Bog Child-- Siobhan Dowd

I was eager to read another of Siobhan Dowd's books, as I loved the last one so much. Now I am wishing I hadn't picked this one. This slim book took me forever because I had difficulty coming back to it. I only kept going because there are two interesting things at work here: the book is set in Ireland during the Troubles, and the story attempts to bridge two worlds across a time gap.

Fergus and his uncle Tally are cutting peat when Fergus discovers a body-- apparently that of of a child-- buried in the bog. Fergus has a lot on his mind; his brother is on hunger strike in prison, Mam and Da fight about the strike and about politics. Fergus is trying to pass his A-levels so he can escape Ireland and live his life in peace, but his brother's friend is trying to enlist him to run things past checkpoints. On top of all of that, Fergus now wants to know who the bog child is and how she died, and finds himself falling for one of the young excavators working on the site.

Bog Child was published after Dowd's untimely death in 2007. In stark contrast to London Eye, I found this book rough and disjointed. The most compelling storylines are political-- the hunger strike and Fergus' casual friendship with a Welsh soldier stationed at the border-- but the inherent drama is not handled well, and the other storylines drop off abruptly. I think the flashbacks were the least effective of all. Given how much I liked London Eye, though, I think I might have to read one more of her books this year... stay tuned.