This is really good, and I think it should be taught in schools. We don't learn much about the history between Britain and Ireland in the US, and having an approachable novel in verse can teach children a lot. The pictures included from the National Library of Ireland provide poignant glimpses into history, as well. While this book is good and I recommend it wholeheartedly, there were a few details that kind of fell through for me, hence the 4-star rating. ( )

Giff writes a poetry novel inspired by her Irish ancestors and their involvement in Ireland’s Drumlish Land War of 1881. Anna Mallon's family is poor, under threat of being evicted from the home and land they previously owned. The Irish are treated harshly by the English. If they can't pay the rent they are effectively evicted after their houses are knocked down. Anna's brothers and older sister leave for America. Her best friend Liam and his Mam are evicted. Anna's mother dies of an illness. Anna and her father are arrested but Anna escapes. She and Nuala take off for an aunt's place where she hopes they can stay. Aunt Ethna is a forbidding figure but she and Nuala take to each other immediately. Anna learns from an earl that her Da is back home, that there are uprisings by her people. Determined to reclaim home and land, she sets off back to Da and joins a three-day protest against the English. Prose is spare and simple yet conveys the injustice and unfairness of Anna and her neighbors' plights. In particular Anna's character is determined and bold; aunt Ethna is stern and forbidding. She may be “a slip of a girl,” but she can make a difference.Readers will learn about an aspect of history they for sure will never have heard about in school. A literary example of writing about family, what you know. Accessible poetry that renders vivid scenes and characters. ( )

Literary Merit: Great
Characterization: Great
Recommended: yes
Level: middle school and early highschool

This novel is historical fiction based on the Land Wars in Ireland. The novel is written in verse and tells Anna’s journey to save her family’s land and prevent her younger sibling from dying of starvation. It is a quick read and it may appeal to reluctant readers. Anna expresses how hard it is to learn to read and the book takes the reader through the process of her gaining reading skills. Then she talks about how magical reading is! I think experiencing this process would encourage some reluctant readers. ( )

An excellent fiction exploration of the Irish Land War. ( )

A free-verse novel about a young Irish girl living with her father and younger sister on a poor bit of land during the Irish Land Wars. This small girl with not even shoes on her feet learns to stand up to the English Lord demanding rent they can't pay, as she fights to save her family farm.
Simply and beautifully told. Anna is a strong and smart character, and you'll root for her from the beginning. It's also a great introduction for kiddos to this bit of history, and Giff includes actual photos of families being evicted from the time. Definitely recommended. ( )