- Hardcover: 576 pages
- Publisher: Grand Central Publishing; 1 edition (5 Mar 2009)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0446579009
- ISBN-13: 978-0446579001
- Product Dimensions: 16.5 x 4.4 x 23.5 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 439,525 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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More About the Author
Product Description
Review
After reading her novel, Galway Bay, you might wonder if Mary Pat Kelly knows everything about 19th century Ireland, the Great Famine, and the emigrant experience in America. But it's her exploration of the human heart that moves you. Against landscapes beautiful and bleak she brings her characters to unforgettable life. As they say in Ireland, 'Take your ease with this book. (You'll need time for laughter and tears and pure magic’ )
- Frank McCourt 'Kelly's tale is so rousingly epic that it can't help but reach reader s' hearts (PEOPLE MAGAZINE )
- Frank McCourt 'Kelly's tale is so rousingly epic that it can't help but reach reader s' hearts (PEOPLE MAGAZINE )
Book Description
In the bestselling tradition of Frank Delaney, Colleen McCullough, and Maeve Binchy comes a poignant historical family saga set against the Famine.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
84 reviews
110 of 113 people found the following review helpful
Galway Bay Is An Unforgettable Story
13 Feb 2009
Format:Hardcover
Not knowing much about Irish history, and only knowing that in the 19th century there was something called the potato famine, I looked forward to reading Galway Bay by Mary Pat Kelly. I learned an enormous amount about Irish history and the horrors of the potato famine.
Galway Bay is the story of the Kelly family starting in the "before times", that time before The Great Starvation. The inhumanity shown the Irish by the English, the landlords, and the agents, during the potato famine is incredible, treating the Irish as less than human. But the Kelly family vows to survive, and survive they do--on less food than many of us throw away in one day. As more and more Irish die of starvation, the English have great plans for taking over the land left idle and so begin evicting those who remain. With nowhere to go, the Kelly's make their way to America, first to New Orleans and then Chicago.
This is a marvelous sweeping family saga told with an ear to the Irish bent to storytelling. The story swept me in and held my attention with every page. Honora Kelly, the main character telling the story, was actually a real person, the great-great-grandmother of the author. She is perhaps the strongest woman I have ever read about, surviving unbelievable hardships all the while loving and raising her children and making her way in America. This is a woman I will long remember.
If I had one complaint, it would be that the story of their time in New Orleans and Chicago was not long enough. I wish the author had added another 100 or so pages and made this time longer. The description of the life and times of early Chicago was just fascinating and I would have loved to read more. But that is a small complaint compared to the grand scope of this story and the wonderful characters portrayed.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in Irish history or anyone with Irish ancestors. If I could award half stars, I would definitely give this book 4-1/2 stars.
Galway Bay is the story of the Kelly family starting in the "before times", that time before The Great Starvation. The inhumanity shown the Irish by the English, the landlords, and the agents, during the potato famine is incredible, treating the Irish as less than human. But the Kelly family vows to survive, and survive they do--on less food than many of us throw away in one day. As more and more Irish die of starvation, the English have great plans for taking over the land left idle and so begin evicting those who remain. With nowhere to go, the Kelly's make their way to America, first to New Orleans and then Chicago.
This is a marvelous sweeping family saga told with an ear to the Irish bent to storytelling. The story swept me in and held my attention with every page. Honora Kelly, the main character telling the story, was actually a real person, the great-great-grandmother of the author. She is perhaps the strongest woman I have ever read about, surviving unbelievable hardships all the while loving and raising her children and making her way in America. This is a woman I will long remember.
If I had one complaint, it would be that the story of their time in New Orleans and Chicago was not long enough. I wish the author had added another 100 or so pages and made this time longer. The description of the life and times of early Chicago was just fascinating and I would have loved to read more. But that is a small complaint compared to the grand scope of this story and the wonderful characters portrayed.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in Irish history or anyone with Irish ancestors. If I could award half stars, I would definitely give this book 4-1/2 stars.
36 of 38 people found the following review helpful
The History of Early Ireland at its Best
18 Feb 2009
Format:Hardcover
GALWAY BAY
Mary Pat Kelly
Grand Central Publishing
$26.99
ISBN: 978-0-446-57900-1
551 pages
Reviewer: Annie Slessman
Wow...wow..and wow again! Mary Pat Kelly's new novel, Galway Bay, is one of the best-written works of fiction I have read this year. Containing the history of the blight that killed so many crops and people in Ireland in the 1800s. Horror stories of people lying dead in their homes from starvation will stay with the reader for a long time.
The story's main character, Honora Keeley Kelly, born in 1822 marries at age 16 when Michael Kelly emerges from the sea and captivates her heart. Kelly is a wanderer, equestrian extraordinaire, blacksmith and soon to be, farmer that keeps his family close and learns to love the land. The story of Honora and Michael's family members brings a reader to tears and strengthens their own resolve to be stronger in the face of adversity.
When the blight ends, Michael and Honora finally have a wonderful crop to see them through the year without the threat of starvation. Their joy is short lived when the soldiers take their crops and threaten to take their lives.
Several heroes materialize in this story. Honora, Michael, Michael's rebellious brother, Patrick Kelly and Honora's sister, Maire. Patrick sparks the Irish rebellion and takes his fight to Amerikay (America) to build strong opposition to the current government and landowners (mostly English) in Ireland. Maire sacrifices herself when a landowner threatens to take Honora as his own. Maire has lost her husband to the sea and feels she is better equipped to handle the landowners demands than Honora.
The Kelly family's migration to Amerikay makes for some interesting reading as it includes a history of early Chicago and its demographic makeup.
The 551 pages of this work appear a bit intimidating. However, a reader will have no trouble getting through the work, as you will not be able to put it down until you have read the last word.
Mary Pat Kelly
Grand Central Publishing
$26.99
ISBN: 978-0-446-57900-1
551 pages
Reviewer: Annie Slessman
Wow...wow..and wow again! Mary Pat Kelly's new novel, Galway Bay, is one of the best-written works of fiction I have read this year. Containing the history of the blight that killed so many crops and people in Ireland in the 1800s. Horror stories of people lying dead in their homes from starvation will stay with the reader for a long time.
The story's main character, Honora Keeley Kelly, born in 1822 marries at age 16 when Michael Kelly emerges from the sea and captivates her heart. Kelly is a wanderer, equestrian extraordinaire, blacksmith and soon to be, farmer that keeps his family close and learns to love the land. The story of Honora and Michael's family members brings a reader to tears and strengthens their own resolve to be stronger in the face of adversity.
When the blight ends, Michael and Honora finally have a wonderful crop to see them through the year without the threat of starvation. Their joy is short lived when the soldiers take their crops and threaten to take their lives.
Several heroes materialize in this story. Honora, Michael, Michael's rebellious brother, Patrick Kelly and Honora's sister, Maire. Patrick sparks the Irish rebellion and takes his fight to Amerikay (America) to build strong opposition to the current government and landowners (mostly English) in Ireland. Maire sacrifices herself when a landowner threatens to take Honora as his own. Maire has lost her husband to the sea and feels she is better equipped to handle the landowners demands than Honora.
The Kelly family's migration to Amerikay makes for some interesting reading as it includes a history of early Chicago and its demographic makeup.
The 551 pages of this work appear a bit intimidating. However, a reader will have no trouble getting through the work, as you will not be able to put it down until you have read the last word.
32 of 38 people found the following review helpful
A BRILLIANT READ
4 Feb 2009
Format:Hardcover
I highly recommend this book if you are looking for richly drawn characters and a compelling story.
Author Kelly relates the saga of her great, great grandmother, Honora Kelly. After losing her husband to the famine in Ireland, Honora journeys to America with her five children and settles in Chicago.
Kelly's descriptive writing captures what life in 19th century Ireland and Chicago must have been like.
For lovers of historical fiction and the telling of a good tale, "Galway Bay" is a must read.
Author Kelly relates the saga of her great, great grandmother, Honora Kelly. After losing her husband to the famine in Ireland, Honora journeys to America with her five children and settles in Chicago.
Kelly's descriptive writing captures what life in 19th century Ireland and Chicago must have been like.
For lovers of historical fiction and the telling of a good tale, "Galway Bay" is a must read.
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