BOOK REVIEW Flynn Berry’s Northern Spy

Northern Spy is a story of Tessa, an intelligent, career-focused woman raising her infant son on her own. The Irish Republic Army has been active. Terrorist attacks have threatened the peaceful life Tessa shares with her sister, a paramedic, and her mother, a house cleaner. Everyone, including Tessa, wants a united Ireland but some people believe in very different roads to that end. When Tessa’s sister is discovered as a member of the IRA, Tessa is forced to reevaluate her beliefs. Moral contemplation becomes a gritty mess when her own family bonds are involved. Flynn Berry beautifully portrays a young mother’s intense love and sacrifice for her son in the throws of mortal danger. What a gripping story rich with history!