"Love in a time of famine and conflict"
Every new novel from the Carnegie Medal winning author and past Laureate na nÓg is a highly anticipated event and fans will certainly not find themselves disappointed by this outstanding offering.
Set in 1846 as the potato famine swept across Ireland, it introduces us to Nell, the eldest daughter of a family that are tenants on the estate of Lord Wicken, a wealthy English aristocrat. She has been forced to give up her studies and start work as a scullery maid in his home to keep her family from starvation.
It is here she meets John Browning, the nephew and heir of Wicken, and they fall in love despite the fact that class and nationality should keep them apart. But whilst Lord Wicken, is the ultimate malignant landlord, completely without feeling for his starving tenants, Nell sees that Johnny is different. It is an extraordinary achievement to be able to use the verse novel form to powerfully present an unflinching account of the hardship and horror of the Great Hunger, while at the same time telling a compelling love story full of hope.
The verse form is both accessible and immersive and creates a very intense and unforgettable reading experience. This is a powerful exploration of love in all its forms and a profound and eloquent evocation of a devastating period in Ireland's history.
