 He is particularly concerned about Roseanne, and begins tentatively to attempt to discover her history.It soon becomes apparent that both Roseanne and Dr Grene have differing stories as to her incarceration and her early life, but what is consistent in both narratives is that Roseanne fell victim to the religious and political upheavals in Ireland in the 1920s – 1930s.The novel was inspired by a story told to him by his mother of an old relative