Siobhan Dowd weaves the story of sacrifice of a young Irish man in 1981 and a young woman who lived during the Iron Age. Both must deal with family conflict, politics and love.
Fergus is a Likeable Character Caught in a Conflict
Fergus McCann, the 18-year-old main character, finds a "bog child" in the peat fields where he and his uncle Tally are filching peat to make a few extra bucks. Peat preserves the dead, and the bog child who originally looks like a murder victim turns out to be almost 2000-years-old. Her discovery brings a mother and daughter archeology team to Furgus's town near the North and South border and to his home, which is also a bed and breakfast. Fergus falls for Cora, the daughter. Also, Fergus keeps dreaming about Mel, the bog child, and her problems.
The McCann Family is Believable
At home, his family is being torn apart by his brother Joe’s choice to join a hunger strike. Joe is being held in Long Kesh, which is known as the Maze because of his activity with the Provisional Irish Republican Army. Fergus’s mother presses him to study hard for his A-exams so that he can study to be a doctor in Scotland. Fergus also has the stress of practicing for his driving exam. His two little sisters tease and help the reader see a true family.
Blackmail and Hard Choices
His love of running ends up getting him blackmailed to be a courier of illegal items. Michael Rafters promises to help get his brother to stop the starvation strike if he only will run items between the North and South, which includes a military checkpoint. Fergus is torn because he doesn’t want to be involved in the conflict, but he wants to help his brother. In addition, he makes friends with the “enemy,” a checkpoint guard named Owen who enjoys playing trombone.
Awards for Blog Child
The Bog Child by Siobhan Dowd is on the Adolescent Young Adult 2009 Top Ten Best Books list for the Young Adult Library Service Association, Publishers Weekly Best Children's Book of the Year 2008 winner, Kirkus Reviews Best Young Adult Books 2008 winner, Amazon Best of the Year 2008 winner, Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Young Adult Novel 2008 nominee and, Carnegie Medal 2009.