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Bernard MacLaverty lives in Glasgow. He has written five previous collections of stories and five novels, including Grace Notes, which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize, and Midwinter Break, the Bord Gais Energy Irish Novel of the Year. He has written versions of his fiction for other media - radio and television plays, screenplays and libretti.
Any aspiring novelist knows there are certain subjects which a publisher is loathe to take on. This is the story of a young man Cal, who is caught up in the troubles of 1970s Ulster. Although he is involved in acts of violence, Cal is shown to be just as much a victim as others. Like many of his contemporaries, he suffers through lack of opportunities. The only job that comes up is in an abattoir, and he just doesn't have the stomach for it. There is much to be learned from this book, such as how strong religious convictions can tear apart a community. Those who are prepared to accept people for what they are often suffer for their complacency. Cal and his widowed father, Shamie, are the only Catholic family left on their estate. They live in constant fear. Then Cal meets the lovely Marcella and his life takes an even more complicated turn. Marcella has been widowed through an act of violence. Against this backdrop of unrest evolves a tender love story, which helps to dissipate the sheer hopelessness of their lives. A novel from the author of Grace Notes, shortlisted for the 1997 Booker Prize, which resonates and stays with the reader long after reading the final chapter. (Kirkus UK)
