First published 1978
Joe Logan sits trapped in his Derry home while gunfire echoes through the streets outside. His war-wounded father sends him on dangerous errands through the violent neighborhoods. His frightened mother keeps him inside when his volatile father becomes too unpredictable to leave alone. Joe escapes through writing, finding encouragement from Kathleen Doherty, a teacher who becomes his friend and confidante. She makes him laugh and offers him moments of peace away from the chaos that defines his daily existence. Their friendship gives Joe hope that he might find a different path than the one laid out by the Troubles consuming Northern Ireland. Everything shifts when his brother Brendan returns from London, fired up to join the conflict and determined to drag their family directly into the war tearing their community apart.
Genres: literary-fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century, coming-of-age, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: coming-of-age, found-family
Setting: Derry, Northern Ireland
Period: 20th century
Hardcover · Doubleday
Content warnings: violence, war