Nory Ryan's Song by Patricia Reilly Giff

The Great Hunger of 1845-1852 was a devastating time for the Irish. The devastation caused by the famine was terrible – families torn apart, untold suffering, and many making their way to America. It is this famine that forms the backdrop of Nory Ryan’s So...ng. Nory and her family have lived by Maidin Bay in Ireland for many generations. Their home is leased from the local English lord Cunningham, a cruel man with little regard for his tenants. His sole aim is to drive the tenants out so that he can have sheep grazing on the land. In this Cunningham is aided by his henchman Devlin who is merciless and ruthless in collecting rent owed on the homes. Nory’s father has gone off fishing to earn enough money to pay the rent, and leaves behind Nory, her older sisters Maggie and Celia, younger brother Patch, and Granda. Life is incredibly hard, but Nory’s gift of song and her family and friends keep her spirits high. Things take a turn for the worse when the potato crop goes bad. The disease causes all of the crops to fail, and leaves the people of Ireland wasting away from hunger. Nory’s sister Maggie leaves for America with her new husband, and Nory dreams of joining them someday, a dream shared by other members of the family.

The story focuses on Nory as the protagonist, of her feelings and struggles as she copes with the problem of surviving day-to-day and figuring out ways to find food or making whatever they find edible. Nory is a strong and selfless individual – she gives and gives, and gives some more. It is this great spark of humanity within Nory that attracts the attention of the village healer, Anna. At first Nory is troubled by this woman’s attentions, thinking her gift of healing possessed of some dark force, but as time goes by and times get more desperate, Nory realizes how much of a kindred spirit the older woman is, and comes to appreciate the old woman’s generosity, kindness, and gift for healing. This is a story that haunted me even after I finished it. The author writes with such heartfelt sincerity that I could picture the desperation within Nory and her family and friends as they struggled to contain their hunger and survive. The prose is descriptive and vivid, and the reader is able to visually picture the great suffering of the people of Ireland as portrayed by Nory and company. This is truly one of the best pieces of YA historical fiction I have read!