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