Widows' Row

by Shirley-Anne McMillan (writer)

Lila’s life is going nowhere, slowly. Tired of everything, and caring for her sick father in a small town, she can barely allow herself to dream about the things she knows will never happen. But it’s hard not to dream about Jonathan Jackson.

An encounter with a stranger changes Lila’s life for good when they find themselves pulling Jonathan, unconscious, out of the Irish Sea.

Sometimes getting what you wish for makes life a lot more complicated.

Kindle Edition

First published July 1, 2012

About the author

Shirley-Anne McMillan was born in 1975 in Lisburn, Northern Ireland. She has studied at Queen’s University, Belfast and Manchester Metropolitan University. Shirley-Anne writes stories for children and young adults, and she has written and performed with Belfast-based arts collective, Ikon, for several years. She lives in South Down where she spends her time as a writer and schools worker.

Reviews

[Debbierea Oliver · Rating 4 out of 5]

As an English teacher, I will definitely use this novel with young adults and recommend it to my colleagues. It deals with issues of sexuality, bullying, depression in a fresh, moving way. I think it would work best for upper KS3 and KS4 pupils. The characters are rich and the plot strong. I was gripped to see what would happen to one of the main characters and I was pleased when it didn't take me where I expected.

As a resident of Northern Ireland, I thoroughly enjoy reading books set in my local context, but it would still certainly work for all readers. A magical ghost story interweaves through the novel, I would have loved to have read more on this but perhaps the author is saving this for future stories?

This was the first independently published e-book I have read; I was not disappointed and strongly recommend this writer. I look forward to future titles.

[Norah · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully written teenage book, full of angst and questioning. I loved it!

[A Colleen Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really thoughtful and intense read. The main character is a teen girl dealing with a difficult situation where she feels trapped by her life and caring for her father who has been seriously ill since an accident. She and another girl save the popular young man from school that she is crushing on. Erin is a rather intriguing younger girl who keeps turning up and seems to need a friend. (Sorry, it's been a while since I read this, so I've forgotten the names.) I don't want to give any spoilers. There's hints of something spectral that is never outright admitted, but you are left to decide for yourself if it's there or not. The twist that comes later in the story is not totally unexpected, but Shirley-Anne handles it sensitively and believably. I really liked the resolution to this story. The story is emotional, at times funny, but is never overly sentimental or melodramatic.

As far as I know, this is Shirley-Anne's first published book, and it's really polished and well written. She's obviously worked really hard on developing her craft as a writer. Looking forward to reading her next book "The Good Hiding"!

[Dan · Rating 1 out of 5]

I obviously didn't investigate this book enough before I bought it. It turns out to be a morality play with a completely predictable story. It adds a touch of supernatural to make it completely beyond what I was expecting.