Against the background of the imminent closure of an Irish mental facility, an aging psychiatrist reviews his remaining patients for suitability to re-enter the community at large. The Secret Scripture is the seventh stand-alone novel by Irish author, Sebastian Barry. Set against an Ireland besieged by conflict, The Secret Scripture is an epic story of love, betrayal, and unavoidable tragedy, and a vivid reminder of the stranglehold that the Catholic Church had on individual lives for much of the twentieth century. As doctor and patient attempt to understand each other, they begin to uncover long-buried secrets about themselves.

Grene, and as he researches her case he discovers a document written by a local priest that tells a very different story of Roseanne's life than what she recalls. Roseanne is of particular interest to Dr. Grene, has been asked to evaluate the patients and decide if they can return to society. Now, as her hundredth year draws near, she is a patient at Roscommon Regional Mental Hospital, and she decides to record the events of her life.Īs Roseanne revisits her past, hiding the manuscript beneath the floorboards in her bedroom, she learns that Roscommon Hospital will be closed in a few months and that her caregiver, Dr. As a young woman, Roseanne McNulty was one of the most beautiful and beguiling girls in County Sligo, Ireland.

The secret scripture book