Childhood play, scarlet fever, a first kiss, befriending a Nazi spy--the narrative of "Past Habitual" roams through experiences both commonplace and formative, all under the uneasy canopy of wartime Ireland. Moving with ease between the voices of a young child, a German immigrant, an I.R.A member, and colloquial chatter, MacLochlainn forms a web of interactions that expose a century's tensions. A combination of traditional prose, poetry, monologue, and music, "Past Habitual" is an engaging and fascinating depiction of an Ireland struggling through the effects of war--both distant and on her doorstep.
