Subjects:  1. 19th century    2. Civilization    3. English literature    4. Europe - Ireland    5. Famines    6. General    7. Heathcliff (Fictitious character)    8. History    9. History and criticism    10. History: World    11. Ireland    12. Irish Literature    13. Irish authors    14. Literature - Classics / Criticism    15. British & Irish history    16. Bront, Emily    17. Brontë, Emily    18. Cultural studies    19. English    20. Literary studies: general    21. Social history    22. Wuthering Heights   

Reviews (4)

A good read, but with reservations
This is a well written, fast paced book that has a lot to say about the Irish experience during the famine. But it is hardly the story of a typical Irish emigrant. Fergus benefits from an unending sequence of coincidences and lucky breaks. This allows opportunities for philosophizing and reflections on the plight of the Irish at the time, but requires an effort on the part of the reader to suspend disbelief and buy in to the story. The story is very much told from Fergus' point of view. But Molly is a key driver in the story, and we never really understand why she acts as she does. (I won't complain too much to avoid suggesting the turn of events.) Suffice it to say that for all Fergus' philosophizing he never seems to try too hard to understand Molly. He may wonder about her actions, but the powers of analysis he applies to the political situation at the time fail him in his personal relationships. Yes, this is a book well worth reading, but as an entertainment. It doesn't live up to any hype trying to make it a new classic. Enjoy it and pass it on, but no one is going to care in twenty years.

brilliant
The Law of Dreams is an astonishing excavation of both human vulnerability and resilience. Whether you give a rotten potato for historical fiction, or Irish history, or not, Fergus's story willcompel you to keep on with it. The genius of it lies in the author's gift for blending traditional, familiar storytelling with a starker more modern but no less lyrical voice you've never heard before. His characters speak like no others and though a muscular novel, it moves inexorably towards its finish with the lean telling of a short story. Indeed, Peter Behrens is able to bring together seemingly disparate styles of storytelling -- ancient and modern, language-drunk and spare -- and the final effect is one of enduring beauty and relevance. The book tells an archetypal and epic story but perhaps its best bits lie in the dark corners that Behrens illuminates with his particular gift for immediate, sensory detail. While the story is loaded with cinematic action and peopled with a huge cast of characters, private, interior moments of melancholy are equally recognized within the great scope of the author's abilities.

Four and a Half Stars
It's as good a book as I've read all year.Behrens's first novel is a Homeric saga of a young Irishman, Fergus, driven from his country by the Great Potato Famine.It is a decidely unsentimental read, for Fergus doesn't find a land of milk and honey awaiting him in America, but a series of trials and tribulations depicted in bare, poetic language that keeps a slight distance and allows the reader to observe, but not follow wallow in Fergus's sufferings.It will probably be compared to 'Cold Mountain', but is better in my opinion for its lack of rounded love story.Life, Behrens, insists, wasn't that rosy for most of the immigrants escaping the direst circumstance.Instead, Behrens has given us fiction that feels factual.The best compliment you can give Behrens is that his tone is constant and honest and carries the authority of history that most non-fiction fails to capture. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. English Canadian Novel And Short Story    2. Famine, 1845-1852    3. Fiction    4. Fiction - General    5. Fiction - Historical    6. Historical - General    7. Historical fiction    8. History    9. Immigrants    10. Ireland    11. Literary    12. New England    13. Fiction / Literary   

Reviews (8)

Depressing Finish to the Series
Things were looking up in the fall of 1844 for the residence of Ballyknockanor.Kate is just about to pop with her and Joseph's son.Colonel Mahon is dead.And Joseph, still thinking he's a fugitive, has arrived back in London.But all is not well.Personal tragedy awaits the Burkes and the English will use anything to crack down on the Irish.Plus the biggest roadblock to Irish independence may be just around the corner in the form of rotten potatoes.
Intricately woven tale of famine, dispair and hope.....
The final book of the Galway Chronicles is a masterfully woven tale.Joseph Connor Burke is finally reunited with his wife and family after learning that he has been pardoned for treason. The last chapter of a brilliant series.
If you have not read the three previous entries in "The Galway Chronicles" series, you simply must read them first.But if you who have read them, you will not want to miss "All Rivers to the Sea", the immensely satisfying conclusion to the series.The novel commences where volume three left off, with newlyweds Joseph and Kate separated by adversity, and Kate expecting their first child.But there is hardship on both fronts.Away in London, Joseph finds his life threatened by murderers.At home in Ireland, Kate suffers the agony of the death of her own child.When Joseph and Kate are finally reunited, their suffering continues in the form of a potato blight which destroys the food supply of their staple produce, results in more suffering, pain and death.Even Joseph and Kate's marriage relationship is strained by sorrow and misunderstanding.Read more

Subjects:  1. Famine, 1845-1852    2. Fiction    3. Fiction - Religious    4. Galway (Ireland : County)    5. Historical fiction    6. History    7. Ireland    8. Religious - General    9. Religious - Historical   

Reviews (28)

An extrodinary book
This is definately a good book to read. Although I struggled through the first chapter, there is barely a dull moment after that point. I found this book on accident and I'm extremely glad that I did. It was easy to get into, and I had a hard time putting it down.

Gracelin O' Malley, A heart touching tale...
Gracelin O' Malley
A wonderful story!
Gracelin O'Malley by Ann Moore
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Subjects:  1. Famine, 1845-1852    2. Fiction    3. Fiction - Historical    4. Historical - General    5. Historical fiction    6. History    7. History: World    8. Ireland    9. Women    10. Fiction / Historical   

Editorial Review

416 Smith Street, Brooklyn, America: this is the ultimate goal for Nory Ryan as she flees her famine-ridden home in mid-1800s Ireland. One by one, her family has departed for a new life in America; Nory is the last to go. Keeping her sister Maggie’s address close to her heart, Nory embarks on the perilous, heart-breaking journey to Galway and onward. Meanwhile, her friend Sean Red Mallon is just a few days ahead, traveling with his mother and Nory’s little brother, Patch, with the same destination in mind. Picking up where Read more

Reviews (6)

Maggie's Door
Maggie's Door
Maggie's Door
I love the book and I loved the book that it is a sequel to, Nory Ryan's Song.I have read them to my 8 and 10 year old girls at night as is our habit, and they have looked forward to each new chapter with baited breath.Unfortunately, the copy of Maggie's Door that I purchased from Amazon was missing several chapters in the middle of the book, so my girls were very disappointed at missing part of the story.That is why I am giving the product a 1, but the story itself a 5.

my book review
Sean and Nory are neighbors.They both set off to reach the same place, Nory's sister, Maggie's door.Sean lost his mother and brothe on the read,then he ran into a king that was stranded.The king told Sean that if he ran back to kis castle and sent someone with a horse than he would give hem food.Sean ran back to the castle and told the guard.The guard sent someone but wouldn't give him any food.Sean went to the kitchen door and the cook gave him food.Nory left on her journey with a small sack of food.She hurt her foot a lettle way through so she couldn't move as fast.She was at the beach about to eat some food and a girl walked up and took it.The girl gave her a plank of wood. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Action & Adventure    2. Action & Adventure - General    3. Children's 9-12 - Fiction - Historical    4. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Fiction    5. Children: Grades 3-4    6. Emigration and immigration    7. Famine, 1845-1852    8. Fiction    9. Historical - Europe    10. History    11. Ireland    12. Juvenile Fiction    13. Juvenile Historical Fiction    14. People & Places - United States - Other    15. Social Issues - Emigration & Immigration    16. Social Issues - Friendship    17. Social Issues - Homelessness & Poverty    18. Social Situations - Emigration & Immigration    19. Juvenile Fiction / Ethnic / Other   

Editorial Review

The Irish famine of 1847 and 1848, when harvests failed and more than 3 million Irish died or were forced to emigrate, is one of the signal events of Irish history. The famine that devastated the country, notes Cormac Ó Gráda, professor of economics at University College, Dublin, was exceptional in its severity. "The cost in deaths of many highly publicized Third World famines in the recent past is modest by comparison," he writes, adding that real comparisons come only on the scale of China's catastrophic Great Leap Forward famine of 1959 to 1962 (when, Walter Becker alleges inRead more

Reviews (2)

Essential but not easy or pleasant reading.
Both the tragic subject and the density of documentation, with graphs and statistics, make this a hard book to read. The Famine killed over a million people, even on the most conservative estimates. It virtually wiped out the Gaeltacht.The question that resonates today is whether fewer people would have died if Ireland in 1840 had been an independent country, with its boundaries at the salt water. You'd have to read this book at least, and maybe some others as well, to get an answer to that question.

An leabhar is fearr ar an drochshaol - riamh!
This is a fraught subject, but O Grada handles it with both rigour and compassion. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Economic Conditions    2. Europe - Ireland    3. History    4. History - General History    5. History: World    6. British & Irish history: c 1700 to c 1900    7. Economics    8. European History    9. Famine    10. History / Ireland    11. Ireland    12. Social history    13. Sociology   

Editorial Review

Nuala O'Faolain's Read more

Reviews (76)

Protagonist's internal dialogue was comfortingly familiar
I read this b/c it was a selection for my book club.Initially I thought it was going to be yet another "women's interest" book, probably (or at least hopefully) an enjoyable read, but nothing of lasting importance to me.Well, I am happy to say, I was very wrong.Oh, this book definitely will appeal mostly to women.But for excellent reason.
Sorry...
While I read this book, I was never sure whether or not I liked it or was enjoying it. By the time I finished, I still could not say. But the more I thought about it and discussed it, the lower my opinion of it became.
A complex and beautifully written novel
A beautifully written novel, with skillfully intertwined personal and cultural histories, Nuala O'Faolain's "My Dream of You" tells the age-old story of a highly accomplished and successful woman who has missed out on the mysteries of family and home.However, instead of steering us to empathize with the main character, O'Faolain keeps pointing at her crippling selfishness and horrendous choices.Just as Frank McCourt explains the Irish psyche by painting a picture of his impossible conditions in childhood, O'Faolain explores her characters in the context of hunger and desperation.We assume that an emotionally hungry person would welcome regular nourishment, but ironically O'Faolain's main character behaves in a way that rejects love and emotional connection.
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Subjects:  1. Famine, 1845-1852    2. Fiction    3. Fiction - General    4. General    5. History    6. Ireland    7. Literary    8. Fiction / Literary    9. Reading Group Guide   

Reviews (11)

The message is what matters�
I make no apologies for the structural defects of this book, nor do I mean to suggest they should be ignored. They deserve criticism. Grammatical errors and poor editing are never welcome, however with History a factualmistake or contradiction is at best never acceptable, and at its worst cancause credibility to be questioned. I still recommend this book as theerrors do not negate the events that took place, and as frustrating as theymay be, they do not detract from the horror that was The Famine, nor theconduct of those involved. That the book did not gain a wider audience,possibly because of these faults is sad. One book badly in need of an editor
This may be the most disorganized book I have ever read, and it contains numerous factual errors to boot, a kiss of death for a supposed history book.The vignettes come at you with no apparent thought about how oneinter-relates with another.It is just a jumbled mess of repetitiousincidents randomly presented.A simple solution would have been to buildeach chapter around a port of emigration.As for factual errors, how aboutthe Titanic sailing on its maiden voyage from New York City.Or, on onepage you are told a ship sank but most of its 200 passengers survived.Onthe next page you are told that most died.And there is no furtherexplanation or clarification given.Dates of events are given as one yearin the book, and pages later as another year.The book is published byreputable Henry Holt.Boy, they were totally asleep on this one.Even ifthere are some interesting facts given, how can you trust them in the faceof all the errors.If you like watching movies to find the mistakes - likePlan 9 From Outer Space -- then this book is for you.All otherpotential readers, beware.

Sadly, this book never fulfilled its promise.
Written in a pedestrian style it meanders from one point to another making difficult reading.The book lacks progression; points are presented without foundation or connection to any proceeding or subsequent text.Ina final analysis it reads like a middle-schooler's book report: occasionfact smothered in disconnected filler.The combination results in thetrivialization of the book's message. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 19th century    2. Europe - Ireland    3. Famines    4. History    5. History - General History    6. History - U.S.    7. History: World    8. Immigrants    9. Ireland    10. Irish Americans    11. Minority Studies - Ethnic American    12. United States    13. United States - 19th Century/Gilded Age    14. United States - Antebellum Era    15. History / General   

Reviews (6)

A Hungry History
An interesting and worthwhile history, made more palatable than a textbook by the extensive quotations of personal accounts and contemporary newspaper illustrations.
The Horrific Blight
What would you do if there was no food to eat, no clean clothes to wear or no shoes to wear in winter?The answers to these questions are found in Black Potatoes, which is set in Ireland in 1845 at the onset of the Potato famine.At the time of the potato famine, there were three classes of people in Ireland, the Irish farm laborers, the Irish farmers, and the English landlords.The farm laborers were the poorest, the farmers were middle class, and the landlords were the wealthy and powerful.The farm laborers and farmers rented land from the landlords and planted potatoes.When the potato famine hit, the Irish had a hard time paying their rents because of their failed crops.The Irish people had a long and enduring time during the potato famine to keep their families fed and well.The British Government came to the aid of the Irish, but many
Horribly Brilliant
This is an excellent summary of the Potato (note that spelling, Danny-Boy-O Quayle) Famine that plagued Ireland from 1845-1850, when the fungus Pythophthora Infestans destroyed the staple crop. Author Susan Campbell Barttolettideftly explores the swirlingpathological, sociological, political, and theological soup caused by the rotting potatoes and the aftermath.She relies on original sources and interviews with descendants of the resultant Diaspora. This book is found in the children's section of the library, but frankly, I found it hard to read myself - not because the words or concepts are difficult, but because it is so very grim - the horror! the horror! /TundraVision, Amazon reviewer. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's 9-12 - History - General    2. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Nonfiction    3. Children: Grades 4-6    4. Famine, 1845-1852    5. History    6. History - Europe    7. History - General    8. Ireland    9. Juvenile Nonfiction    10. Juvenile literature    11. Juvenile Nonfiction / History / General   

Reviews (2)

Taking risks and facing new challenges for the sake of hope
The Irish Dresser: A Story Of Hope During The Great Hunger by Cynthia G. Neale is a novel written for young adults and set in the Irish Famine of 1845-1850. The Irish Dresser follows the struggles of Nora McCabe, a thirteen-year-old girl who wages a daily battle with hunger. Nora's adventure begins when her father decides to take her to America for an escape from famine and a chance at survival in a new world. The Irish Dresser is an exciting, entertaining, and highly recommended story of taking risks and facing new challenges for the sake of hope.

Erica's Review
This book tells you what really happened in Ireland during the Potato Famine. It is also a story about family strength and love. Nora and her family are very near starving to death, so their father decides to move them all to America. The family gets split up on the boat to America, and a china cabinet becomes Nora's magical place. Sometimes this story is a little scary and sad, and sometimes it is full of hope and promise. But it is a story that needs to be told. If you have some Irish roots, this books helps you to understand your family history a little better. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9)    2. Emigration and immigration    3. Famine, 1845-1852    4. Famines    5. Fiction    6. Fiction - General    7. Historical - General    8. Historical - United States - 19th Century    9. History    10. Ireland    11. Juvenile Fiction    12. Ocean travel    13. People & Places - United States - Other   

Reviews (1)

Was it Famine or Genocide?

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Subjects:  1. 19th century    2. Europe - Ireland    3. Famine, 1845-1852    4. General    5. History    6. History - General History    7. History: World    8. Ireland    9. Land tenure    10. Modern - 19th Century    11. Poor    12. British & Irish history: c 1700 to c 1900    13. Famine    14. Immigration & emigration    15. c 1800 to c 1900   

Reviews (2)

Under the Hawthorn Tree
I liked this story. It was about 3 kids who lived in the potato famine in Ireland. I was in Ireland at the time I read the book so I understand what a big part of Irish culture potatoes are. I especially liked the character Eily. Her feelings were so strong but she acted responsible enough so that her brother and sister wouldn't see how upset she really was. She was really brave. I liked the character Peggy too but they don't tell much about her. She reminds me of my little brother. I admire all of them for not letting all the awful things they saw discourage them and they made themselves keep going. I was disappointed that they had to leave. I was surprised when they pulled a stunt to not go to the workhouse. One of the kindest characters in the book was Mary-Kate. She offered to let the children into her house and feed and shelter them. Over all this was a very good book and I would recommend it to many people who enjoy historical fiction books.

This book was both interesting and exciting
The story was about three children who were left behind during the famine when their parents left. The story follows them as they escape from going to the workhouse to go to their great aunts. The journey was long and hard . The author describes the scenes verytrue to the time. The reader's interest is held throughout the book. I found it very exciting and could not wait to get to the end of the story. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1837-1901    2. Brothers and sisters    3. Children's 9-12 - Fiction - General    4. Children: Grades 4-6    5. Famines    6. Fiction    7. General    8. History    9. Ireland    10. Juvenile Fiction    11. Historical fiction   

Editorial Review

Life is hard for poor Irish potato farmers, but 12-year-old Nory Ryanand her family have always scraped by... until one morning, Nory wakes to thefoul, rotting smell of diseased potatoes dying in the fields. And just likethat, all their hopes for the harvest--for this year and next--are dashed.Hunger sets in quickly. The beaches are stripped of edible seaweed, the shore isemptied of fish, desperate souls even chew on grass for the nourishment. As hercommunity falls apart, Nory scrambles to find food for her family. Meanwhile,the specter of America lurks, where, the word is, no one is ever hungry, andhorses carry milk in huge cans down cobblestone streets. Read more

Reviews (55)

The English holocaust
It seems uniquely challenging.The idea of making a readable children's book out of something so bleak and depressing as the Irish Potato Famine.Yet as an author, Giff has never shied away from difficult subjects.Whether you're following the trials of a 1870 German immigrant to Brooklyn in "The House of Tailors", or a 1940's Hungarian escapee in "Lily's Crossing", Giff has become one of those go-to historical fiction writers.With an emphasis on immigration, emigration, and forced transplantation, her books strain to find a balance between absolute historical accuracy and something your ten-year-old would actually (willingly) pick up on their own.Personally, when I was ten years of age I wouldn't have picked up "Nory Ryan's Song" for all the gold in King Solomon's mines.For those children that have strong stomachs and even stronger nerves, however, the book is a distinctly well-written explanation of why many of us in America sport Irish-American heritage.
A great historical fiction!
Most students know that the Irish potato famine killed millions of people, but they may not understand any more than that.Nory Ryan's Song takes students back to Ireland in 1845 and shows them what life was like.The oppression of the English was a terrible problem for the Irish at that time.The Great Hunger killed many, but it is also the reason that many Irish came to America.It took great strength for them to make the journey.It is an important book for children to read.It helps explain what really happened and what life was like for these people.
An Ireland Tale -- a review by Kira, age 9
In Ireland in 1845, Nory's friends, the Neelys, can't pay the rent, so they get kicked out of their house! Nory wants to try to save the Neelys, but just as she can, they are gone. Now she must work for the scary Anna Donelly, while everyone's potatoes have just gotten poisoned by strange creatures from another world! Nory's family starts starving -- what can they do!
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Subjects:  1. Action & Adventure - General    2. Brothers and sisters    3. Children's 9-12 - Fiction - Historical    4. Children: Grades 3-4    5. Family - General    6. Famine, 1845-1852    7. Famines    8. Fiction    9. Historical - Europe    10. History    11. Ireland    12. Juvenile Fiction    13. Survival    14. Juvenile Fiction / Historical / Europe   

Reviews (12)

FACTUAL ACCOUNT OF THE FAMINE
In this account of the Famine,the author paints a picture of events which led up to ,and caused the Famine, the international poliics of the day, the weather patterns, the logistics of providing relief to so many destitute people.
Worthwhile Reminder
This history book reminds us that the Irish were mistreated in their homeland and in the USA when they first arrived. It tells of the heroic efforts to help the impoverished, illiterate populace and of the failed attempts by the British government to deal with a culture so foreign to their own.
Had to read it for class
I had to read this novel for a college course on the British Empire.It is definitely not an easy read, but is extremely interesting if you can get through it (which I of course had to, to write a paper on it..).It is definitely one of the better assignments I have had to do.
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Subjects:  1. 19th century    2. Emigration and immigration    3. Europe - Ireland    4. Famines    5. History    6. History - General History    7. History: World    8. Ireland    9. British & Irish history: c 1700 to c 1900    10. Economic history    11. History / Ireland    12. Social history    13. c 1800 to c 1900   

Reviews (3)

Shocking reading about my own ancestors.
The trauma and distress my own ancestors went through during this famine period was horrible.In the ten year period Ballykilcline lost over 90% of its population from disease, eviction, emigration and death by starvation.My own ancestors lived in Kilglass Parish where they lost 55% of their population. Robert James Scally's book gave me a very clear understanding of what transpired from about 1835 to1850.

Thorough explanation of the cause of Ireland's devistation
Scally does an excellent job of using historical facts to present a better picture of a devistated Ireland.Americans in particular often misunderstand the cause of the chaos usually blamed on the potato blight.In reality, the famine was only the "icing on the cake", which Scally explains well.The first half of the book is a very detailed description of Ireland in the days immediately preceeding the famine.The second half walks us through the once-green hills of a broken Ireland, passing sunken faces and hungry eyes.Scally has been accused of leaving historical fact for emotional imagination.I submit the idea that every historian must create something from imagination at some point.Although we can read facts, we must paint the scenes in our minds.This is an excellent book to read if you are already interested in "Black '47" and is also good for the serious reader who cares to explore the Emerald Isle of 150 years ago . . . this is also an important source for an Irish-American who would like to better understand his or her roots, like me.Perhaps those of us who have ties to the isle are more likely to appreciate the suffering that happened there.

Very VERY comprehensive
I give this book a "7" mostly because Scally should get a lot of credit for all the research hedid for this book. It's very obvious. However, I would not recommend it if you are looking for a quick and easy read. This book is best for someone studying the famine and migration of the Irish to America. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Europe - Great Britain - General    3. Europe - Ireland    4. History - General    5. History - General History    6. History: World    7. British & Irish history    8. Civil rights & citizenship    9. Famine    10. History / Ireland    11. History, World | Irish    12. Immigration & emigration    13. Ireland    14. Social history    15. World history: c 1750 to c 1900    16. c 1800 to c 1900   

Reviews (3)

Very Visual!
A visually stimulating story based on the true story of his ancestors who perished in the Famine.Having been to Strokestown and the Famine Museum, I was able to picture in my mind's eye how Strokestown would have looked and what went on during this darkest period in Irish history. I highly recommend it.

Steven Spielberg, take note
One of the best stories yet about the plight of real people during the Irish holocaust.Forget "Gangs of New York."Monaghan is a master story-teller on a level with Margaret Mitchell, Hemmingway & Fitzgerald.A page-turner if ever there was one.Didn't want it to end.

A Beautiful Book
This book is a beautifully descript story full of vividimagery of Ireland and a transition to life in the United States. The true story, of the authors great-great grandparents has been passed around my family and greatly enjoyed. Thepassionate tale will be one you can not put down. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Fiction / Historical    2. Romance: Historical    3. Famine, 1845-1852    4. Fiction    5. Historical    6. History    7. Ireland   

Subjects:  1. 19th century    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Economic History    4. Economic conditions    5. Europe - Ireland    6. Famine, 1845-1852    7. Famines    8. History    9. History: World    10. Ireland    11. Western Europe - General    12. Famines--Ireland--History--19th century    13. History / Great Britain    14. Social history    15. Social issues    16. Western Continental Europe    17. c 1700 to c 1800    18. c 1800 to c 1900   

Subjects:  1. 19th century    2. Europe - Ireland    3. Famine, 1845-1852    4. Famines    5. General    6. History    7. History - General History    8. History: American    9. Ireland   

Features

• Illustrated

Subjects:  1. British & Irish history    2. Disasters & Disaster Relief    3. Europe - Ireland    4. General    5. History    6. History - General History    7. History: World    8. Ireland    9. c 1800 to c 1900    10. British & Irish history: c 1700 to c 1900    11. FAMINES    12. IRELAND_HISTORY_FAMINE, 1845-1852    13. IRELAND_HISTORY_SOURCES    14. Social Science / Disasters & Disaster Relief