My third title from the Carnegie shortlist is ‘Guard Your Heart’ by Sue Divin.
This was, again, a fantastic read (I am not sure how a winner is ever supposed to be picked) – this time, based in Derry, Northern Ireland. Somewhere many of us would believe now is a place of peace – the troubles not something that the younger generation have to face or think about. However, ‘Guard Your Heart’ reminds us that, sadly, it is not all history, but there are still the scars and struggles influencing people every day.
This is a love story between Aidan and Iona, 18 years old; school is over and they have their whole lives ahead of them. However, Aidan is a Catholic, with a complex family past and potentially a difficult future ahead of him. Iona is a Protestant, with a father who had been in the police during the height of the troubles, and a brother who has recently followed the same path. These differences should not be something that could keep them apart in 2016, but sometimes old ideals and beliefs are hard to shake off – if not for Aidan and Iona, then for their families.
This is a book that makes you want to learn more and understand more about a history that, for many, is still so raw, but may not have the same coverage as other events of the past. This, just like ‘Cane Warriors‘ and ‘The Crossing‘, is a book that can teach so much about acceptance, and the willingness to learn about and understand the people and cultures around us.