Bog Child

Siobhan Dowd. 2008. New York: Random House. 336 pages. ISBN 978-0-385-75169-8.

Plot Summary: 18-year-old Fergus is just three exams (he only needs three “B”s) away from leaving Northern Ireland and starting school to become a doctor. But events seem to conspire against him. His brother, jailed for supporting the IRA, joins a hunger strike that has already caused the death of other prisoners, and Fergus is being pressured to ferry mysterious packages over the border on his daily runs. Furthermore, while cutting peat with his uncle, Fergus discovers the body of an ancient female corpse, who died a violent death. While helping a mother-daughter archeologist team in their excavation of the body, Fergus falls in love with the daughter. Meanwhile he dreams of the ancient girl they discovered.

Critical Evaluation: There’s a lot going on in this book! Most compelling to me was the political aspect of Fergus’s brother’s fate and the ferrying of packages across the border, which Fergus understands is bomb-making materials for the Irish Republican Army. The anguish these events cause Fergus, whose dream is to escape the troubles of Northern Ireland, is intense. As a reader I found myself dreading the page-turning, waiting for the inevitable ending—but I won’t give it away! Fergus’s relationship with Cora, the daughter of the archeologist is sweet but short—perhaps the way of early romance. I felt the story of the bog body, as seen in Fergus’s dreams, less than compelling. But overall, a good read. However, I can’t help feeling the ending might have been different if the book had been written for an older audience.

Reader's Annotation: What was the fate of the bog child? And what will be Fergus's fate? Will he be able to escape the troubles of Northern Ireland for medical school?

About the author:
Siobhan Dowd grew up in London in an Irish family. Before writing children’s books, she worked for causes dealing with imprisoned writers and the rights of children in impoverished places. During 2004, Dowd served as Deputy Commissioner for Children’s Rights in Oxfordshire. She also edited an anthology of writings from imprisoned writers.

As a children’s writer Dowd wrote four novels. Her first, A Swift Pure Cry, was published in 2006 and was shortlisted for several awards. Her next novel, The London Eye Mystery, was also nominated for several awards and won the Salford Children’s Book Award. Bog Child, along with Solace of the Road, was published posthumously. Dowd died of beast cancer in 2007. Just before her death the Siobhan Dowd Trust was established to bring books and reading to disadvantaged young people.

Genre: Historical Fiction.

Grade Level/Interest Age: Grades 9 and up.

Curriculum ties: History of Irish-English conflicts. Teens might need some additional information to understand all of the political situation as described in the book.

Booktalking Ideas: Fergus fears his brother will starve himself in jail on a hunger strike. At the same time, he's participating in activities that can land him in jail. But what he really wants to do is to escape.

Challenge Issues: N/A.

Why I chose it: I picked Bog Child because it won many awards: starred reviews from School Library Journal, Booklist and Kirkus; and the ALA list of Best Books for Young Adults.