<p>Childhood play, scarlet fever, a first kiss, befriending a Nazi spy--the narrative of<i>Past Habitual</i> 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,<i>Past Habitual</i> is an engaging and fascinating depiction of an Ireland struggling through the effects of war--both distant and on her doorstep.</p>