The Quisling

For some, the past does not die easily. Whether distant or recent, familial wrongs fester, locked in the craw of subsequent generations.

When O’Clery, a high-profile Irish terrorist, is arrested at San Francisco airport, his deportation defense is led, surprisingly, by Sean Conlon, an inexperienced attorney.  As the twists and turns unravel, Sean’s own family becomes the subject of an old betrayal.

Quisling is a term originating in Norway, which is used in Scandinavian languages and in English for a person who collaborates with an enemy occupying force – or more generally as a synonym for traitor. The word originates from the surname of the Norwegian war-time leader Vidkun Quisling, who headed a domestic Nazi collaborationist regime during World War II. 

For some, the past does not die quickly or easily.   Whether distant or recent, a familial wrong festers, locked in the craw of subsequent generations.  It begs revenge.  In The Quisling, the spirit of a dead father, betrayed to enemy authorities by a supposed “friend,”  calls out to his offspring from the grave for retribution.  Even though the Quisling flees his native land and creates a new identity, it does not guarantee his safety.  Eventually, he will be found.  But the result might not be straight-forward; it can be gut-wrenching.