Along a Lonely Road

Life on the remote Irish headland of Dooney is quiet and self-contained for Ruth, her sister Katya, brother James and their mother. Sefton carefully weaves the cocoon of this harsh but secure existence before shattering it with the arrival of the Gettigans, who imprison the family in their own home as they attempt to retrieve and remove gold bullion hidden nearby. It's Ruth who orchestrates much of the action which saves the family - hers is the 'lonely road' of the title. No tale of unlikely heroism; the low-key narrative style and down-to-earth denouement of this thriller make it utterly convincing. This is excellent storytelling-tense, well-paced and ideal for reading aloud to Years 7 and 8.