The story begins with American, Fiona flying to Ireland to meet her father who she recently discovered was looking for her. Her mother fled Belfast with her when she was a baby and has never spoken of her father since. Fiona meets her father, two half brothers and a nephew with a troubling scar. Her father lives near the peace wall which separates the Catholic side of Belfast from the Protestant side. Fiona finds out that her father was a high ranking officer in the Irish Republican Army. Even though The Troubles are over, peace is uneasy especially this close to the wall.
Danny lives on the other side of the wall. Her family is heavily involved in the Loyalists and their hatred of Catholics is pretty intense.
As an American of Irish descent, I found this story fascinating. My family is from the southern part of the island so I didn’t know as much about Northern Ireland or what it is like in the aftermath of The Troubles. This story brings the pain of that past to life with characters that are struggling to live their lives in peace when such anger is just beneath the surface.
Some ideas for discussing with teens:
Discuss how the wall plays into the storyline.
Discuss the relationship between Fiona and her mother. How did that change when she learned about her father?
Discuss how Seamus and Patrick feel about Fiona’s mother.
Discuss how the culture of Northern Ireland is different from the rest of Ireland. What do you know about The Troubles?
Do you think the wall helps or hurts?
Discuss the differences between Danny’s father and Fiona’s father.
How would you react if you were Fiona and your father shared the story of his part in The Troubles?
What do you think will happen to Danny in the future?
Discuss Fiona’s relationship with her nephew?
What would you have done about Patrick?
Why do you think the culture is so important to Danny’s father?
Hickey Picks - Young Adult Readers Advisory 