Wild Geese - Softcover

In this sequel to Greener Grass (Red Deer Press, 2009/VOYA June 2009) Kit Byrne heads to America. The year is 1847, and Kit is a teenage girl (and wanted criminal) disguised as a boy, and traveling across the Atlantic Ocean. In a series of trials and tribulations to rival Job’s (Kit will later compare herself to that biblical figure), she runs from pursuers, sickness, and loss, trying desperately to find, and then keep, her remaining family. Along the way, she will lose almost everything before she finds a new place in the world. Kit’s problems seem endless, and if Caroline Pignat did not document the actual history of Irish immigrants to Canada in her afterword, one might have been tempted to say they were unbelievable. The facts are there for all to see, however, and many of the secondary characters are real people who Pignat researched quite thoroughly. Everything that happened to Kit could easily have happened to an immigrant of her age at that time. So with that in mind, this is a fine book, more engaging than the earlier title if for no other reason than more happens to Kit sooner. In this volume, Kit is always an active participant—she is not simply observing her family and neighbors. A historical novel, a young adult coming-of-age tale, an adventure yarn, a story of faith and love, all of these describe Wild Geese and will draw a wide audience. —Beth Karpas. VOYA

 

Praise for Greener Grass:

"Pignat's writing is strong and detailed, bringing to life historical events in a personal and tangible way. . . For its good writing, its keen perception of human emotions and its incredibly accurate portrayal of An Gorta Mor (the Great Hunger), this is definitely an addition to any 'must read' list of young adult novels.
Highly Recommended."
-- CM Magazine