[.ca] Gracelin Omalley (ISBN 0451202996)

This book will haunt you:
This is perhaps the most inspirational book I've read so far this year. It makes me real glad that I am not Gracelin O'Malley ~~ having to see my family and friends starve to a slow death in the great famines of Ireland. I look at my rosy-cheeked chubby babies and thank the fate that I was born in this century. This book haunts you and will transport you back into time. A time of love and death, slavery and drudgery, of dreams and lost hope. And Gracelin O'Malley is a wonderful hero. Ann Moore did an extensive research on this book ~~ looking through letters and journals to get the Irish voice from that era. She has written of despair and fear so well, that you can picture the characters vividly in Ireland. You can picture the huts and cottages, the men singing and the dancing ~~ the fear in the tenants' eyes once they realize they can't pay rent on thier land. When Gracelin's husband, the squire, beat her, you feel as if he was beating on all the Irish. You sense the deep hatred the Irish feel for the English. Ann Moore has revived a period of history that I know very little of. She has also sparked an interest to know more too. If you're looking at a novel that speaks of love and honor, loyalty, dreams and despair, the fight between two countries, the courage to go on despite all the death and disease ~~ if you're looking for a heroine like Gracelin who did not let anything stop her from living life ~~ this book is it. You will not be disappointed. Also, this is one of the most inspirational books you'll ever read. Don't fear, Moore didn't throw the biblical verses at you every time you turn a page ~~ no, she picked out verses that inspire Gracelin and her family to continue on despite the strife in their lives. You sense the strong faith in God throughout this book ~~ and the writing is very lyrical ~~ almost as gentle as the lilt in Irish voices. This is one of the best books I've read in ages ~~ and it is definitely one that I will want to keep. 3-11-03

Strength, sadness and faith in famine-ridden Ireland.:
Grace's mother dies in an accident that cripples her brother when they are just children. As all Irish families do, the O'Malleys struggle to get by on a patch of Irish land owned and governed by the English. So when the English landlord Mr. Donnely wants to marry the fifteen-year-old Grace, she agrees and marries up to a better life for herself and her family. She moves away from her community of Irish neighbors and friends to the fine house of her husband who is very kind to her at first. But as time goes on Grace witnesses his cruelty first hand and the famine and fever that sweep Ireland wreak tragedy for all. The sentence structure and language are evocative of the Irish way of speaking without using spelling to create the character accents and reading each paragraph was a pleasure. The story started off a bit stilted but quickly picks up pace and finds a rhythm. There is a secondary story line about the Young Irelanders who organize to rebel against the English, but it isn't overly political nor does it distract from the story of Grace. These characters remind us how important family and faith are. We create happy and meaningful memories in everyday life with those we love. The starvation, sickness and cruelty were very sad and I shed a tear or 2. Grace is a bit too perfect, but I loved her all the same and will move onto Leaving Ireland.

Good Irish historical novel:
Moore researched 19th-century Ireland extensively to write this novel that convincingly portrays that tormented period in history. The characters are strong, the historical details are impeccable, and the prose is lilting. I especially enjoyed the subplot about Grace's brother Sean and the Irish revolutionaries. However, I did find Bram Donnelly's character to be a bit over-the-top. The subject of spousal abuse was an interesting one to include, but I wish the author had given Donnelly at least one or two redeeming qualities. (His character is like Satan himself, and Grace is God. A bit much there.) Lastly, this is not a literary novel about Ireland, but it is a good historical novel with lovely prose, so sit back and relax for an easy read that accurately portrays an important time in Irish history.

Awesome !!:
Get swept away to another time ,another place with this beautifully written tale of the struggle to survive in old Ireland. Gracelin is a lovely character with courage and strength to carry on in the face of tragedy. Great undertones of faith throughout, which is hers and her kins foundation to trod on. One of the best books I have ever read, and I can't wait to now start "Leaving Ireland" the follow up to Gracelin O'Malley. You won't be disappointed by this wonderful book.

A Remarkable Novel Of Ireland - & A Remarkable Heroine!:
Patrick O'Malley named his daughter Gracelin for the famed Pirate Queen, Granuaile, daughter of the great Irish Chieftain Owen - a woman feared by the English and revered by her people. He named her thus, he said, "because at the moment of her birth it was clear that the light of the sea shone in her eyes." And young Grace became the light and strength of her family, especially after her mother died in a terrible accident which also left her younger brother, Sean, lame and her father bereft. The family's fortune continued to decline and when Gracelin was fifteen, in 1844, her dad arranged a marriage for her with the local English landlord, Squire Bram Donnelly, to save the family from financial ruin. Her husband-to-be was twice her age, twice married and twice a widower, with a reputation for violence. Although Grace O'Malley Donnelly began her marriage with hope, her husband's reputation was well deserved and as the Irish "troubles" worsened, so did the Donnelly marriage. The Great Irish famine of the 1840's is looked upon as the single greatest social disaster of 19th century Europe. Between 1845 and 1850, when blight devastated the potato crop in Ireland, over two million people - almost one-quarter of the entire population - either died or emigrated. Along with the famine, death, and disease, came tremendous political unrest. Gracelin repeatedly defied her husband by trying to feed her starving neighbors and by harboring rebels, her revolutionary brother and a beloved childhood friend among them. Grace's spirit was indomitable, like that of the legendary pirate queen for whom she was named. And like the pirate queen, she was terrible and ruthless when it came to protecting her own. Anne Moore's accurate historical account of the horrors of life in nineteenth century Ireland and the brutality and greed of the English landlords really elevate this novel above most historical romances. Ms. Moore read history books and personal journals from this period and studied the dramatic and complex elements that made the Irish famine such a profound tragedy. She states in an interview in the Conversation Guide, published at the novel's conclusion, how struck she was "by the continued optimism of the Irish in the face of extreme poverty, their spirit and simple joy in living each day, their love for their children and pride in their heritage." She has captured here the lilt and laughter of the Gaelic, as well as the sorrow of a people. Her characters are three-diminsional and unforgettable, especially Gracelin, whose beauty and courage remained a beacon of hope to all who knew her. A remarkable book! JANA