Middle Sister is a new adult in an Ireland in the midst of serious political upheaval. Renouncers-of-the-state and defenders-of-the-state have created an environment where every choice or NOT choice, every rumour and truth can mark your place in a society where tiny details can set you apart from "your side." Between the Milkman's advances, Ma's harassing, the Troubles themselves and the underground, under-your-breath way of life Middle Sister has to navigate - it's no surprise that soon things start to unravel for her. The question is, can she figure out what she really wants enough to understand her place in the world again?
Woah. There are no character names in this book, you should know that. No actual place names. It is everyplace in Northern Ireland in the 1970s, where all streets belong either to the state or to the renouncers, where there are places you go and people you talk to - and people you avoid. At all costs. But even within those that are on your side, there are still those that go beyond what's acceptable, who push the boundaries too far in a community that is constantly walking the razor's edge of all out warfare. It took me a LONG time to read the first 2/3 of this book, so much longer than it should have, but then I really sank my teeth into the incredible writing and the nuance of Middle Sister who struggles with a very literal way of looking at the world and seeing beyond what is right in front of her at the time. This book gets deep and funny (not in a ha ha but a sardonic way) and tragic, as we see this town and this group of people sort out their own problems with a completely foreign (to me) set of rules and standards of who you can trust and how you should behave. It's not easy to read. It's also very powerful. I'm glad I stuck it out.
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