The Famished Land: A Novel of the Irish Potato Famine

by Elizabeth Byrd

Set in Ireland during the terrible years of the great potato famine.

Moira McFlaherty and her family, like all the people of their village, lead a simple life, with dignity and much happiness. Moira dreams of the day she will marry Liam - the man she has loved since childhood. When their potatoes begin to rot in the fields, Moira's dream is swept away. Hunger stalks the land and death becomes a constant companion.

Moira, with an indomitable will to survive, sustains her family through the unspeakable horrors of the famine and, when all else is gone, her love for Liam remains. She clings tenaciously to the belief that a better day awaits them all....

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Irish Literature, Ireland

303 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1972

About the author

Family:
Born Sarah Elizabeth Evelyn Byrd on December 8, 1912, in St. Louis, MO; died May 11, 1989, in Tucson, AZ; daughter of Joseph Hunter Byrd (an entrepreneur and mining promoter) and Emma (Howard) Byrd; married Don Phares. Education: Attended New York University, 1932-33.
Elizabeth is the elder sister of composer Joseph Byrd (December 19, 1937) and physician Dr. Ruddell Byrd.

CAREER:
Columbia Broadcasting System, radio news writer, 1939-45; Station WMCA, script writer and actress on "What's News," 1942-43; associate editor for New York literary agencies, 1944-50; Betty Byrd Associates (literary agency), owner and operator, 1951-53; A. L. Fierst Literary Agency, critic, 1952-53; Julian Messner, Inc., writer of jacket copy, 1952-60; freelance writer.

In addition to her 9 novels, she wrote a non-fiction book "A Strange and Seeking Time", and two short stories for Argosy in 1969- 1970:

* Gay Street Ghost, Argosy (UK) Jun 1969
* Try a Little Tenderness, Argosy (UK) Mar 1970

Contributor of articles and stories to Venture, Reader's Digest, McCall's, and Scottish Field.

Reviews

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Byrd did a nice job with this book. I am a bit biased because my favorite book is "Galway Bay" by Mary Pat Kelly, which also deals with the Irish Potato Famine. Byrd does a good job portraying the tight-knit Irish communities of the time (they remain friends even while fighting at a wake or they cling to their own rivalries). For all of us living in the comforts of present time, this is a true wake-up call or reminder of the struggles of our ancestors, it is almost unbearable to imagine. Although written back in 1972, the history remains pertinent to the island, as well as to those who look to find their past.

[Nan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can not beleive how bad it got for them.