Music Love Drugs War - Hardcover

Quigley, Geraldine

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0241354137 ISBN 13: 9780241354131

Publisher: Fig Tree, 2019

Synopsis

'A clever multiple-narrative account of teenage kicks and sectarian strife in early 80s Northern Ireland . . . this debut marks out Quigley as a writer of compassion and humour' Guardian

The end of the school year is approaching, and siblings Paddy and Liz McLaughlin, Christy Meehan, Kevin Thompson and their friends will soon have to decide what they're going to do with the rest of their lives. But it's hard to focus when there's the allure of their favourite hangout place, the dingy 'Cave', where they go to drink and flirt and smoke. Most days, Christy, Paddy and Kevin lie around listening to Dexys and Joy Division. Through a fog of marijuana, beer and budding romance, the future is distant and unreal.

But this is Derry in 1981, and they can't ignore the turmoil of the outside world. A friend is killed, and Christy and Paddy, stunned out of their stupor, take matters into their own hands. Some choices are irreversible, and choosing to fight will take hold of their lives in ways they never imagined.

With humour and compassion, Geraldine Quigley reveals the sometimes slippery reasons behind the decisions we make, and the unexpected and intractable ways they shape our lives.

'A novel that is warm but also unsettling and exhilarating. That's some feat' Roddy Doyle

'A poignant and powerful coming-of-age story' Sunday Mirror

About this title

About the Author:

Geraldine Quigley worked in retail for many years and gained a degree in Irish History and Politics at Magee College, University of Ulster, as a mature student. It was in her late 40s that she began writing.

Review:

"A novel that is warm but also unsettling and exhilarating. That's some feat, but Geraldine Quigley has managed to make it seem easy." —Roddy Doyle

"A poignant and powerful coming-of-age story." —Sunday Mirror

"A clever multiple-narrative account of teenage kicks and sectarian strife in early 80s Northern Ireland . . . this debut marks out Quigley as a writer of compassion and humour." —Guardian

"A sensitive and powerful coming-of-age novel." —Observer

"A vivid debut. Geraldine's depiction of what could draw ordinary kids into a paramilitary organisation feels utterly convincing . . . her dialogue feels sparky and alive." —Sunday Times

"A classic coming of age tale . . . pitch perfect." —Daily Telegraph

"Worth checking out for its loving attention to how it feels to be young and in love in a time of turmoil." —i newspaper's Best New Books for 2019

"A beguiling, confident debut." —Irish Independent

"Both funny and moving, Music Love Drugs War is a poignant coming-of-age novel . . . pitches tender depictions of friendship and love against the stark backdrop of war, hunger strikes, rioting and plastic bullets." —Belfast Telegraph

"If you happened to like Derry Girls, you're in for a treat with Music Love Drugs War." —Sunday Business Post magazine

About this edition

• Publisher: Fig Tree
• Publication date: 2019
• ISBN 10: 0241354137
• ISBN 13: 9780241354131
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 288