Our main character is Brigid who is, for her time, a precocious little girl. She comes from a poor family who has seen their fair share of trouble of all kinds. Brigid’s family loses their home to the fire and we experience this loss through the eyes of a child. Her disheveled, broken family craves a better life that will never come.
This book, for me, is about the setting and the town but even more than that The Hollow Ground is about a young girl coming of age and learning to let go. Brigid learns about family, she learns that her parents -especially the father she loves desperately- are not who they seem. She begins to make up her own mind about things and how she feels rather than follow in the footsteps of her mother.
What doesn’t work for me in this novel really is the writing style. I found myself thinking that it felt very repetitive. I felt that the author kept using the same terms and expressions rather than finding different ways to get across a meaning throughout the novel. The dialect of the characters gives the reader the impression that they are all unintelligent. I think it’s very stereotypical that just because they are poor that it fits they are also simple minded.
I enjoyed the story line but I cannot say I’m a fan of the delivery of the story. This is not a book that will end up on my recommendation list. However, I’m sure lots of people will not have the same issues I did and will enjoy the novel.
