A Swift Pure Cry

This is an extraordinary story of one girl's courage in the face of prejudice and hardship within a small community in Ireland.

For fifteen year old Shell Talent, life has been hard since the death of her mum. Her dad has given up work and turned his back on reality, leaving Shell to care for her younger brother and sister. She's bored of church and regularly skips school. With her friends Bridie and Declan, she shares cigarettes and irreverent jokes.

But when Father Rose, a new young priest, arrives in her small Irish community, something mysteriously shifts. Mam's spirit seems to return to earth, a kindly ghost. Shell tries on the old pink satin dress hidden at the back of Dad's wardrobe - to strange, disturbing effect.

Soon Shell finds herself the centre of an escalating scandal that rocks Coolbar to its foundations and has repercussions across the country. All her courage and strength is needed to face the ordeal, in this magnificent and heartbreaking novel, inspired by a true story.

Random House Australia
Author: Siobhan Dowd
ISBN: 0385609698
RRP: $29.95