Children of the Troubles: Our Lives in the Crossfire of Northern Ireland

Laragh Cullen is a young woman who grew up in Dungannon, County Tyrone, in Northern Ireland. She tried her hand at poetry when she was eleven years old and her words are among those included in the book CHILDREN OF THE TROUBLES. Laragh states: I'm tired of the sirens The town's like a cage I wish there was peace I'm eleven years of age.Her words describe the many challenges faced by the children who grew up in war torn Ireland, yet the hope for peace is also evident in many of these same young voices. This is the subject of the book CHILDREN OF THE TROUBLES.CHILDREN OF THE TROUBLES is a collection of stories by people living in Northern Ireland during what has is referred to as "the troubles." Most of the pieces included in the collection are written by adults who grew up in the midst of the strife between Catholics and Protestants in this divided section of the world. While the entries were written by adults, the experiences mentioned in the book took place when the writers were young. The book is divided into three sections, the first dealing with situations which take place in Belfast, the area that was most affected by the strife. The second section deals with how the strife affected other counties of Northern Ireland. The third section deals with those who tried to remain neutral. The editor, Laurel Holliday, has edited similar works involving children in Israel and Palestine, African Americans in American inner-city environments, and diaries of children of the Holocaust. The selections in this volume were written by a variety of people both Catholic and Protestant, of all educational levels, some victims, and some who were in the midst of the violence. Each of the voices in this work shows us what we probably already know, or should know, but never seem to learn, namely that we are all more similar than we realize. We also get a clear sense that while it may be religion that divides many of the people of Northern Ireland, theology, spirituality or God rarely enter into the debate.The strength of this volume would be the stories themselves. Most of them are accompanied by a photograph of the person telling the story which makes the reader see that the accounts involve actual people who lived through these horrendous years, and many are thought provoking. People reading the book will not find it a depressing work. Many of the entries are hope-filled and also show that even though there was strife and violence in their homeland, many of the young people did experience the normal joys and adventures of childhood.

Laurel Holliday has put together a powerful collection of sixty children's experiences during the violent and turbulent war of cultural differences known as "The Troubles" in Northern Ireland.After posting advertisements in newspapers around Northern Ireland, Holliday received responses from both Catholic and Protestant individuals who had an experience to share about their lives during the "Troubles."These powerful and sometimes disturbing stories show the bravery and danger these children (some of whom are now adults) faced during the conflicts prior to the cease-fire in 1994 as well as their tentative hopes for a peaceful future. After personally experiencing New Years 2000 in Belfast, I can only hope that the peace agreement holds and that the differences between people can be embraced rather than fought. The future children of Northern Ireland deserve to experience a life of peace in a beautiful country with a tremendously difficult history."Children of the Troubles" is an excellent book for both adults and children. The stories are powerful and moving with photographs included of most of the children who bravely share their stories.