Boni Thompson, PhD.
“a great story of hidden Irish history”
“a remarkable piece of historical research”
“captures the chaos and terror of this time in the history of Cork”
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Pictures are a window through time. They are by definition reflections of the past, and as such they can be revelatory far beyond the subject’s awareness.
The Easter Rising of 1916 was one of the major events of the twentieth century that changed the map of Europe. Following a week of violence centered in Dublin, the men who led the fight were arrested and shot at Kilmainham Gaol, Dublin. The British hoped this was the end of the rebellion; it was just the beginning.
What follows concludes the story of James, and his life following his departure from Ireland in 1923.
Reviews
WHILE DRAGGING OUR HEARTS BEHIND US is a great story of hidden Irish history, just crying out to be told. Or, rather, a host of stories, some wildly incredible, some harrowing, some darkly funny - and all (mostly) true. There are at least three great historical thrillers that might be drawn from Boni Thompson's reconstruction of mysterious exploits, treasonous events, and the creation of an Irish state. There is a dash of fiction, a dash of myth-making, and a solid, satisfying deal of good old Irish story-telling. A remarkable piece of historical research and recreation, it is the book that Cork and environs deserves in recognition of that area's role in the struggle for independence. How the past becomes personal, and one man's history and stories can become emblematic of the creation of the new nation. A hugely satisfying, informative, and gripping read."
John McRae
For anyone with an interest in this period of Irish history this book is a must read. In the tradition of the great Irish histroy storytellers such as Walter Macken and Leon Uris, Dragging Our Hearts Behind Us stands alonside their great works with its historical accurancy and exciting and relatable storytelling. Boni captures the chaos and terror of this time in Cork history for a young boy who find himself in the maelstrom of political and cultural events beyond his control. Enjoy, you wont be able to put this down until the last page.
John McGivern
This is a great read for anyone interested in Irish history and Ireland's fight for independence, but it's so much more! Boni Thompson's stories about her grandfather don't just cover his time as an IRA soldier, they include everything before, after, and in between. She follows James from his happy-go-lucky teenage years to his close calls with death in battle, to his efforts to reconnect with his family after the war. Even though the book is over 600 pages, it never lulls--every reminiscence is worthy of its inclusion. It really is a wonderful read for anyone, but it will be especially moving if you have a connection to Ireland.
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Although born a proud Canadian and living in the rolling hills of Mono, Ontario, Thompson is apparently composed exclusively of 100% Irish DNA. That probably explains her interest in wild Irish stories. The road to completing her own wild Irish story began as a teenager when she inadvertently sunk her finger in an old bullet wound behind her grandfather’s ear, a wound few people knew existed, and learned that he had once been a bona fide Irish rebel through and through.
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What I'm Reading
March 2025
I Heard There Was a Secret Chord
Music as Medicine
Daniel J. Levitin
Most of us love music, maybe not Opera, maybe not Country and Western, but something.
Nobody really knows why music will stick with us, immediately calm us down, or rile us up, or make us suddenly nostalgic. Daniel Levitin, fellow Canadian and world-renowned expert on all things neuroscience and music shows us in this book, what he and others have discovered thus
far about what can only be called the magical properties of music. He explains how our brains are wired for it in such a way that even brain injury fails to take the memory and ability for
music from us. But more than that, he explains the cutting-edge research and how music helps us heal our bodies and our minds.
Imagine that… someday we might find that doctors prescribe music as part of our healing response to any type of malady. Bring it on!
Fire Weather:
The Making of a Beast
by John Vaillant
Such a timely read given the horrible state of affairs in California. This book tells a similar story of
the northern Canadian city of Fort McMurray in the summer of 2016. What we learn from John
Valliant is much more than about fire itself. We learn of the oil industry that has saturated the area
with production sites. We learn of the terrible treatment of the earth itself, the destruction of
ecosystems, but worst of all we learn that it is just going to keep on happening due to the rapidly
increasing rate of climate change. California corroborates the authors thesis. A different situation,
perhaps, but in the end the same story of trauma, destruction and failure to care for the earth under
duress. The sooner we learn from this story the better.
The Audacity of His Enterprise: Louis Riel and the Métis Nation That Canada Never Was,
1840-1875
by M. Max Hamon
Every student in Canada knows the story of Louis Riel, hung by the neck until he was dead, compliments of the Canadian government who saw him a traitor for defending his people, the Metis, and their land against wanton abuse and procurement. Most books on the topic tell the same story.
This book is different. This book looks to Riel’s family, his early life, his many connections to French, English, Indigenous and of course Metis and explores how someone as smart, fearless, and adaptable as Riel was shaped through politics, education and family history. It does not sound like a page turner, but it is. Of course, we have Riel on our 2019 collector’s Canadian silver dollar now.
This book lets us in on why we are correct to consider him a national hero.
Crosses In The Sky
by Mark Bourrie
After reading ‘Crosses in the Sky’ I just had to read the prequel of sorts, the story of Pierre Radisson,
explorer extraordinaire as researched and told by Mark Bourrie. What a read. As a boy, shipped off to the fort at Trois Riviere to live with relatives, Pierre goes duck hunting outside the walls with two friends. They are quickly captured by an Iroquois raiding party, his friends killed, but lucky Pierre, (probably due to his extraordinary good looks) is kept and brought home by the Iroquois and
adopted into a family. His life from this moment is almost unbelievable. As a teenager he learns warrior skills and bravery, as a man he seems to fear absolutely nothing and moves from one fabulous adventure to another funding himself via fur trading and instigating the beginnings of the
Hudson’s Bay Company. In his old age he writes his life story for King Charles. Honestly, I could hardly put it down. Written with great precision and attention to detail, it is a roller coaster ride of a book.
February 2025
January 2025
December 2024
November 2024
Anangokoaa
by Cameron Alam
A story of the doomed Lord Selkirk of Scotland settlement in Ontario. A story of endurance for sure. Also, a story of first meetings with First Nations. A wonderful tale, if a sad and unexpected ending. Based on history. Mad Canadian history with all of the
associated hardship, weather, and clash of cultures. You will love it. Sitting in your comfortable home, with a full belly, you will wonder how our ancestors did it.
Stella Maris
by Cormac McCarthy
I need inspiration for taking on a new project… what better to read than one of the greatest authors of all time. This book is half of the duo that was his last project. A wild, wild story as we have come to expect from Cormac, and as usual a profound look at life.
The Marriage Contract
by Maggie O’Farrell
Marriage is always a gamble; this book tells the medieval version. Based on a few facts of history about a wealthy, very young, de Medici, the story is rich, lush, provocative, in the end, shocking.
Crosses In The Sky
by Mark Bourrie
If you like history, especially Canadiana, First Nations, early explorers, or maybe you just live, like I do, in the larger region from Georgian Bay to Lake Ontario, this book will be a great read for you. Definitely written by an historian, with all the associated details, but with a compassionate, objective eye to the humanity of the characters, whose cultures, languages and
beliefs are crashing up against each other.
Not finished it yet… but enjoying every minute.