Nory Ryan's Song

Nory Ryan's Song

Patricia Reilly Giff

 

Patricia Reilly Giff has written over 60 books for young people and is a two time Newberry Honor-winning novelist for her Lily's Crossing in 1998 and Pictures of Hollis Woods in 2003. She enjoys speaking at schools, libraries, bookstores and conferences.

Nory Ryan's Song tells the story of a potato disease that strikes Ireland, and is told from Nory Ryan's point of view. Nory Ryan and her family struggle to survive when her and her neighbor's potato crops are destroyed. Her father is away fishing for the family, so the only people she has to rely on are her sisters, grandfather, little brother and her neighbors. They will do anything to survive including eating grass and leaf soup. 
 
One of the evaluation criteria is that the characters should "seem real and believable.. historical validity rests in recreating accurately the social fabric of the times and the patterns of daily life" (Vardell, pg. 190). Giff does a great job of this by making Nory Ryan and her family seem relatable enough to the child reader, but the characters also have qualities and do things that make them unique to an Irish person during the Great Hunger of 1845-1852. One example of this is that Giff incorporates the language from that time in the story and includes a short glossary. She uses the word 'madra' for dog and 'sidhe' as a creature from another world. 

The plot is another evaluation criteria. Vardell states that historical fiction for young people "should not be sugar-coated, but be presented accurately in terms that children can understand" (pg. 190). Giff also does this well because her story is definitely not sugar coated. The family's struggle is breathtakingly real, and the pain can be felt eminently when the family first realizes their crop is ruined: "Granda leaned against the wall at the edge of the field, looking up at the cliffs. He had tears in his eyes. Da wouldn't even know what had happened to us, and neither would Maggie... I didn't want to think about the potatoes, or being hungry, or the pain tapping in the back of my eyes" (Giff, pg. 52-53). 

Professional Reviews for Nory Ryan's Song:

• Voice of Youth Advocates: "Vivid detail brings to life the fields filled with rotting crops, the merciless landlords, and the rocky landscape that offers no respite to the starving families. Readers will be drawn to Nory's spirit and admire the courage she shows while helping her family and friends. By breathing life into the events that led her great-grandparents to emigrate from Ireland, the author transports readers to a time and place few will be able to forget."

• School Library Journal: "Listeners will be drawn into her moving tale."
• Booklist: "Giff brings the landscape and the cultural particulars of the era vividly to life and creates in Nory a heroine to cheer for. A beautiful, heart-wrenching novel that makes a devastating event understandable."

Other books by Giff.
Author Video.

Giff, Patricia R. Nory Ryan's Song. New York: Scholastic, 2000. 

ISBN 0-439-32949-3

$6.99 at Barnes & Noble

Work cited: Vardell, Sylvia M. Children's Literature in Action: A Librarian's Guide. Connecticut: Libraries Unlimited, 2008. 

Author photo from http://www.rhspeakers.com/speaker/patricia-reilly-giff/