This was another one of the titles that I read in my training for the 24 hour reading marathon. Luckily for me it was a very interesting, captivating read. For any of you that have a thread of Irish in your family tree this would give you terrific historical insight into how many Irish families ended up immigrating to Canada and the U.S.. Good characterization, and I feel like I have a greater understanding into life and times of the Irish potato famine.
Summary.
Kit Bryne's family is a strong one, but their strength and unity are being severely tested, as life becomes more and more desperate in 19th century rural Ireland. Lord Fraser is the wealthy landowner, from which the Brynes and many other families rent thier lands. When the potatoe blight hits, the farmers can no longer make their payments much less produce food for themselves and the cruel system has no mercy as Lord Fraser wields an iron fist, driving families from their homes and burning their cottages.
Kits dreams are now dashed as her family experiences a series of tragedies and as she undergoes a daunting event that tears her away from her family. With her father dead, she must fight for survival and help her ailing mother and siblings escape Ireland for good.
The story is a glimpse into the tragic events of the great hunger, the famine that devastated Ireland, forcing thousands of improvished families to seek better fortunes outside of their homeland.
This book won the Governor Generals Literary Award in 2009. The sequel is Wild Geese, which I hope to read before too long.
Read On.
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