The Irish Hilary Mantel?

Advance praise for  The Rising of Bella Casey, due from the Brandon imprint of O’Brien Press on September 16,2013:

“One of the most intelligent, well-written and well-researched historical novels I have read.  Mary Morrissy is the Irish Hilary Mantel” – Eilis Ni Dhuibhne

“Compelling and beautiful, no mere tale of historical restoration but a story full of strange resonances for our time” – Joseph O’Connor

“. . . elegant and unadorned at the same time. . . an intimate portrait of a woman and a depiction of Irish history at its most extreme. . . a wonderful book from one of our finest writers” – Colum McCann

“Mary Morrissy has a genius for lifting characters out of the dim backgrounds of history and brilliantly illuminating them.  In The Rising of Bella Casey  she evokes the rich Dublin world of the plays of Sean O’Casey and creates a moving drama that O’Casey himself would have acknowledged.” – John Banville

As is Morrissy’s trademarks, she offers us not just a glimpse of a person, but full, vivid lives set against a richly imagined time and place in history.” – Julianna Baggott