Hope in New York City: The Continuing Story of The Irish Dresser by Cynthia G. Neale tells America's story, through the eyes of a young Irish immigrant, Nora McCabe.
Today I am delighted to introduce you to the second installment in an Irish American trilogy for young adult readers.
Table of Contents
An Irish Immigrant Girl in New York
In this book we experience Nora's struggles, her inner turmoil and homesickness, and her journey towards becoming an American in the midst of prejudice and hardship.
Nora does not merely seek a new land, a roof over her head or a new nationality. She yearns deeply for a familiar sense of home. Through her daily struggles, she learns true belonging exists in the human spirit, and in the love of family and friends.
The Irish Famine and Its Aftermath
It is important to remember the Irish Famine, especially for those of us with family ties to the Emerald Isle. This book offers young readers meaningful and realistic insights into the experience of Irish immigrants as they arrived destitute on America's shores.
Cynthia Neale is a talented writer, who progresses her tale in a lively, lyrical style. I admire her ability to write historical fiction in first person, present tense.
It's many years since I could be classified as a young adult reader. The now familiar "YA" term didn't even exist when I was a teenager. The books of my youth were mainly written in third person, past tense, making this novel the first book written in first person, present tense, I ever read.
At first I found this point of view and tense a little off-putting, but Neale's mastery of her story, and her skillful descriptions of the dangerous streets of New York, captured my imagination. With each page I turned, she reeled me in with her gripping narrative, and detailed imagery.
I quickly found myself deep within Nora McCabe's young mind, coming to understand and empathize with her homesickness, yet wishing for her to let the past go. I cheered as she learned to open her heart to her new city, and to connect with her new neighbors.
I may be an old fashioned, traditional reader of 3rd person, past tense historical fiction, but by the end of this book, I came to appreciate the power and urgency of present tense storytelling. I now understand how immediate action and narrative can draw a reader in. In this book, the dark and dangerous streets of 1840's New York came to life. I traveled hand-in-hand with Nora, learning to navigate and survive in her new and perilous world.
I did however have two minor issues with this book. Nora's last name, McCabe, was not an appropriate choice for a family from County Cork. As an Irish person, I associate the name McCabe with the counties of Ulster rather than Munster.
In addition, the dialogue in this book did not reflect the nuances of Cork people's conversations. The word "wee' was used too frequently. It is an Irish term for the word little, but is seldom used in Cork. It is heard most frequently in the northern counties of Ulster. These minor issues would probably go unnoticed by 99% of readers, but since my entire family hails from County Cork, the characters of this book were not true Corkonians for me.
The Trilogy
This sequel continues Nora's saga, which started in The Irish Dresser: A Story of Hope during The Great Hunger. Nora crawls into an old dresser to escape from Ireland to America and the devastation of the Irish Famine. Inside her dresser on board ship, Nora learns to turn hope into reality.
The third, and most recently published volume in this series, is Norah: The Making of an Irish American Woman in 19th Century New York City. Here our young heroine frees herself from the limitations of poverty, gender and class as she learns to overcome corruption and exploitation.
A single volume or this complete trilogy would make a perfect Christmas gift for any young adult reader interested in history, their Irish roots or the making of America. I highly recommend these books for young students of Irish and American history.
Cynthia G. Neale
Cynthia Neale is an American with Irish ancestry, who frequently travels to Ireland, and is keenly interested in the tragedies and triumphs of the Irish during the Famine. She grew up in Watkins Glen, New York, and now lives in New Hampshire with her husband and daughter.
I love this explanation of her writing style from her official web page:
"I seek to sew my stories together with the unbreakable golden thread of hope. This golden thread oftentimes is a rare and buried treasure that has to be found with great tenacity and prescience. Hope can come lilting and skipping throughout lighthearted and humorous stories, whether they are written for adults or children."
Wishing Cynthia every success with this wonderful trilogy of Irish American tales.
If you're interested in other books set in Ireland or featuring the Irish in America, here are a few more recommendations to check out...
The Fairly Stillwart Chronicles
Thanks for following my recipes and ramblings.
Slán agus beannacht,
(Goodbye and blessings)
Mairéad -Irish American Mom
Pronunciation - slawn ah-gus ban-ock-th
Mairéad - rhymes with parade
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- An Irish Tour Following in the Footsteps of Saint Brigid
- Did You Know These 7 Authors Were Irish?
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Education
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- The Irish Rainbow Pot of Gold Legend Plus A Cute Paper Craft
- If I Was A Leprechaun Writing Pack For Kids
Memarie Christoforo
Thanks, Mairead, for your review of the 2nd book in the trilogy. I like the fact that you gave it overall a very positive review, but didn't leave out some of the things that were jarring for you. I took the third book out of the library a few months ago, and couldn't get into it. I didn't know there were two books before it. I want to read the first one, now. I am fascinated with the time of The Hunger since my great-great-grandparents left Ireland at that time. The details of their lives are pretty much a mystery, especially the part of their lives in Ireland. I am hungry for information that can help me imagine what their lives were like. I appreciate what you are doing for Irish-Americans who have lost their concrete ties to Ireland.
Irish American Mom
Memarie - I hope the first two books in this series will help you better understand where Nora came from and how she became the New York City woman of the final book. I have only read the first two. The book you started with is on my "to read" list for 2014.
I debated whether or not I should include my critique of dialogue and names in this post, but in the end I decided to be honest with you, my readers. My ear is tuned into very characteristic Cork and Irish expressions, having being born and raised in Ireland. These nuances are extremely difficult to capture if not raised listening to them. I think Cynthia Neale did a wonderful job recreating the experiences of an Irish family of the 1840's, and her books deserve high praise.
Thank you for your kind words about my blog and I'm delighted to hear you feel my ramblings and writings are helpful to Irish Americans seeking to learn more about the land of their ancestors.
Best wishes for a lovely Christmas,
Mairéad
Sinead
Thanks so much for recommending this book. I'm delighted to have found this trilogy for young adult readers - a perfect gift for my niece
Irish American Mom
Sinead - I hope your niece enjoys these books. They are wonderful for teenagers eager to learn more about their Irish ancestors.
Best wishes,
Mairéad
Mary
What a relief to find young adult books that don't feature vampires and other out-of-this world creatures. Congratulations to the author on publishing books to help teenagers learn about the past.
Merry Christmas,
Mary
Irish American Mom
Mary - The young adult section of book stores is pretty terrifying these days. It is nice to see some good historical fiction being published for a change.
A very happy Christmas to you, too.
Best wishes,
Mairéad
Cheryl Barker
I've found present tense storytelling to be a little off-putting at times, too, Mairead. Glad to hear that this author mastered it. Like so many other things, I imagine there is an art to doing it well.
Sending wishes to you and yours for a wonderful Christmas together!
Irish American Mom
Cheryl - Storytelling in present tense is truly a skill. I think more and more young adult writers are mastering this technique.
Best wishes to you and your family too for a very happy Christmas.
Mairéad
Cynthia Neale
Mairead,
You're a fine writer yourself and I appreciate you taking the time to read my novels and write an honest review. It is most difficult for a writer to read the reviews of his or her books. Even the glowing reviews somehow make you blush and feel exposed. A writer has to love the calling to write so much that he or she forgets there is a publisher to find and reviewers to review. I love the quote, "Writing is an affair of yearning for great voyages and hauling on frayed ropes" (Cyrus Connolly). After a number of years into the journey as a writer, my hands have become calloused but stronger. Not everyone is going to like my writing, but I love my journey and as long as there are readers who do like my work, it is so worth pressing on. I wanted to make sure that your readers know that my third book is for adults and not for young adults, and it is not currently available on Amazon until February 1st. It was published a year and a half ago by a publisher who went out of business within a few months of the release. Norah was just garnering some wonderful reviews and then the publisher closed. Fortunately, I have a new publisher who is re-releasing Norah with a new cover on Feb. 1st. It will be available online, in paper and digital; and it will also be distributed worldwide. I don't currently have the information up on my web site, but this is the information on my publisher's site: http://www.fireshippress.com/fireship_authors/cynthia-neale.html
Also, in response to using a non-Cork name, McCabe, for my novel, I did so knowing it was a Cavan or Northern Ireland name. However, it is my grandmother's name who was born in Ireland. I never met her, nor my father until very late in life and then he passed before I could learn more about my Irish heritage. It was important for me to use this name and because the devastation of The Great Hunger was felt more keenly in the West, I decided to have my protagonist hail from Cork. McCabe from Cork. This was my reasoning. And as far as the nuances and using "wee," I tried to be conservative in the use of "wee" because it can be over done and contrived. Being that I would be writing mostly to an American audience and I'm an American and Americans understand "wee" and to them, all of Ireland uses "wee."I sought to write the books without attempting to use idioms and nuances that would only be contrived. The subject was a spiritual one for me and I had to risk being criticized for this lack. I'm thrilled that the heart of the story came through, which is most important to me. Bless you on your journey and stay in touch!
Irish American Mom
Dear Cynthia - I'm so happy to hear you have found a new publisher for your third book, Norah. Thank you for letting us know it is an adult work, not young adult. What a disappointment for you, when your original publisher went out of business. Finding a new company to publish and promote your wonderful work is a testament to your writing talent. I'll look forward to reading Norah in 2014.
Naming your main character Nora McCabe as a tribute to your grandmother, is just lovely. Thanks so much for sharing this background story. Your reasoning makes total sense to me now. I think many Irish Americans share your fascination with the tragedies, trials and triumphs of the Great Hunger. Thank you for these insightful books, which help tell our Irish American tale.
Wishing you every success with your writing career. Completing three novels is a fantastic accomplishment - I look forward to reading many more of your books over the coming years and decades. You weave compelling tales that further our knowledge of who we are, and where we have come from.
Best wishes for a lovely Christmas,
Mairéad
Brian@irelandfavorites
Merry Christmas (or should I say Happy) Mairead to you and yours,
Cheers,
Brian.
Irish American Mom
A very happy Christmas to you too, Brian. We do tend to say "Happy Christmas" rather than "Merry Christmas" in Ireland, so thank you for a true Irish greeting.
Best wishes,
Mairéad