Ireland

Ireland is the country in which the novel is set. As she does with her characters, Roberts often relies on cliché to describe the novel’s setting. The Ireland described in Dark Witch is a fairytale version of the country, which relies on clichés and stereotypes of the landscape and people to interest international readers. While descriptions of the countryside are often lovely on their own, when partnered with other descriptions of people and place – everyone drinks stout and whiskey, walks Irish setter dogs, wears tartan clothes, etc – the reader may feel that they are receiving a cheapened, watered-down illustration of Ireland that doesn’t truly represent the country’s modern complexities or achievements.

County Mayo

County Mayo is the small town in which the novel is set. It has a rustic, Irish charm that conjures images of a magical countryside. The O’Dwyer family has lived...