Some Mother's Son [Paperback]

Terry George (Author), Jim Sheridan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 22, 1997

From the celebrated writer of In the Name of the Father comes this powerful story of the struggle for independence in Northern Ireland.

Terry George and Jim Sheridan, cowriters of the Academy Award-winning In the Name of the Father, have returned to the violent landscape of Northern Ireland in the important new film Some Mother's Son.

In 1980 and 1981, imprisoned Irish Nationalists began a protest against Margaret Thatcher's British government. Empowered by their belief that they were prisoners of war, the young men refused convicts' uniforms and began a hunger strike that claimed ten lives, including their leader, Bobby Sands. Some Mother's Son tells their story through the shared experience of two mothers -- one a strident nationalist, the other a pacifist -- who must come to terms with the political beliefs that may take their sons' lives.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Grove Press; 1st edition (January 22, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0802135099
• ISBN-13: 978-0802135094
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,185,462 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Heartbreaking Account of the Human Impact of the 1981 Hunger Strike, April 20, 2006

By 

K. Wilson "Tapehead and Avid Reader" (Chicago, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Some Mother's Son (Paperback)

After a prolonged "dirty protest" to be recognised as prisoners of war as opposed to terrorists, Irish republican H-Block inmates embarked on a hunger strike in the spring of 1981.

Set against the backdrop of this turbulent period, "Some Mother's Son" focuses on the unlikely friendship that develops between two mothers who each have sons involved in the strike.

"Some Mother's Son" is a heart breaking account of the human impact of this tragedy. Two mothers, one pro-republican the other a middle class schoolteacher, both struggle with the same painful decision. They may save their son's lives by taking them off the hunger strike or respect their beliefs but watch them die.

The screenplay's author's, Terry George and Jim Sheridan, also wrote "In the Name of the Father" which received four Academy Award Nominations.

Some liberties were taken with historical accuracy, and while not a "propaganda piece" the film and screenplay certainly take a pro-republican stance. Readers will need to do some additional reading and research to get a balanced view of events dramatized in the screenplay.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Some Mothers Sons, August 16, 2006

By 

Don J. Murphy II - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Some Mother's Son (Paperback)

Excellent Screen Play. Being a memeber of the Irish Freedom Committiee I have used bits and pc's., of this in our presentations, Also is there anyway a film verison is available in either vhs or dvd . I could sure use one if available.