Underneath the wrapped shawl her body was too thin, her skin white and either too hot or too cold to the touch. Mother held her all day and all night as if trying to will some of her strength into the little one so loved."".
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 and everyone dying.
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.
Their story is well thought out and put together. So far. They come across various people - some helpful and some almost wickedly mean. Many subplots are opened, and luckily also closed, and are always of interest and importance. For example, when Peggy gets injured by aggressive dogs.
They also experience many adventures that can sometimes be somewhat painful to read.
There is a part where Michael gets severely bruised, and I found the descriptions and dialogue between him and Eily there to be particularly captivating.
