Maggie's Door
by Patricia Reilly Giff
ISBN-10: 0440415810
review by Heather Froeschl
It is the great potato famine of Ireland and everyone is starving, save the rich Englishmen. Surviving on seaweed and scavenged eggs from the seabird's nests, Nory knows it is her turn. Her family has gone on, and she has nothing to hold her back.
Nory Ryan sets out, down the road to Galway, alone. She hopes to find her young brother and her neighbor Sean Red Mallon, and together set sail for America. Her sister Maggie has already arrived in Brooklyn, and waits at 416 Smith Street for her family to join her and her new husband, Sean Red's brother.
Nory's tale and Sean's are told in alternating chapters and sometimes with connecting moments that demonstrate the synchronicity of life. Sean is forced to leave his Mam and Nory's brother Patch, and when he returns they are nowhere to be found. Distraught, he hopes to find them again and manages to gain passage to Liverpool as ballast in the hold of a ship. From there he is to be the cook's assistant on another ship to America. It is the only way, and he is lucky to have found it.
Will Nory find her brother, and perhaps even her father and sister at the docks? Will she find passage on a ship, and if she does, will she survive the trip? And what of her friend Sean - they were destined to be together, or so she thought.
In a tale as old as America herself, Patricia Reilly Giff gives us a glimpse into the realities of our immigrant forefathers and mothers. My own great great grandfather an immigrant to New York, the story hits home for me, as it will most Americans. Giff's understanding and interest in the era shows and her gift of story telling shines. Maggie's Door awaits at 416 Smith Street and the journey is unforgettable. The book is suitable for older readers and adults alike, bringing history to life before your eyes.
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