Cal - Softcover

Maclaverty, Bernard

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0140169644 ISBN 13: 9780140169645

Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd, 2006

Synopsis

One of a series of classic fiction titles for schools, this is a story of love and hate, set in strife-torn Belfast. A young Catholic falls in love with a young Protestant widow whose husband he has recently helped to murder. The book contains some uninhibited and explicit language.

About this title

Review

First published in 1983, this lyrical novel, superficially straightforward but full of stories within stories, first brought Bernard MacLaverty's work to public attention. In the novel, a young Irish Republican Army operative who wants to break the cycle of violence seeks out a woman whose Ulster policeman husband he helped to murder. As their relationship grows, so do Cal's guilt and sorrow, until, in the end, he is forced to make a sacrifice of himself in order to gain redemption. Rich in ideas and history, this book helps us understand the situation in Northern Ireland--which "is not just there," MacLaverty has remarked, "as a colorful background."

About the Author

Bernard MacLaverty lives in Glasgow, Scotland. His books include Cal and Grace Notes, which was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize and won the Saltire Scottish Book of the Year Award.

About this edition

• Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
• Publication date: 2006
• ISBN 10: 0140169644
• ISBN 13: 9780140169645
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 160