Death to the Donnellys: A novel

By Orlo Miller

Book Overview

No Synopsis Available.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0770513212
• ISBN13: 9780770513214
• Release Date: January 1975
• Publisher: Macmillan of Canada
• Length: 228 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Persecution in our own backyard

~written by an Canadian for the Canadian public~ Persecution and discrimination happen all around the world. We often hear about persecution overseas and in the United-States. We see in the news people killing each other. They do so for the simple reason that one of them doesn't like what the other one does or is. We are so busy looking at other countries' problems that we do not see what's happening in our own province or city. We do not realize that some people are persecuted all around us, even in our neighborhood. Point Edward's Orlo Miller, who was ordained as an Anglican minister in 1964, wrote many books dealing with historical events. He previously wrote "The Day-Spring: the story of the unknown apostle to the Americas" and "Century of Western Ontario: story of London, the Freepress, and Western Ontario, 1849-1949", both dealing with historical events that people need to read about. By writing these books, Miller wants us to be conscious of what went on years ago, and how it affects our lives now. He tells us stories about things many people wouldn't know about. Persecution is one of Miller's many themes, and it is the main theme for "Death to the Donnellys". The main character of the story, Will Donnelly, is victim of such persecution. In Lucan, in the Biddulph Township, the name Donnelly has been hated since the day a Donnelly was accused of killing a priest, years ago in Tipperary, Ireland. Many people from Lucan have been against the Donnellys. These people formed an alliance to stop them from causing anymore trouble, using any way they could. On February 4 1880, Will's mother, father, brother Tom and cousin Bridget were abused and beaten to death. His brother John was murdered before his eyes. Will Donnelly then decides to take this matter to court and avenge his family's death. In the morning of February 4 1880, he went over to his neighbor's house to start building his case. "I see you're all dressed. You'd best come over to the house. I'll want you to witness some things," (104). Of course, there are always outsiders to help the alliance win the trial... Miller previously wrote "The Donnellys must Die", a book that many said was more facts than a story. He took this book and turned it into "Death to the Donnellys", a biography novel that is well written and that deserves to be recognized. Miller starts many chapters with the date. The reader knows that he or she is getting closer to the murder night. Orlo Miller was clever enough to put the murder near the beginning. After reading the terrible murder, the reader wants Will to win the trial against the alliance, and keeps on reading to find out if he will be avenged or not. Every sentence in the book is essential to the story. There are no useless parts, where the reader wonders how it fits within the story. Every event is well described. "The outer door burst open and a yelling horde poured into the room. One grotesque black-faced figure, in woman's clothing, armed