The Irish Dresser A Story of Hope during The Great Hunger (An Gorta Mor. 1845-1850)
Written: Jul 01 '06
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Product Rating:
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Pros: A wonderful story, well written.
Cons: It is a book for all ages, not just young readers.
The Bottom Line: I recommend this story. It will give Irish Americans greater understanding of the hardships of the Potato Famine.
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| pantazis5's Full Review: Cynthia G. Neale - The Irish Dresser: A Story of H... |
The Pantazis5 is a family of readers. We read all the time. At the end of school each year we have a family pilgrimage to a local bookstore where we each purchase five books that we plan to read over the summer months.
This past week, I purchased THE IRISH DRESSER A Story of Hope during the Great Hunger (An Gorta Mor. 1845-1850) written by Cynthia G. Neale. I was drawn to the cover of this book, a young girl standing on a ship in front of a blue china closet. Her green eyes looked tired and hungry, the picture on the cover captured the essence of this story.
I was fortunate to purchase an autographed copy of this book. Inside the cover, Cynthia Neale wrote "Hope dances in the darkness!" Cynthia Neale is currently a resident of New Hampshire!
Now, while this story is a work of historical fiction, it could easily be the story of my own Irish Great great grandmother. The story is meant for younger readers, but I can tell you that we older readers found great enjoyment and understanding in this 145 page book. This easy to read book, has 20 chapters, an epilogue and a glossary.
As I read this story, I found myself staring at the corner cupboard in my own dining room, that I have inherited over the years from my own family heirlooms. I wondered as I read...
This is the story of a family living in Ireland during the Potato Famine. The story tells so much about the famine, the hunger and the people. In the story, there is a Da and a Mam. (mother and father) and three daughters. Meg, Kate and Nora. Now Nora is the youngest. She is a dreamer of the family. She thinks about the fairy folk that the Irish are so well known for. She particularly enjoys doing her dreaming while she is sitting in the bottom of her mother's china closet. The dresser as she calls it, has become her private hiding place.
The history between the Irish and the English and the prejudices that exists between the two people is well documented and explained.
The family is starving of hunger, and they must leave their beloved Ireland in order to survive. They are leaving by a ship to go to America. While there are five people in the family, they are only able to afford four tickets to America. This does not stop them, when they use their cherished china closet as a place for little Nora to hide away as she crosses the ocean.
The conditions on the "coffin ship" as the boats filled with Irish Immigrants were called, are simply deplorable. When I read this story, I think back to the story of my great great grandmother Catherine Laughry and how she was born on one of these ships. I am amazed that she lived and her mother lived!
The description and the way people survived is again explained and understandable. Young readers will walk away from reading this book, with a great understanding of the suffering and hardships that our Irish ancestors endured. They may also find new meaning to the old heirlooms that they look at every single day and never really thought about before.
This book is published by White Mane Book A Division of White Mane publishing company in Shippenburg Pennsylvania.
Here are some interesting Glossary Words you will find in this story:
An Gorda Mor: The Great Hunger
A Storin: Dear one
Barm Brack: bread made with sugar, spices and dried fuit.
Boxty Cakes: A type of potato cake made by sqeezing liquid from grated potatoes.
Creepie: Large stool
Dia Dhuit (Irish Language) meaning Hello, God be with you.
Musha (Irish Language) indeed
Omaise, Dia Linn (Irish Language) God Bless Us
Tuatha De Danann Legendary original habitants of Ireland.
Ocras hunger
pratties potatoes
Now, I am not going to tell you that this story ends completely happily, however, it does have a bittersweet ending. I really hope you will read this story, it is one that I could not put down.
When I read the final paragraph I was left with a greater understanding of who these Irish Immigrants really were. I also had a feeling of peace, and I felt as though I had been on the boat with little Nora. When I look at the pictures of my own Irish Great grandfather I see a different story now.
Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night nor for the arrow that flieth by day, nor for the pestilence that walketh in darness, nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. Psalms 91:5-6
Recommended:
Yes
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Location: New Hampshire
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Life is a banquet and most people are starving to death!
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