Under The Hawthorn Tree

Marita Conlon McKenna starts her “Children Of The Famine” trilogy with an original, interesting beginning, that proves to stay gripping, fascinating and, however clichéd it may sound, truly impossible to put down. Yet.

Before I explain the wonderful synopsis, it is important that I explain the setting.

The book takes place in the 1840’s Ireland, when the Great Famine took place. The crops became diseased, which caused unprecedented hunger. They looked almost like skeletons, with sunken cheeks, deep circles beneath their eyes and the filthy clothing over their yellow tinged skin. Illness was much more common than food amongst the people, and the book successfully portrays the rotting smell that seemed to be everywhere and the horrific sights of everything

The maturity in the characters, especially Eily, was completely exaggerated, and made the characters lose credibility.

Marita introduces us (not very well) to our heroes, Eily (12), Michael (10) and Peggy (7), when their family is in a greater crisis than that of the other people of Duneen. Their father has disappeared after going to work in the road works, their mother also gone in search of him and their baby sister Bridget (3) dying. Starving and in danger of the dreaded workhouse, they escape and set to search for their great-aunts who live in the far Catletaggart, whom they have heard so much about in their mother’s stories.

To summarize, this was a very enjoyable book that successfully portrays the Irish Famine and its outcomes on the Irish people. I liked reading it, especially as someone who could connect to the setting and scenery that I personally know so well.

Eily could not believe the crowds when they reached the village. Hundreds of ragged starving people thronged the small main street. They queued, d

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