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 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. ( )

Odd little read. Good, but odd. ( )

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 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) ( )

A beautiful, gut-wrenching story that tore at my heart. ( )

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 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+ ( )