The Fields of Home - Softcover

Martina Conlon Mckenna

Softcover

ISBN 10: 086278509X ISBN 13: 9780862785093

Publisher: O'Brien, 1996

Synopsis

The final book in the famine trilogy. For Eily, Michael and Peggy the memory of the famine is still strong. But Mary-Brigid, Eily's first child, has the future to look forward to. What kind of future is it?

About this title

About the Author:

Born in Dublin in 1956 and brought up in Goatstown, Marita went to school at the Convent of the Sacred Heart, Mount Anville, later working in the family business, the bank, and a travel agency. She has four children with her husband James, and they live in the Stillorgan area of Dublin. Marita was always fascinated by the Famine period in Irish history and read everything available on the subject. When she heard a radio report of an unmarked children's grave from the Famine period being found under a hawthorn tree, she decided to write her first book, Under the Hawthorn Tree. Published in May 1990, the book was an immediate success and become a classic. It has been translated into over a dozen languages, including Arabic, Bahasa, French, Dutch, German, Swedish, Italian, Japanese and Irish. The book has been read on RTE Radio and is very popular in schools, both with teachers and pupils. It has been made a supplementary curriculum reader in many schools and is also used by schools in Northern Ireland for EMU (Education through Mutual Understanding) projects. It was also filmed by Young Irish Film Makers, in association with RTE and Channel 4. This is available as a DVD. Marita has written more books for children which were also very well received. The Blue Horse reached No. 1 on the Bestseller List and won the BISTO BOOK OF THE YEAR Award. No Goodbye, which tells of the heartbreak of a young family when their mother leaves home, was recommended by Book Trust in their guide for One Parent Families. Safe Harbour is the story of two English children evacuated from London during World War ll to live with their grandfather in Greystones, Co Wicklow and was shortlisted for the BISTO Book of the Year Award. A Girl Called Blue follows the life of an orphan, trying to find who she really is in a cold and strict orphanage. Marita has also explored the world of fantasy with her book In Deep Dark Wood. Marita has won several awards, including the International Reading Association Award, the Osterreichischer Kinder und Jugendbuchpreis, the Reading Association of Ireland Award and the Bisto Book of the Year Award. P. J. Lynch is the current Laureate na nOg, Ireland's Children's Laureate. He has worked as a book illustrator since the 1980s. Millions of his books have been sold around the world and he has won many awards. His next book will be "Patrick and the President" written by Ryan Tubridy. In recent years PJ has designed posters for Opera Ireland and the Abbey Theatre as well as several sets of stamps for An Post. As well as illustrating books he has painted some very large murals including two on the theme of Gulliver's Travels for the Cavan County Library, and he has recently designed Europe's largest mosaic for the Marian Shrine in Knock, Co Mayo. It was unveiled in February 2016. After many years illustrating other writers' stories PJ finally published his own story, "The Boy Who Fell Off The Mayflower" in 2015, and his next book will be "Patrick and the President" written by the broadcaster Ryan Tubridy. PJ lives in Dublin with his wife Barbara and their three children, Ben, Sam and Evie.

From School Library Journal:

Grade 5-7. Fields of Home continues the story of Eily, Michael, and Peggy, three orphaned survivors of the Irish potato famine, begun in Under the Hawthorn Tree (1990) and Wildflower Girl (1992, both Holiday). Although circumstances have separated the now-grown siblings, they retain strong family ties. This book focuses mainly on the effect events have on Eily's young daughter, Mary-Brigid. The story is heavy on heartache, horses, and hopefulness, elements that adolescent girls tend to love. Conlon-McKenna gives a good explanation of how the Irish people were victimized by the system of tenant farming. One chapter features a poignant scene depicting the eviction of an elderly widow from her cottage. It conveys a true feeling of the tenants' almost helpless situation without being maudlin. It is not necessary to have read the earlier volumes to appreciate the story here, although readers of those titles will understand the characters and time period more completely, as no specific dates are given in this title. The transitions between the intertwined plot lines are handled nicely, avoiding confusion. Overall, this is an above-average addition to historical fiction collections. On a scale of one to four, it rates three and a half shamrocks.?Elaine Fort Weischedel, Turner Free Library, Randolph, MA
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: O'Brien
• Publication date: 1996
• ISBN 10: 086278509X
• ISBN 13: 9780862785093
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 189
• Illustrator: Donald Teskey