Today I’m sharing the story of two sisters who left their home in Ireland to start a new life in New York City.

“Crossing the ocean for a new life

I looked up and the American flags on the roof seemed miles and miles away in the blue, blue, sky. I looked along the street, and the building seemed to go on forever.

It’s 1911 and young sisters Sally and Bridget are sailing to New York to find work – leaving behind their home and everything they know in Ireland. The city is so big and strange, but the sisters and their new friend Julia are determined to make the most of this exciting new world. They have each other, and if they work hard, New York is full of opportunities.

Then, when a false accusation threatens to destroy everything, the girls realise there’s nothing more important than sticking together.”

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I haven’t read many books which follow the journey of Irish immigrants seeking new lives in America which surprises me as there are currently about 36 million ethnic Irish who reside in the United States!

Curtin’s story managed to capture the mixed emotions experienced by sisters Sally and Bridget as they prepare to leave their family home and set off on their big adventure to New York. I think many readers will have experienced similar emotions themselves, perhaps when they’ve moved house or school.

It also highlighted the difficulties and prejudice faced by many Irish immigrants as the girls arrive on Ellis Island and find that people aren’t as welcoming as they’d imagined. Looking for accommodation and employment proved difficult without connections and people were not always kind. However, the strong sense of community which existed amongst other Irish immigrants proved to be a real support.

I can imagine that any reader aged 9+ would enjoy this story.

Jo.

*Many thanks to the O’Brien Press for inviting me to be a part of this blog tour*