A Swift Pure Cry

This was the first book of Dowd's I read and it in a day or two.

It's heart-wrenching. It's such a difficult read but my god this woman makes some beautiful prose. I really felt for Shell, I just felt the raw pain of her life before me and I cried. I cried a lot.

But it was a great read.

Dowd's writing is super atmospheric and I can remember so many details from this novel. The scones Shell makes of an afternoon when she comes home from school and has nothing to do. The oppressiveness of her home environment and the vengeful anger of younger siblings who don't understand.

This book has stuck with me so much and while I feel like it deals with some really sensitive themes, Dowd does it in such a way that is true to the characters. It show more feels authentic, and that's what I loved. I didn't read this book to escape, it wasn't fantasy, it felt like real life, and Shell felt like a friend.

(tw: abuse, teen pregnancy, et. al) show less

Another YA read that will draw adults as well, this novel takes place in County Cork during the 1980s. For North American readers, the Talent family home’s lack of amenities will seem more typical of the 1950s. No TV, no malls or movies, the Talent siblings (15, 9 and 6?) play made up games with each other and cut out dolls from old magazines. When their alcoholic father wants to drink and count his stash hidden in the piano, he sends the children out to pick up stones in the field, no matter the weather. This is a wonderfully conveyed visual for their hard, dour life.

At 15, Shell, short for Michelle, has lost her mother to cancer and lost her faith. “In Shell’s mind, Jesus got off the cross and walked off to the nearest bar.” show more She starts “mitching”, skipping school, stealing from the local shops and devastatingly, gives in to the local Lothario, Declan Ronan. By the time Shell realizes she’s pregnant, Declan has run away from home to America. She hides her pregnancy under her father’s coat and in a believable, one-of-a-kind scene, gives birth at home with the help of her younger siblings. No melodrama, no Hallmark moments: just 3 traumatized children.

The plot takes a sharp turn here involving spoilers; let’s just say Shell’s trauma is just beginning….

There`s a delicate subplot involving a new parish assistant, Father Rose. The antithesis of the pedophile priest, Father Rose befriends Shell as much as he can within the restraints of 1980s Irish Catholicism.

This novel came recommended by Patrick Ness, author of The Knife of Neve Letting Go, who places it in a category with To Kill a Mockingbird; both are coming-of-age stories deeply true to their culture and time and at the same time, universal.

Something for teens and adults. Highly recommended 8 out of 10. show less

This bleak novel for young adults may seem maudlin to some, but paints a thoughtful portrait of Ireland’s poverty, hope, and pride that many readers will find touching and engaging. The story follows Shell, a teenage girl whose mother has recently died and who lives with her younger siblings and neglectful father in the rural town of Coolbar. An outcast and uninterested in school, Shell finds solace in the friendship of a young new priest and an unsteady relationship with a boy in her class. She becomes pregnant and, without telling anyone, gives birth to a stillborn baby. Then another baby is found dead, and Shell is the main suspect. In the end her name is cleared, but she finds herself alone, looking ahead to an uncertain future. show more The story arc feels unbalanced, with a lot of exposition and little time dedicated to the climax and denouement, but the writing is poetic, bringing to mind the sweeping fields and rocky shores of Ireland. Shell is well-developed, her inner world carefully thought-out and endearing. The dialogue feels natural; the reader can almost hear the accents. There are some Briticisms that may require explanation, but they do not distract from the story. While there is some sexual content, it is not graphic. Themes of family, friendship, self-sufficiency and faith are woven throughout, lovingly portraying the balance of beauty and despair characteristic of Ireland. A Swift Pure Cry will appeal to teen and adult readers who don’t mind some sadness in their reading. Recommended. Grades 10+ show less

Fifteen year old Shell Talent does not have much time for school and church after her mam died leaving her to take care of her dad and younger brother and sister, Jimmy and Trix. Dad has given up working, taken up drinking, and found religion and collects money for the church from which he skims some for himself, leaving Shell to care for the children and try to make ends meet. The story takes place in Coolbar a small village in Ireland in 1984 and is loosely based on a true account. A new young priest arrives who sparks her interest in religion again. Father Rose knows all is not right in the Talent household, but Father Carroll forbids him getting involved. She and her best friend Bridie skip school, smoke cigarettes, and flirt with show more local playboy, Declan to bad effect. When Shell discovers she is pregnant, the decision she makes to keep the baby sets off a scandal that rocks the small village as well as the rest Ireland. This beautiful and lyrically written novel will find an audience with more mature readers who like evocative literature about a different time and place, loss of innocence, and recovery of spirit. show less

Reviewed by Kimmy (Class of 2012)
Who is the father of Shell’s baby? In A Swift Pure Cry by Siobhan Dowd, fifteen year old Michelle “Shell” Talent lives in County Cork, Ireland with her father and her two younger siblings. Shell’s mother has died and it’s her responsibility to take care of her family. Siobhan Dowd had won many awards for her writing, including the 2007 Branford Boase Award for outstanding novel for younger teens. In this story, Shell becomes pregnant by somebody she knew and who leaves her alone and pregnant. The mystery in the book is who is the father of her unborn baby. The thing I didn’t like about this book is that I didn’t understand the part who was the father of the baby, and there were so many show more people involved in this part. My favorite part was that her younger siblings were learning something new every each day during the pregnancy they were becoming more talkative. This book has a lot of drama going on and if you like that type of book, you would love reading A Swift Pure Cry. show less

Ever since Shell's mom died, her dad has been a completely different person. Their family is struggling to get by since he dropped his day job and started taking up collections for the church. But when a new young priest, Father Rose, comes to their town, Shelly can't help but wonder if he is meant to make everything better. And then Shelly's relationship with Declan Ronan gets out of control, and soon she has a new secret to deal with.

A Swift, Pure Cry was a good story, but only that. It read quick and kept my interest throughout, its arc was well done, and the characters were mostly developed (though I found myself questioning some of them). But I felt like there was something missing, because by the end of the book, not much had show more changed from the beginning. I wanted more on Father Rose, who's character just kind of drops off. I wanted more mystery. I wanted more of a struggle.
So, though the book is nice and the cover is okay, A Swift, Pure Cry is interesting and a heart-wrenching story, but I wouldn't re-read it. I think, however, you'll have to read it to decide, because I could see some people loving it (and some hating it). I just got stuck in the middle :) show less

Reviewed by Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky" for TeensReadToo.com

After her mother died, fifteen-year-old Shell is left to take care of her younger brother and sister and her drunken father. They live in a small Irish village in a little farmhouse. Her mother's death has caused her father to drink even more than he did before, and in sudden religious zeal, he goes out daily to make his "collections." These donations are meant for the church, but he takes out more than his fair share before turning in the remains.

Life is difficult. Shell is teased at school and skips out as much as possible. She attempts to look to the church for support, and a new young priest seems to offer a shoulder to lean on. Eventually, Shell seeks emotional show more release in a relationship with an older boy. They begin a secret relationship spent mostly hidden in the barley field where Declan takes advantage of Shell's need for tenderness. The inevitable happens - Shell becomes pregnant. Without her mother to confide in, Shell hides her condition, using a stolen library book to help her understand what is about to happen.

Shell is an amazing young girl. She struggles to hold the family together and deal with her circumstances as best she can. As the story unfolds, readers will be surprised at the unpredictable turn of events for Shell, her father, the young priest, and all involved in the unfortunate tragedy.

A SWIFT PURE CRY uses Irish dialect and lyrical prose to draw the reader into Shell's world. Her courage and faith shine clearly through this heartbreaking tale. show less