- BIBLIOGRAPHY
Giff,
Patricia Reilly. 2000. Nory Ryan’s Song. New York: Yearling, Random
House Children’s Books. ISBN 978-0-440-41829-0
- PLOT SUMMARY
Patricia
Reilly Giff’s novel Nory Ryan’s Song takes place in Ireland in 1845 at
the beginning of the Great Hunger, An Gorta Mór. Narrated by twelve-year-old Nory, the meticulously
researched narrative describes the terror
and desperation of the families that were oppressed and starved by the cruel
English rulers who shipped their food to England while they were left to
starve. Nory resolutely carries a song
of hope in her heart, which serves her well as she learns to be resilient after
the death of her mother in childbirth three years ago and her father being long
absent as he works on the ships to try to earn the rent that the Ryan’s had to
pay to the English rulers for their very own land. Further, her eldest sister Maggie marries and
leaves the western coast of Ireland that is home to set sail for Brooklyn, New
York, America. Nory holds onto hope that
she, her sister Celia, her brother Patrick (Patch, Patcheen), and her Granda
will also join Maggie and her new husband so they will all live together in
America and no longer be hungry. Nory’s
story is closely connected with her best friend Sean Mallon and Anna Donnelly,
who is a great healer and imparts all of her knowledge to Nory. The story takes the reader down rich valleys
of discovery as Nory finds her full strength and endures through this tragedy, preparing
to traverse to more hopeful times.
Grade
4 and up
- CRITICAL
ANALYSIS
Both
in Patricia Reilly Giff’s dedication and in her letter to readers at the end of
Nory Ryan’s Song, the reader witnesses the immense amount of personal
investment the author has in her attempt to authentically tell this story. These are her people. This is part of her story. She has told it strongly and beautifully,
with heartbreaking accuracy won through tremendous researching efforts—travels,
interviews, investigations. The setting
of the story, on the western coast of Ireland, is vividly depicted, and one
feels as though the curtain of time is being lifted to allow glimpses into the
intimate homes and lives and connections shared among the characters. Giff’s use of olfactory imagery abounds and
pulls the reader into the experiences of the characters’ lives: initially the fresh, expansive scents of the
sea and “the smell of spring, or fuchsia growing along the walls in August,” to
the shock and horror of the scent of rot that swept over the fields--An Gorta Mór. Giff’s steady, stylistic use of Irish dialect
anchors the story, making each dialogic interchange believable and
fascinating. The reader learns of the sidhe
(shee), which are “creatures from another world who supposedly cause
trouble.” The very young Irish boy
children, such as Nory’s loving brother Patch, are dressed in long dresses to
hide them from the sidhe by making them appear to be girls because
they steal little boys. [The authenticity
of this element is concurred by photographs the reviewer has seen of her Irish grandfather,
born in America in 1917, in these very dresses!]
Although
the history is told in an accurate manner, appropriate for young readers, this
is a story not easy to write nor to read. Giff does not hide the reality of what happened;
yet, she weaves the strength, resilience, resourcefulness, and hope of the
Irish people onto every page. Enduring
familial love, strong community ties, caring for one another, and always keeping
hope in our hearts are themes Giff expertly communicates through her work in
this story. Fact and fiction are held in
a truly balanced blend to ensure that readers understand the realities of the
Irish people during this dark time in their history. Just as Anna Donnelly’s wisdom of cures
continues on in Nory’s spirited life, also the light within the Irish spirit forever
continues to endure.
- REVIEW
EXCERPT(S)
Golden
Kite Award, 2001, Honor Book, Fiction
Parents’
Choice Award, 2000, Gold, Fiction
From Kirkus
Reviews: “…Nory’s patient, stubborn
endurance lights up this tale, and the promise of better times to come is well
deserved.”
From Children’s
Literature: “Based on her own family’s
history and extensive research of the Great Hunger, Patricia Reilly Giff has
written a tender and uplifting story of a remarkable girl who saw hope in spite
of tragedy. The writing is as proud,
strong, and dignified as the people who suffered through this difficult
time. It is the author’s gift and tribute
to the courageous spirit of the Irish.
Nory Ryan is an unforgettable heroine and her story is one to treasure.”
- CONNECTIONS
A connection for English classes could be the reading of Giff’s
additional titles featuring Nory Ryan: Maggie’s
Door and Water Street for fascinating character studies of Nory and
of her daughter Bird (in Water Street).
A history class connection could be to research, study,
discuss, and write reflections upon the realities that precipitated and
solidified the Great Hunger to lead students to a thorough understanding of the
causes and ramifications of this terribly tragic time period in history.
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