The magnificent Joan Lingard rarely fails to please in her work and Dark Shadows --an exploration of friendship and family ties amid the troubles of Northern Ireland--is no exception. The Magowan and the O'Shea families are torn apart by their beliefs. When Jess and Laurie--the 15-year-old daughters of each family--meet and form a bond despite violent opposition, it seems there is no resolution to the bitterness and passion that their friendship evokes. But Dark Shadows is more than a story about the troubles. Though Lingard lets rip with the pain and fear that living in a torn and shattered country fighting for its life induces, and the shocking reality of neighbouring communities at war with each other, it is also a true reflection of the very sad but all-too-real effects that the anger and bigotry of adults can have on the next generation. -- Susan Harrison

 

This book is part of a book series called Puffin Teenage Fiction .

There are 192 pages in this book. This book was published 1999 by Penguin Books Ltd .

Joan Lingard was born in Edinburgh but grew up in Belfast. She has had a long and varied career in children's books, and was awarded the M. B. E, in 1998 for services to children's literature. She writes with equal success for teenagers, adults and the very young.