Cal is a 1983 novel by the Northern Irish writer Bernard MacLaverty. It is a story situated during one of the most difficult periods in Irish history, the time known as "the Troubles," when Northern Ireland was divided between Loyalist and Republican camps who envisioned very different futures for their country. While the Republican Catholics (including the IRA) wished for Northern Ireland to merge with Southern Ireland and stay autonomous from Great Britain, the Loyalist Protestants wanted to remain part of the United Kingdom. The IRA was known for using violence, particularly mass bombings, to try and get their way, with Loyalist forces retaliating with their own violent acts.
In the midst of this chaos, we find Cal, our 19-year-old protagonist, who has reluctantly become involved in the Republican movement. At the same time, Cal becomes romantically involved with the one woman who is off limits to him and thus finds himself in a very trying scenario. Part historical drama, and part love story, Cal portrays the struggles of a young man trying to find a normal life in what are very extreme circumstances. On the face of it, this is a complicated novel. The protagonist could be called a terrorist, and yet the author's portrayal is never one-dimensional, encouraging the reader to see Cal as a sympathetic character and a victim of his circumstances.
Cal was adapted into a movie in 1983, starring Helen Mirren and John Lynch.
