Galway Bay

Sweeping family saga spanning six generations of an Irish Catholic family, based on the life of the author’s great-great grandmother. It is a story of the 1840s Irish potato famine, migration to America, the American Civil War, the Fenian Raids in Canada, and the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition (Chicago World's Fair). It is a fairly long book. It covers lots of ground with well-researched historical accuracy. The sights, sounds, and Irish cultural traditions are beautifully described. Irish folk tales are nicely woven into the narrative. This family faces numerous hardships, and it was easy to root for them. There is a glossary of Irish words and pronunciations in the back, which unfortunately I did not find until I finished.

Great concept, but way too many unbelievable circumstances. Honora, a young girl of Ireland born in the 1800's, marries a young man who is a musician. Soon children are born, but times become very hard with the onset of the potato famine. Britain rules Ireland and times become even worse when grain is shipped out of Ireland while the Irish peoples starve. Honora's sister, Maire, loses her husband and finds herself working the home of a British overseer and bears him three children. Honor's beloved Michael also dies. Soon Honor and Maire with eight children between strike out for Americkay. Landing in New Orleans, they make their way up the Mississippi to the still new Chicago searching for Michael's brother, Patrick Kelly. Patrick has show more become somewhat of a legend and hero to the Irish for his work in fighting the British.

The story is easy to read, but there are too many coincidences which make it almost "soap operaish" at times. Patrick's unforeseen appearance on Christmas, the finding of an Irish neighbor's son during the Civil War, etc.

There is a lot of Irish and Chicago history including the Great World's Fair and the affect of the Civil War. show less

I know Barbara Sutton, acknowledged as an adviser to the author, but found Mary Pat Kelly's book while ordering an Italian beef: Kelly was signing books on the patio of Morrie O'Malley's Hot Dogs in Chicago before this year's "Halfway to St. Patrict's Day" White Sox game. The Bridgeport neighborhood figures in her family history, fictionalized here to tie her clan Doctorow style to nearly every notable in Chicago history. But the heart of "Galway Bay" is in Ireland, and its early chapters on the Great Starvation have a lyric breadth that Kelly fails to match as her main character joins the Irish diaspora in America. Still, her cultural history helps explain how current affairs are driven by so many centuries-old conflicts. And Kelly is show more a captivating storyteller. The book suggests that she comes from a long line of them. show less

In 1839, Honora Keeley is almost 17 years old and on the verge of joining the convent when she has a chance encounter with Michael Kelly. It’s love at first sight for both of them and they marry shortly after. They lease some land and settle into a quiet but happy life. They’re better off than most, and their lives are full of love and family, but it’s still a struggle. They have several children and they’re close to Honora’s family. Michael’s brother, Patrick, makes occasional appearances, but has to keep a low profile because of his involvement in the Irish Independence movement. After three years of The Great Starvation and Michael’s death, Honora, her sister Maire and their 7 children immigrate to America and settle show more outside of Chicago. They suffer more hardships (like prejudice and the Civil War) in America, but make a good life for themselves and eventually find happiness.

Galway Bay by Mary Pat Kelly has a little something for everyone - it’s a family saga, full of romance and history. I struggled with the beginning of the book because of the Irish terms - later I discovered a glossary in the back that helped a lot. I thought this book was fantastic. I thought of my grandmother a lot while I read it. With no formal education, my maternal grandmother hired herself out as a domestic servant to earn the money for passage to this country because she thought the streets here were literally paved with gold. My grandmother immigrated from Lithuanian, not Ireland, but she came over here by herself and spoke no English at the time. She settled outside of Chicago, married another Lithuanian immigrant and they had a family. My grandmother never spoke English well and she faced prejudices, but she never let that stop her. My grandfather became disabled, so it was left to my grandmother to support the family. She raised chickens for eggs and goats for milk. She grew vegetables and fruit to sell to the wealthy in Chicago. She took in boarders. My grandmother worked from sun-up to sundown and never had much but she never turned away anyone in need. Galway Bay made me reflect on the strength, bravery, determination and tenacity that my grandmother (and other immigrants) possessed and how those characteristics of hers made a better life for me. I hope I’ve inherited some of those traits from her. Almost everyone has an immigrant story in their background - this book might remind you of someone in your family too. show less

Sweeping novels that span several generations must be well-crafted to hold readers' attention, especially if the historical novel is going to be more than 500 pages. Mary Pat Kelly's Galway Bay will suck readers in, churn them in rip currents, and spit them out in untamed America along with the Kellys, Leahys, Keeleys, and other Irish immigrants fleeing their homeland during the repeated potato blights and following The Great Starvation.

Read the rest of my review: http://savvyverseandwit.blogspot.com/2009/03/galway-bay-by-mary-pat-kelly.html

Sweeping family saga spanning six generations of an Irish Catholic family, based on the life of the author’s great-great grandmother. It is a story of the 1840s Irish potato famine, migration to America, the American Civil War, the Fenian Raids in Canada, and the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition (Chicago World's Fair). It is a fairly long book. It covers lots of ground with well-researched historical accuracy. The sights, sounds, and Irish cultural traditions are beautifully described. Irish folk tales are nicely woven into the narrative. This family faces numerous hardships, and it was easy to root for them. There is a glossary of Irish words and pronunciations in the back, which unfortunately I did not find until I finished.

On the cusp of entering a convent, sixteen year old Honora Keeley discovers a man in Galway Bay.

He stood, foam swirling around his long legs, hands at his sides - not covering himself. Looking me right in the eye - smiling.

“You’re not drowning at all.”

“I am,” he said. “I am drowning in your beauty. Are you a girl at all, or are you a mermaid?” - from Galway Bay, page 8 -

Thus begins Mary Pat Kelly’s novel Galway Bay - a book filled with memorable characters, and love of country and family. But, Galway Bay is first and foremost a family saga which spans nearly sixty years (between 1839 and 1893). It tells the story of the Kelly family- first in Ireland on Galway Bay and then as they move west to America and settle in show more Chicago. Historically, the novel covers a sad period in Irish history. The Great Starvation (1845 - 1852) killed approximately a million Irish men, women and children when blight wiped out the potato crops and the English government turned a blind eye to the tragedy. The Irish population was further reduced by another million due to mass emigration. Galway Bay’s stalwart and courageous characters also experience the American Civil War(1861 - 1865), the assassination of President Lincoln (1865), the Great Chicago Fire (1871), and the Chicago World’s Fair (1893).

Mary Pat Kelly based her novel on her great-great grandmother Honora Kelly, and it is this character who drives the narrative through her determination to survive and carry the stories of Ireland all the way to America. Weaving together the lives of Honora, her siblings and parents, her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren, Kelly unravels a history of the Irish people - including their lore, religion, and work ethic.

Kelly is a good storyteller and makes the reader care about her characters who come alive on the pages of her book. I did find her style of switching from past to present tense a little confusing at times.

I walked between Mam and Granny, carrying Bridget. Da and Michael were just ahead, deep in talk of some kind. They get on so well. Michael’s part of the Keeley men now, with is own fine children, his loneliness filled. - from Galway Bay, page 127 -

But after a time, these tense switches simply became part of the overall writing style of the book and I began to ignore them.

Galway Bay is a sprawling novel and the time period it covered is enthralling. As in all good historical fiction books, this one begs to be devoured long into the night.

Recommended. show less