BOOK REPORT

BOOK REPORT

Title

The title of the book is "Across the Barricades."

You can say that the title has to meanings: Across the physical barricades which divides the streets of Belfast into two parts, and across the religious or social barricades which divides the people of Belfast into two parts, and that causes problems to Kevin and Sadie

Name of the author

The name of the author is Joan Lingard

When the book was written

The book was written in 1972, and published first time the same year.

The setting

The story takes generally place in Belfast but also in the area nearby.

It has a large effect on the story that it takes place in Belfast. If the story had taken place on the country, people's opinion of the relationship between Kevin and Sadie probably would have been more positive.

Characterization of the main characters

The main characters in the story are Kevin McCoy and Sadie Jackson.

Kevin: He is a Catholic boy who is just normal - his job is good and his

family is nice. He is tired of Belfast and the Troubles there, and he wishes it would stop. Kevin is a bit temperamental - he often get angry when people, especially Sadie provokes him.

Sadie: She is a Protestant girl with a job in a hat department which she

doesn't like, and a nice family. She has a big mouth, and she often provokes Kevin, actually without meaning it. Sadie is brave and tough, she doesn't care about other people's opinions - she is stubborn and strongwilled.

Point of view

The point of view is unlimited.

The theme

The theme in the story is that nothing can stop the love between two persons, without regard to what someone does to try to stop it.

The book can also be read as a message to stop the conflicts in Belfast and Northern Ireland.

Plot

The Catholic boy Kevin McCoy and the Protestant girl Sadie Jackson meat

each other in Belfast, three years after last meeting. They fall in love, but their relationship is not popular among family and friends, who try to stop it in many ways, but not successfully. Kevin and Sadie meat in secret, often in the country outside Belfast. Their relationship causes them several problems - both loose their jobs, and Kevin gets beaten up, but they don't care.

They obtain a new friend - Mr. Blake, an earlier teacher of Sadie, who is willing to help them. Mr. Blake lives in a peaceful area where nobody knows Sadie and Kevin. Sadie starts to work at Mr. Blakes and at Hendersons, who live in the same street. But after a while, Mr. Blake receives anynomous letters, and one day he's taking Sadie and Kevin for a ride in the car, a wheel falls off, and the police finds out that the car is sabotaged.

Kevin and Sadie countinues to meet, but one day someone throws a petrol bomb into Mr. Blake's house, and Mr. Blake dies. This is a turning point in the book. Kevin decides to move out of Belfast to England to make a fortune there. He can't stand all the Troubles in Belfast anymore.

The day Kevin leaves, he meets Sadie on the docks to say good-bye. But he doesn't have to. Sadie is going with him to make a fortune together with him in England.

Evaluation

Apart from being a bit foretelling, this book was really enjoying. It is exciting, and all the time something happens. In addition to this, the book contains many facts about the conflict in Northern Ireland, and how everyday life is when you're living with all these troubles around you.

I can really recommend this book!