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. ( )

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 a captivating storyteller. The book suggests that she comes from a long line of them.

WOW! This book opened my eyes to what the Irish went through and why so many of them came to the US. A great and educational read with added emotion. ( )

WOW! This book opened my eyes to what the Irish went through and why so many of them came to the US. A great and educational read with added emotion. ( )

I won this book from Firstreads last year and I'm upset with myself that it took so long to read it. I loved this book! I will definitely be sending this book to other people and sharing it as much as possible. The author was able to capture the emotions of the characters very well. The way the telling of the old Irish folk tales was woven into the story also worked beautifully.