Julie Foley is sixteen when she and her family are evicted from their humble mountain dwelling in the Mayo town of Attymass. Their crime is rental arrears. It's 1847 and the potato famine has impoverished Ireland. Corpses of men, women and children lie strewn across the ditches and fields, having dropped like flies from fever, exhaustion and starvation. Thanks to the generosity of the hedge schoolmaster and his wife, Julie and her family are given a lifesaving opportunity to emigrate to North America. But first they must survive the journey aboard one of the 'coffin ships' where thousands of their countrymen and women have perished before them. Since childhood, Julie has yearned to become a teacher. Can Fionn McDonagh, the young Irish rebel and poet, persuade Julie to hold on to her dream despite the squalid conditions on board the 'Elizabeth and Sarah'? Will Julie's faith keep her dream alive when her family settle in the working-class district of Griffintown in Montreal, and the only chance of earning a shilling is working in domestic service? Can Julie's dream of a teaching career survive as she toils under the cruel eyes of her employer, a wealthy Northern Irish widow who owns a mansion on Mount Royal? As a tiny flower can take root and thrive between concrete slabs, 'Hungry Trails' celebrates the resilience of the human condition.

About the Author
Maire Malone is a Dublin born and bred author and poet who began writing at an early age. When she moved to the UK as an adult she studied Arts and Psychology and followed a career in Counselling and Psychotherapy. The first seed of 'Hungry Trails' was sown when a poem called 'Great People of the Irish Famine' was published in 'Vision On', an anthology of selected poetry judged by English poet, Katherine Pierpoint, in 2005. She has had poems and short stories that have won prizes. One story about the Irish Famine was shortlisted in 'Words and Women' Competition, 2018. Maire's debut novel, 'The Dream Circle', was selected as a finalist in the Eyelands International Book Awards, 2019. 'Hungry Trails' is her second novel. She lives in Hertfordshire with her husband.

Reviews
"A touching, atmospheric, and culturally rich family chronicle." - Kirkus Reviews



Book Information
ISBN 9781800422322
Author Maire Malone
Format Paperback
Page Count 228
Imprint SilverWood Books Ltd
Publisher SilverWood Books Ltd