Bibliography
Giff, Patricia Reilly. Nory Ryan's Song. New
York: Delacorte Press, 2000.ISBN 0385321414
Patricia Reilly
Giff’s historical fiction novel, Nory
Ryan’s Song depicts a young Nory Ryan fighting the pain of hunger while
dreaming of one day sailing to America to live happily with her friends and
family. Strength, hope, love,
friendship, and courage are special qualities Nory possesses. But what if all these qualities were put to
the test during a tragic period in Ireland’s history? Starvation was rampant in 1846 and English
landlords were raising rents and evicting tenants from their homes. The “Great Hunger” was upon the Irish people
who were suffering from blight on their potato crops, their main source of food
and money. Will Nory maintain the
strength to survive and fulfill her dream of America?
Critical Analysis
Patricia Reilly
Giff’s Nory Ryan’s Song is a moving story
of a young Irish girl whose courage and resourcefulness help her family survive
the Great Hunger of 1845 in coastal Ireland.
There is an authenticity to Giff’s writing. As she explains in her note to the reader,
Giff was motivated to write about the Great Hunger because of a family connection.
Although her Irish great-grandparents
died before she was born, she made a wish, “Let me tell it the way it must have
been” (150). Giff fulfills her wish with
accurate details of Irish life of the times.
For example, the Irish housed their animals inside their homes. “Muc the pig in her corner pen snorted when
she saw the dog” (13). Her characters
use Irish words throughout the story.
Giff even provides a small pronouncing glossary at the beginning. The use of authentic detail and language highlights
the historical aspects of the story.
The simplicity of the plot serves to
emphasize the characters. The story line
follows a poor Irish family, some of whose members had immigrated to America to
have a better life. Nory, her sister
Celia, her Granda, and her baby brother Patch remain until there is enough
money to purchase passage for them, too.
Most of the story involves surviving the famine. Celia, two years older than Nory, is “loyal
and true” (26). She has the homemaking
skills which she teaches to Nory.
Granda, despite his advanced age, offers moral support and advice to
Nory. One special character in Nory’s
life is Anna, the village midwife and healer.
Not only does she impart her her healing skills to Nory, but she
provides sustenance in the form of milk, an apple, and a coin. However, it is Nory’s courage and hope which
sustain her family and friends in the face of starvation. At the risk of her
own death, she decides to hang from a cliff side with a rope to collect eggs
from wild bird nests to feed her friend, his family, and hers. “We’ll find a way” (121).
The theme in Nory Ryan’s Song is that of perseverance. Even when there is no food to be had and only
hot water and herbs to consume for an entire day, Nory finds the strength to
keep hope alive. The vision of going to
America to be with her relatives allows her to watch as all of her family
members eventually leave home while she stays behind with Anna.
Review Excerpt(s)
Golden
Kite Awards (NOMINATED FOR AN AWARD) 2000
Great
Stone Face Children’s Book Award (NOMINATED FOR AN AWARD) 2002
2000 Parents' Choice Award for Fiction
“A beautiful, heart-wrenching novel that
makes a devastating event understandable.” – BOOKLIST
“Today's
readers will appreciate this compelling story with a wonderful female
protagonist who is spirited and resourceful, and has a song in her heart.” –
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL
"Giff
meticulously re-creates the Great Hunger as she traces a 19th-century Irish
girl's struggle to survive." – PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
“Riveting.” – KIRKUS REVIEW
“The author transports readers to a time and place
few will be able to forget.” – VOYA
Connections
·
Write
an essay about two or three places you dream to go to someday. Explain your reasons.
·
Read
the sequel Maggie’s Door. Before doing so, try to predict what will
happen to Nory based on the first novel’s ending.
·
Read other related novels such as
The Ring of Truth: An Original Irish Tale
by Teresa Bateman and Twist
of Gold by Michael Morpurg.
by Teresa Bateman and Twist
of Gold by Michael Morpurg.
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