The Bog Child

The Bog Child is by Siobhan Dowd. The story is set on the border of Northern Ireland and the south in 1981. While digging peat with his uncle, eighteen-year-old Fergus finds a body buried in the bog. He is fascinated when the body is discovered to be from the Iron Age. He must also deal with passing his exams to be a doctor and the turmoil in his family. His brother Joe is in prison for a terrorist bombing and is on a hunger strike. As his brother dies and his family falls apart, Fergus must deal with his own coming of age in a violent political climate. A powerful tale of a young boy's desire to escape and the pressures that make it hard.

Ratings: 9th grade - 9 out of 10 - P (profanity) - V (violence) - AC (mature thematic content).