Irish famine fiction (childrens book)

r3nu4l

Hello,

Years ago I read a childrens book about some kids who could see ghosts from the Irish famine...I think! The kids may have been on holiday with their parents, I can't remember.

I only vaguely remember this book but do remember really enjoying it. It was like a childrens horror book. I think the author was female but that's all I can remember.

Anyone know what the book might have been?

nollaig

Hello,

Years ago I read a childrens book about some kids who could see ghosts from the Irish famine...I think! The kids may have been on holiday with their parents, I can't remember.

I only vaguely remember this book but do remember really enjoying it. It was like a childrens horror book. I think the author was female but that's all I can remember.

Anyone know what the book might have been?

Sounds great! But I dont know what it is.

Dudess

The only children's books about the Famine that I know of are by Marita Conlon McKenna. Here's a link: http://www.obrien.ie/author.cfm?authorID=59

I don't know if the book you mention is by her though.

r3nu4l

Thanks Dudess but no, not what I'm looking for.

For some reason the words "black harvest" have just come to mind right now??? I will Google now...


Oh yes! Google is indeed my friend!
http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/p/ann-pilling/black-harvest.htm

Cool :D

FromWebsite wrote:

Colin and Prill are on holiday in Ireland, but from the moment they arrive, Colin feels sick from an awful smell and Prill is visited by a strange creature in her dreams. Their "odd" cousin Oliver links the horror with the terrible famine in Ireland in 1840 and he must save himself and his cousins.

Oh yes, I remember it now, the kid who could smell the stench freaked me out most. Written in 1983, I borrowed it from the mobile library in Lucan so that would have been about '84 or '85. I would have been 9 or 10

Thanks

Had forgotten that book, read it in 84 or 85 myself when I was about 10. If I remember right, when they were driving to the cottage for the first the youngest kid sees a shadowy figure from the car, and it goes on from there. That was a pretty powerful effort for a kids horror book.

nollaig

Under the Hawthorn tree, isnt that another childrens famine book? But, like, it was set in the famine??

r3nu4l

It could very well be! Black Harvest is definitely the one I remember reading as a child and it was one scary-cool book

Under the Hawthorn tree sounds as though it might be a bit "Angelas Ashes". Is it?

nollaig

Under the Hawthorn tree sounds as though it might be a bit "Angelas Ashes". Is it?

I forget the story to be honest, something to do with 3 kids walking around the country during the famine. Forget what happened to the parents. Geez, it was years ago that I read that.

EamonnKeane

The parents died and they walked to their aunts' house in Galway.

Tingo

I read you're post and was happily about to reply but it seems you already know. :rolleyes:

Under the Hawthorn tree is also pretty good. It's been a long time since I've read it but its about three children crossing Ireland to find their great aunts because their parents are gone and they don't want to go workhouse. I think there are two more books in the series.

r3nu4l

Tingo wrote:

I read you're post and was happily about to reply but it seems you already know. :rolleyes:

Yeah, strange but I had been thinking about it for a while to no avail and as I was replying to that post above, it came straight into my head Weird!

Thanks for your suggestion.

gogo

nollaig wrote:

Under the Hawthorn tree, isnt that another childrens famine book? But, like, it was set in the famine??

Under The Hawthorn Tree
Children of the Famine
The first book in the famine trilogy
The Great Irish Famine brilliantly recreated through the story of three young survivors. When tragedy strikes their family Eily, Michael and Peggy are left to fend for themselves


Wildflower Girl
The second book in the famine trilogy

Fields of Home
The final book in the famine trilogy


all written by the above mentioned Conlon McKenna, loved them at the time they won a few awards if I am not mistaken.

wow my 500th post, it only took me four years, god damn job, no internet access. roll on 2010 for my 1000th post

nollaig

Wildflower Girl
The second book in the famine trilogy

Oh yeah, read that too. Forget it now though. Might try to get my hands on that trilogy again