The twelve Gifford children, six girls and six boys, were raised as Protestant unionists in turn-of-the-century Dublin, Ireland. The six Gifford boys remained Protestant and politically uninvolved, while the girls all became active in the Irish Republican movement. The most well-known sister, Grace Gifford, was married Joseph Plunkett in Kilmainham Gaol in 1916, just hours before Plunkett's execution by firing squad for his leadership role in the Irish insurrection known as Easter Rising. Another sister, Muriel, was married to Thomas MacDonagh, and a third, Sydney, wrote a memoir about her life. This book follows the lives of the Gifford girls, using their experiences as a lens into the historical events and culture of early 20th century Ireland. Distributed in the US by Dufour Editions, Inc. Annotation ©2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)