Rating: 
Summary: Couldn't stop reading...
Review: Following the story of a young woman, Gracelin O'Malley is a marvelous Irish tale. The trials and tribulations experienced by those in Ireland under English rule are vividly described in this work.
Ann Moore has constructed a passionate novel of dignity, strength and character. Her characters are three dimensional and will become a vivid picture in your mind. Moore's ability to create a setting is sophisticated. She truly knows how to captivate a reader, and sweep them away to another time.
Historical fiction fans will be delighted with this stirring tale. It truly brings life and a personal aspect to the troubles that Ireland once faced. If you are a fan of Irish literature this read will captivate you. All in all, I think this is a novel for anyone with an appreciation for passionate writing.
Enjoy this amazing read, Moore has truly created a work of art, that will move you.
Rating:
Summary: Awesome !!
Review: Get swept away to another time ,another place with this beautifully written tale of the struggle to survive in old Ireland. Gracelin is a lovely character with courage and strength to carry on in the face of tragedy. Great undertones of faith throughout, which is hers and her kins foundation to trod on. One of the best books I have ever read, and I can't wait to now start "Leaving Ireland" the follow up to Gracelin O'Malley. You won't be disappointed by this wonderful book.
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Summary: Strength, sadness and faith in famine-ridden Ireland.
Review: Grace's mother dies in an accident that cripples her brother when they are just children. As all Irish families do, the O'Malleys struggle to get by on a patch of Irish land owned and governed by the English. So when the English landlord Mr. Donnely wants to marry the fifteen-year-old Grace, she agrees and marries up to a better life for herself and her family. She moves away from her community of Irish neighbors and friends to the fine house of her husband who is very kind to her at first. But as time goes on Grace witnesses his cruelty first hand and the famine and fever that sweep Ireland wreak tragedy for all. The sentence structure and language are evocative of the Irish way of speaking without using spelling to create the character accents and reading each paragraph was a pleasure. The story started off a bit stilted but quickly picks up pace and finds a rhythm. There is a secondary story line about the Young Irelanders who organize to rebel against the English, but it isn't overly political nor does it distract from the story of Grace. These characters remind us how important family and faith are. We create happy and meaningful memories in everyday life with those we love. The starvation, sickness and cruelty were very sad and I shed a tear or 2. Grace is a bit too perfect, but I loved her all the same and will move onto Leaving Ireland.
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Summary: Irish History Comes to Life
Review: I love this writers first published novel. It is a powerfully passionate telling of the lives of Northern Ireland tenant farmers attempting to survive their repressive relationships with British landlords. The natural disaster of the mid-1800's potato blight further deepens the desperation of these people, whose strength of character rises through the mire. Moore does a beautiful job of developing characters that are passionate for their country, religion and family. She entwines the history of Great Britain and Ireland in such a real life manner that the history lesson itself is assimilable. Her writing evokes tears of sadness, gratitude and relief. I personally had to put other things aside in order to stay within this compelling story and am ready to reread it already. I understand that this novel is the first of a trilogy and I will hungrily await the second volume! This work lends itself naturally to discussion and is formatted with questions at its end that could spur forth a book group dialogue. A must read!
Rating:
Summary: Swept Away
Review: I was instantly taken by the story of Gracelin O'Malley. Set in Ireland during the 1840's, this is a story of survival.
Gracelin is sent off to marry her landlord at the age of 16. Two years later she has birthed three children and buried two of them. All the while she is held captive from her family and sporatically abused by her husband.
Meanwhile, her true love, is beginning an uprising of the Irish against the English. No longer are farmers willing to starve while the very crops that they raise are being shipped to foreign lands.
I will not tell anymore of what happens. This story is full of real-life drama. Gracelin is at once lovable. She courageously puts her own desires aside time and time again, in the hopes of making someone else's life a bit easier. Mrs. Moore does a splendid job of developing the characters and their stories, leading the reader deep into their lives.
I began reading 'Leaving Ireland' the day after I finished 'Gracelin O'Malley'. I just couldn't wait to find out what happenend next in this young woman's tragic life. I am looking forward to reading 'Till Morning Light' which is the last of the 'Gracelin' trilogy.
I recommend this book to anyone.
Rating: 
Summary: Gracelin O'Malley
Review: I'm always annoyed when authors feel the need to portray the women in their stories as "over the top" gorgeous - other than that, this book was beautifully written. I'm glad someone finally got it right about what actually happened during the great potato famine. The characters are interesting, and the descriptions of Ireland are vivid and heartfelt. Gracelin's strength and poise under horrific conditions will stay with you long after you have finished the book. A "Must Read" if you like fiction intertwined with historical events.
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Summary: Beautiful and Heartbreakig
Review: It seems that most of the world has forgotten the horrible potato famine in Ireland. I don't think that many of us(americans) realize just how brutal it was. This book brought it all to life for me. The poverty and starvation was shocking, but through it all, babies were born, people fell in love, people died. Life continued and this is the story of one woman's struggle through it. Gracelin is such a strong character, I can't wait to read more about her in the sequel, Leaving Ireland.
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Summary: Good Irish historical novel
Review: Moore researched 19th-century Ireland extensively to write this novel that convincingly portrays that tormented period in history. The characters are strong, the historical details are impeccable, and the prose is lilting. I especially enjoyed the subplot about Grace's brother Sean and the Irish revolutionaries. However, I did find Bram Donnelly's character to be a bit over-the-top. The subject of spousal abuse was an interesting one to include, but I wish the author had given Donnelly at least one or two redeeming qualities. (His character is like Satan himself, and Grace is God. A bit much there.) Lastly, this is not a literary novel about Ireland, but it is a good historical novel with lovely prose, so sit back and relax for an easy read that accurately portrays an important time in Irish history.
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Summary: A Remarkable Novel Of Ireland - & A Remarkable Heroine!
Review: Patrick O'Malley named his daughter Gracelin for the famed Pirate Queen, Granuaile, daughter of the great Irish Chieftain Owen - a woman feared by the English and revered by her people. He named her thus, he said, "because at the moment of her birth it was clear that the light of the sea shone in her eyes." And young Grace became the light and strength of her family, especially after her mother died in a terrible accident which also left her younger brother, Sean, lame and her father bereft. The family's fortune continued to decline and when Gracelin was fifteen, in 1844, her dad arranged a marriage for her with the local English landlord, Squire Bram Donnelly, to save the family from financial ruin. Her husband-to-be was twice her age, twice married and twice a widower, with a reputation for violence. Although Grace O'Malley Donnelly began her marriage with hope, her husband's reputation was well deserved and as the Irish "troubles" worsened, so did the Donnelly marriage. The Great Irish famine of the 1840's is looked upon as the single greatest social disaster of 19th century Europe. Between 1845 and 1850, when blight devastated the potato crop in Ireland, over two million people - almost one-quarter of the entire population - either died or emigrated. Along with the famine, death, and disease, came tremendous political unrest. Gracelin repeatedly defied her husband by trying to feed her starving neighbors and by harboring rebels, her revolutionary brother and a beloved childhood friend among them. Grace's spirit was indomitable, like that of the legendary pirate queen for whom she was named. And like the pirate queen, she was terrible and ruthless when it came to protecting her own. Anne Moore's accurate historical account of the horrors of life in nineteenth century Ireland and the brutality and greed of the English landlords really elevate this novel above most historical romances. Ms. Moore read history books and personal journals from this period and studied the dramatic and complex elements that made the Irish famine such a profound tragedy. She states in an interview in the Conversation Guide, published at the novel's conclusion, how struck she was "by the continued optimism of the Irish in the face of extreme poverty, their spirit and simple joy in living each day, their love for their children and pride in their heritage." She has captured here the lilt and laughter of the Gaelic, as well as the sorrow of a people. Her characters are three-diminsional and unforgettable, especially Gracelin, whose beauty and courage remained a beacon of hope to all who knew her. A remarkable book!
JANA
Rating:
Summary: Excellent historical novel
Review: This is a wonderful novel of passion and history during a turbulent period in Irish history.
Gracelin O'Malley is the heart of the story. This woman, along with her countrymen, experience so much hardship in this novel but have such optimism in the face of extreme poverty and despair. They find their spirit and joy in trying to live each day, in loving their children and the pride they express in their heritage.
At the centre of this story is self-sacrifice. It is evident throughout the many redeeming characters in this book. Faith and redemption lead the way here. Their ability to trust in a higher power helps to shape their lives even at the most dismal of times.
Enjoy this book, it is truly a work of art. Let it inspire you.
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