Friday's Child

Tom, the young protagonist, is torn between proving his manhood by killing an enemy and following his own judgment (but risking humiliation) by healing a victim of the war

The decisions he must make are not easy ones. On one side, his grandpa recites the stories and ballads of heroic Irish warriors

His 16-year-old block captain alternately tempts him with membership in the IRA and berates him for childishness. British soldiers provoke and taunt him

On the other side, his sister Meg begs him not to make himself a target by arming himself

Tara, a character who is the embodiment of mystical Irish folklore, breathes life into Tom's humane and caring instincts

The competition for Tom's loyalty becomes a fight for his life