A Slip of a Girl by Patricia Reilly Giff

Primary source photographs and a glossary lend to the novel's authenticity. Written in verse, this is a great introduction to Irish history and the genre of historical fiction. 'Giff draws on personal family history to tell Anna's painful and courageous story. Archival photos illuminate the loss and injustice inflicted on the Irish, and Giff ( Lily's Crossing) brings Anna's story to a triumphant close.'- Publishers Weekly

'Anna's simultaneous desperation and determination are palpable. ★ 'Giff has the rare gift of using few words-but exactly the right ones-to evoke strong and varied images and feelings. A vivid, involving historical novel.'- Booklist, Starred Review The subtly shifting emotional tenor of the narrative ranges from pensive to sorrowful and from desperate to hopeful. ★ 'Written in free verse, the story moves quickly, but the clarity of the writing and the images created leave strong impressions of the characters and settings. 'synopsis' may belong to another edition of this title. Written in verse, A Slip of a Girl is a poignant story of adversity, resilience, and self-determination by a master of historical fiction, painting a haunting history of the tensions in the Irish countryside of the early 1890s, and the aftermath of the Great Famine. On the run, Anna must rely on her own inner strength to protect her sister-and try to find a way to save her family. But Anna sees her chance and bolts from the jailhouse. When a violent encounter with the Lord's rent collector results in Anna and her father's arrest, all seems lost. And though their family has worked this land for years, they're in danger of losing it as poor crop yields leave them without money to pay their rent. But now, things are changing.Īnna's mother has died, and her older siblings have emigrated, leaving Anna and her father to care for a young sister with special needs. A heart-wrenching novel in verse about a poor girl surviving the Irish Land Wars, by a two-time Newbery Honor-winning author.įor Anna, the family farm has always been home.

A Slip of a Girl by Patricia Reilly Giff