had written more. I have fond memories of the protagonist and I enjoyed the depiction of women's forms of resistance. Worth tracking down.