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Publication
RANDOM HOUSE CHILDRE (2006), 320 pages
Description
Coolbar, Ireland, is a village of secrets and Shell, caretaker to her younger brother and sister after the death of their mother and with the absence of their father, is not about to reveal hers until suspicion falls on the wrong person.
User reviews
LibraryThing member ChristianR
Shell, an Irish teen whose mother has died and whose father is an alcoholic, is struggling to take care of her two younger siblings. She becomes involved with a boy and gets pregnant but conceals it. Her father and the other adults either don't see her condition or ignore it. This book does a good
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job of projecting the helplessness that young people can feel when they are in an overwhelming situation without any adults in charge. A very moving book. Show Less
LibraryThing member julie10reads
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
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.” 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.
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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.” 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.
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LibraryThing member CaroTheLibrarian
Shell lives in rural Ireland, and since her mother's death is responisble for her two younger siblings and her heavy-drinking father.
This is a beautfully written novel, with a real sense of time and place. The language can be quiet complex, and assumes a certain understanding of Catholic belief
This is a beautfully written novel, with a real sense of time and place. The language can be quiet complex, and assumes a certain understanding of Catholic belief
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and practice. Heart-rending in places I would highly recommended this book for older teens and adults. Show Less
LibraryThing member LibraryLou
A moving story about a young girl who quickly goes from being an innocent child to living in a world of adult possibilities after her mother dies.
Definitely should win this year's Carnegie medal. I couldn't put it down at all once I started it. Very well written with fantastically drawn characters.
Definitely should win this year's Carnegie medal. I couldn't put it down at all once I started it. Very well written with fantastically drawn characters.
LibraryThing member jsjohnso
Coolbar, Ireland is where Shell lives with her father, younger sister and brother (Trix and Jimmy.) Their mother has died and Shell takes care of the family. Since Mam died, thier father, Joe became more religious, drinks a lot, and no longer works. He collect money for the poor. When the story
Shell becomes involved with Declan and gets pregnant. She does not tell her father and before Christmas she has the baby at home with the help of her two siblings.( p 174-180) Shell thinks the baby is alive but the baby girl was born dead. The cord was around the baby's neck. Shell, calls the baby Rose. Trix, Jimmy and Shell put the baby in a box and take it out to the hillside and bury it.
When her father come home for Christmas, Shell is eating dinner with him and the police come to arrest Shell and her father because a dead baby was found on Shell Island. Joe tells Shell not to say a word as they leave the house. Sargent Mollow thinks Shell and her father killed the baby. Shell father confesses to leaving the baby on the shlef in a cave to die--to ease his own guilt and protect Shell.
Shell does not talk to anyone but finds out that the baby in question is a boy and it was left on the shelf. She talks with Father Rose and tells him where her baby is buried and that is was a girl. Shell is released from jail and they go to where the baby is buried and dig it up.
During this time Shell's father thinks he is the father because he came home drunk one night and Shell had on her mother's pink dress--Joe thinks he raped Shell. But, she got away from him before he passed out.
Shell refuses to tell anyone who is the father of the baby. So the police think Joe is the father. However, since there are two babies Shell begins to piece together the facts about her fiend Birdie Quinn and realizes that Birdie had a baby and the father was also Declan Ronan. Birdie's mother told Shell that Birdie was living with an aunt of her in another area but Shell calls the Aunt and she is not there. The baby left on the shelf was Birdie's baby.
The police sent the two baby's bodies to pathologist to determine whether they were twins and when the results come back, it is clear that the two babies do not have the same blood type. Joe is released from jail.
This is a beautilul story about compassion. All of the people in Coolbar were making judgements about Shell and her father. Their neighbor, Mrs. Dugan looked after the family and protects Shell form the harsh things people in Coolbar are saying. After Father Rose knows the truth and visits Shell, he says ..."My God, we let you down. Every last one of us in Coolbar. We let you down." (p. 218) At the end of the story the people of Coolbar have a funeral Mass for the babies and then bury them. Shell's father stops dirnking and starts farming again; Decaln writes Shell a letter from America and tells her how much he cares for her; and Fahter Rose goes to Offlay --he has become a doubting priest and will try to find a clear way.
Mam's spirit stayed with Shell and helped her get through all of the terrible things and gave her a peace that life would be good and continue on.
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begins it is Spring and almost Easter. Shell is friends with Father Rose but he is told by the head priest, Father Carrol not to be seen hanging around with a single girla (Shell.) Shell becomes involved with Declan and gets pregnant. She does not tell her father and before Christmas she has the baby at home with the help of her two siblings.( p 174-180) Shell thinks the baby is alive but the baby girl was born dead. The cord was around the baby's neck. Shell, calls the baby Rose. Trix, Jimmy and Shell put the baby in a box and take it out to the hillside and bury it.
When her father come home for Christmas, Shell is eating dinner with him and the police come to arrest Shell and her father because a dead baby was found on Shell Island. Joe tells Shell not to say a word as they leave the house. Sargent Mollow thinks Shell and her father killed the baby. Shell father confesses to leaving the baby on the shlef in a cave to die--to ease his own guilt and protect Shell.
Shell does not talk to anyone but finds out that the baby in question is a boy and it was left on the shelf. She talks with Father Rose and tells him where her baby is buried and that is was a girl. Shell is released from jail and they go to where the baby is buried and dig it up.
During this time Shell's father thinks he is the father because he came home drunk one night and Shell had on her mother's pink dress--Joe thinks he raped Shell. But, she got away from him before he passed out.
Shell refuses to tell anyone who is the father of the baby. So the police think Joe is the father. However, since there are two babies Shell begins to piece together the facts about her fiend Birdie Quinn and realizes that Birdie had a baby and the father was also Declan Ronan. Birdie's mother told Shell that Birdie was living with an aunt of her in another area but Shell calls the Aunt and she is not there. The baby left on the shelf was Birdie's baby.
The police sent the two baby's bodies to pathologist to determine whether they were twins and when the results come back, it is clear that the two babies do not have the same blood type. Joe is released from jail.
This is a beautilul story about compassion. All of the people in Coolbar were making judgements about Shell and her father. Their neighbor, Mrs. Dugan looked after the family and protects Shell form the harsh things people in Coolbar are saying. After Father Rose knows the truth and visits Shell, he says ..."My God, we let you down. Every last one of us in Coolbar. We let you down." (p. 218) At the end of the story the people of Coolbar have a funeral Mass for the babies and then bury them. Shell's father stops dirnking and starts farming again; Decaln writes Shell a letter from America and tells her how much he cares for her; and Fahter Rose goes to Offlay --he has become a doubting priest and will try to find a clear way.
Mam's spirit stayed with Shell and helped her get through all of the terrible things and gave her a peace that life would be good and continue on.
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LibraryThing member FionaCat
Shell Talent lives with her dad and younger brother and sister in the Irish village of Coolbar near the sea. Her mam has been dead for a year or more and the family still misses her greatly.
Shell's only tangible tie to her mam is a pink dress hanging in the back of her dad's closet. One night she
This is a haunting story of a young girl still grieving for her dead mother and caught up in events that quickly spiral out of her control. Through it all, though, Shell looks after her younger siblings and never loses her bond with her mam.
Shell's only tangible tie to her mam is a pink dress hanging in the back of her dad's closet. One night she
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tries it on and starts a chain of events that leads to a scandal the likes of which Coolbar has never known. Misunderstandings and secrets abound as Shell tries to make sense of what has happened.This is a haunting story of a young girl still grieving for her dead mother and caught up in events that quickly spiral out of her control. Through it all, though, Shell looks after her younger siblings and never loses her bond with her mam.
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LibraryThing member HHS-Students
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
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
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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 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
LibraryThing member kottenbrookk
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
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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. 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
LibraryThing member HeatherLINC
A beautiful, gut-wrenching story that tore at my heart.
LibraryThing member lydia1879
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
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 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)
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
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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 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)
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LibraryThing member RobertaLea
Odd little read. Good, but odd.
LibraryThing member Dairyqueen84
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
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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 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
Awards
Guardian Children's Fiction Prize (Longlist — 2006)
Yoto Carnegie Medal for Writing (Nominee — 2007)
Booktrust Teenage Prize (Shortlist — 2006)
Branford Boase Award (Winner — 2007)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2006
Physical description
320 p.; 5.71 inches
ISBN
0385609698 / 9780385609692