Bog Child (original 2008; edition 2008)

I liked the book as it showed people live their lives even in the midst of political upheaval and terrorism. Fergus studies for his exams, runs, makes friends with a border guard while at the same time his brother, in prison for political crimes, goes on a starvation diet as a protest. In the background is the discovery of the bog child Fergus and his Uncle found while cutting peat. The book makes much more clear reasons for the political violence in Ireland in the 20th century and how it affected individuals. ( )

When the narrator first read the background of the 1981 Irish Hunger Strikes I thought, hell no, I'm not up for reading or listening to anything this heavy. Maybe it was the lilting Irish narrator (fab job) or the exquisite layering of the three storylines but I fell in love a bit. The time period is handled seemlessly and the story within a story about the doomed Iron Age Bog Child is heart breaking. ( )

by Siobhan Dowd

Opening line--"They'd stolen a march on the day."

I haven't read much historical fiction that's set in the recent past, so this was a new experience for me. It does start me wondering about where the line is drawn between historical and contemporary fiction. Five years? Ten years? Twenty? Or is it something fuzzier?

I have to admit that I don't know much about Northern Ireland in the time of the Troubles. I mean, I know that they happened and I know a bit about the historical factors that went into creating them. But I didn't know about the hunger strike in 1981 or The Maze. Despite this, Dowd managed to convey a sense of the time and the unrelenting tension. She was able to provide just the right balance of information, in my opinion. Not too little--I wasn't simply confused by the names and places--and not so much that I felt like she was saying "Look at all the research I did!"

The story itself is haunting--I've caught myself thinking of it several times since finishing. There were a few points I wasn't quite as sure about--Cora seemed a bit tacked on somehow. I never entirely bought her character and fleshing out her motivations could have helped with that. I'm also not entirely sure how Mel's story and Fergus's overlap. They do, obviously, but I'm not entirely clear on the thematic connection.*

I found the fantastical element convincing overall. Mel's story was well drawn out, although I did feel a tad blindsided by the big reveal. At the same time, it made sense and made the whole thing just a little more tragic.

Unfortunately, due to Siobhan Dowd's untimely death, I've already read half of her published works. I do still want to read Solace of the Road.

*that sounds really English-majory, but it's the best way I can think of to say it. What I'm still puzzled about is what the two stories actually say to each other.

Book source: public library
Book information: Random House, 2008
My other Siobhan Dowd review:
The London Eye Mystery ( )

I finished Bog Child by Siobhan Dowd in record time. It's a fast read, which was a good thing in this case. I know this book has received rave reviews, but I just couldn't get into it. It didn't make a lasting impression on me. That isn't to say it isn't worth reading, but for me it seemed to be missing something. Perhaps because I had hoped it would focus more on the body found in the peat bog (dubbed "Mel") and less on present day Ireland. Although Mel is a part of the story, it seems to be more of a side note with the main story about Northern Ireland and the troubles it had in the 1980s with the hunger strike of the political prisoners and how Fergus's family copes with it. So, if you're looking for a story about mummies, ancient civilizations and mystery, look elsewhere. ( )

On a study break from preparing for his A-level exams, Fergus accompanies his uncle Tally on a peat-digging trip when they find the body in the bog. Police argue about which side of Ireland's north-south border the body is on and therefore who is responsible for handling this apparent murder case--but then the body is determined to be much older than any open murder case, possibly Iron Age. Fergus gets deeply involved in trying to unravel the mystery of who the girl was (as well as getting deeply involved with the archeologist's daughter, Cora), while trying desperately not to get involved with the other circumstances. The year is 1981, and Ireland is in the midst of the Troubles. Fergus's brother is on a hunger strike as a political prisoner, and his brother's friend coerces Fergus into ferrying small parcels back and forth across the border. This is a dramatic summer that will change everything.

The writing is sparsely beautiful; there is not a wasted word or plot thread here, and while the plot unfolds slowly, it is compelling and suspenseful from beginning to end. Major characters are richly developed; minor characters are developed enough to be distinct and realistic. There is a clear sense of the time and place, and this may be the only flaw in this excellent novel: the setting is so well-integrated into the plot that the reader would be helped by knowledge of Ireland's recent history, because many elements are not well-explained for those who have no background. Readers may puzzle over some of these details, but most can be understood in context, and any lingering questions can be addressed with minimal research. While the writing and some of the plot threads are accessible to bight middle-schoolers, this is a title that will do well in the hands of motivated high-school readers and adults. ( )