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Burning Your Own
It is the summer of 1969 and ten-year-old Mal is finding it difficult to settle in his new home, a housing estate on the outskirts of Belfast. He befriends a brash and rebellious teenager, Francy, who revels in his own status as an outsider and has set up camp in the local dump.
But this is no ordinary summer - the civil rights marches are beginning, and the simmering sectarian tensions of the Larkview estate are set to erupt, hastening Mal's painful, shocking, loss of innocence.
"One of the great novels about Ulster at the start of its Troubles." - Carlo Gebler
"Remarkable assured...Patterson's novel, needless to say, is neither afraid nor prejudiced, but courageously magnanimous." - Guardian
"A novel of visionary power that sees through a child's eyes a Belfast about to explode into sectarian strife." - Sunday Tribune
"This is a very good novel and deserves your immediate attention." - Books Ireland
But this is no ordinary summer - the civil rights marches are beginning, and the simmering sectarian tensions of the Larkview estate are set to erupt, hastening Mal's painful, shocking, loss of innocence.
"One of the great novels about Ulster at the start of its Troubles." - Carlo Gebler
"Remarkable assured...Patterson's novel, needless to say, is neither afraid nor prejudiced, but courageously magnanimous." - Guardian
"A novel of visionary power that sees through a child's eyes a Belfast about to explode into sectarian strife." - Sunday Tribune
"This is a very good novel and deserves your immediate attention." - Books Ireland
256 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1993
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
June 26, 2021
1969, Mal is 10. I’d have been 11. Mal lives in a estate in Northern Ireland. Great, horrible, atmosphere. Football with his pals and building bonfires with civil rights ans politics in the background.
October 2, 2020
Disturbing look at young boy confronted with ugliness of bigotry of his own "side" in NI during the Troubles
April 27, 2012
A debut novel about one summer in the life of a ten year old boy in Northern Ireland- sort of coming of age.
The important thing is that the story is set in a troubled city circa 1969, but not about "the troubles".
I like the clear unselfconscious writing. I did nt experience many specific triggers of association (this is my time). At first I thought this was a flaw, but now I believe the opposite. In such divided times, generalties are impossible.
I'm not sure I have come across many as selfless as Francey in the end tho.
I enjoyed this book thoroughly and would recommend it
The important thing is that the story is set in a troubled city circa 1969, but not about "the troubles".
I like the clear unselfconscious writing. I did nt experience many specific triggers of association (this is my time). At first I thought this was a flaw, but now I believe the opposite. In such divided times, generalties are impossible.
I'm not sure I have come across many as selfless as Francey in the end tho.
I enjoyed this book thoroughly and would recommend it
March 25, 2018
‘In the beginning’ – said Francy – ‘was the dump.’
4.5/5!!!!!!!!!! this was so good i died several times, i really hope i get to fit this into my cursed d*ssertation. also not to be whatever but uh francy would've listened to tegan and sara if they'd been around at the time.... js
4.5/5!!!!!!!!!! this was so good i died several times, i really hope i get to fit this into my cursed d*ssertation. also not to be whatever but uh francy would've listened to tegan and sara if they'd been around at the time.... js
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews