Under the Hawthorn Tree

"Under the Hawthorn Tree" was set in Ireland during the 1840s and follows the struggles of three, starving, desperate siblings trying to reach their great aunts where hopefully, food and shelter await.

I loved the three children - Eily, the little mother, Michael, a boy trying to be a man, and little Penny who just wants her mother. At times this book was heartbreaking, but it was beautifully written and gave a moving insight into what it was like trying to survive during this incredibly harsh period in Irish history. Overall, a poignant story of courage, survival and love.

Although this book is written for children and the main characters are children, I had trouble associating the book for children. It felt and read like a book written for adults about children.

For a classic, I wonder why I had never heard of the book, or the series (Children of the Famine) before I spotted the cover in my local elibrary for download.

Putting these two things aside, Under the Hawthorn Tree captured my attention. It's a brilliantly crafted work set in the mid 1800s (I believe) and tells the story of the Great Potato Famine. Of course, I had heard of the famine but knew very little about it. The author painted a clear, believable image of how the people lived and suffered during what must have been a terrifying time.

Eily, show more Michael and Peggy are the three children in the story. They find themselves alone and desperate when their mother leaves them to look for their father. When things turn sour, the three decide to travel across Ireland to find their great aunts. It's a story of love, courage, determination and desperation.

It is difficult not to put yourself in their little shoes and wonder if we had to do the same, would we manage, let alone survive?

It's a heart-warming story, filled with scenarios I never hope to experience. Recommended. show less

I came across this book accidentally while browsing through other books about the Irish potato famine. I didn't realize at the time that this was a children's book, for middle schoolers I think, and was part of a series. Very good writing. I think if I'd read this as a child it'd be one of my favorites. The story itself is one of hardship and sadness, but the ending promises hope. I'm looking forward to reading the 2nd and 3rd books.

Interesting read and storyline. Enough character development to make the story come alive for children. Gives children and understanding of the famine, but at a level children can handle. Would recommend this book for intermediate grades, but also is interesting enough for junior high reluctant readers. This is the first in a trilogy.

This story starts with three siblings, Eily, Michael and Peggy O'Driscoll, who live in a small cottage in rural Ireland with their parents. Their baby sister Bridgett dies and is buried under the hawthorn tree. When the leaves father to find work and doesn't return the mother sets out after him. The year is 1845, the beginning of the Great Famine in Ireland. When the mother too doesn't return the children realize that their parents have probably died and so start the perilous journey to their great aunts house.

During the Great Famine in Ireland in the 1840s, three children are left alone and in danger of being sent to the workhouse, so they set out to find the great-aunts they remember from their mother's stories.

Read this many times when I was a kid. Such a captivating book.