Very powerful and moving book about the Irish potato famine during 1845-49, which resulted in over a million deaths. This forced a mass emigration to America for people who loved their land with all their hearts but had to leave to survive.I knew about this, of course, from school, and from my great-grandmother who came from Dublin during that time. I learned *some* from my Irish relatives, but they never told us how bad it was, nor the depth of the suffering. This book made me *feel* how awful it must have been. Even if I didn't have a drop of Irish blood in me, reading this would have shocked me.I find it hard to believe how the British simply turned their backs on an entire country, appropriating all the food grown by Irish farmers each year as "rent". Of course, the Irish only rented because they weren't "permitted" to own, or could not afford the taxes and fees.I realize, after thinking about it, that we Americans weren't much better, and treated the Irish as second class citizens for a very long time. Also, we treated native Americans in much the same way as England did the Irish people.The characters will reside in your head and heart for awhile after reading the book. I so admire their love of one another, as well as their strength and determination.Wonderful, historically accurate (I checked, frequently) book.Highly recommended. This is a historical fiction based on the real life of the author's great-grandmother. It tells the story of one Irish family's epic journey throughout the years of the potato famine, their emigration to America, and their struggle to make a new life in a new world. As a descendant of great-grandparents who made that very same journey, I enjoyed the story, although some of the flowery dialogue was a bit too over-the-top and left me rolling my eyes in parts. 3.5/5 stars
What do You think about Galyway Bay (2000)?
The first and last 100 pages were sloooow. I didn't finish reading. The middle was excellent.
—abhijeet
Good characters and historical Irish story. A little long.
—kpang
started slow, but it was a good read!
—wisegirl909
