The Story We Carry in Our Bones: Irish History for Americans

by Juilene Osborne-McKnight

More than 40 million people consider themselves Irish American, and yet most of them do not truly understand the rich cultural history of their ancestors. From prehistoric times to the emigration of the Irish to Amerikay, this broad, yet comprehensive, history gives a general overview of the deep history of Irish Americans.

The book includes such interesting topics as the four cycles of Irish storytelling, ancient Celtic legends of shape-shifting and Fair Folk, the six Gaelic languages and their relation to one another, the Gallic Wars with Julius Caesar, the Anglo-Norman invasion, the sacred ceremonies and religious beliefs of the Druids, the real story of St. Patrick, the Great Famine brought on by British involvement, the mass exodus of Irish to America, and the struggle for Irish Americans to rebuild their lives upon new soil, in an unwelcome land.

Genres: History, Ireland, Nonfiction, Irish Literature, Historical, Audiobook, Mythology

Audible Audio

First published September 28, 2015

About the author

Juilene Osborne-McKnight's newest book is Storyteller: Irish Myths, Legends and Folktales for Americans. Her nonfiction history The Story We Carry in our Bones: Irish History for Americans is now in its fifth printing. Both are available at Barnes & Noble, on amazon.com and from Pelican Publishing. She is also the author of four novels from MacMillan: I am of Irelaunde, Daughter of Ireland, Bright Sword of Ireland and Song of Ireland, available on amazon.com and barnes and noble.com.

Reviews

[Michael -- Justice for Renee & Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

This audiobook, a free offering from Audible, was a basic history that covered a few areas I was unfamiliar with, particularly the American story of the Irish. Although not a deep scholarly study, it was a good listen while I was between books during the St. Patrick's Day period.

Slainté

[Colleen Chi-Girl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I spent an hour last night writing a review about this well-done, non-fiction book that explained even more details than I had previously known and numerous additional acts that the British government did to the Irish from the very long period of the 1600-1900’s. This includes: everything from slavery, starvation, stealing land and food, forced work, starvation, getting rid of them on English coffin ships, splitting up families while doing so, starvation, etc, etc. Before I had a chance to post it, I was interrupted and poof, it was gone. It also details where the Irish escaped to, or went to when they were expelled by the Brits, such as: USA, Australia, New Zealand, etc., and how poorly they were treated in the US upon arrival. Making them on par with other demeaned groups.

Although I don't have the energy or time now to recreate my previous review, trust me that this book is well-organized, with highly detailed events and dates. The writer is also the narrator, which was fine. I highly recommend this book.

I am hopeful that sometime in the future Goodreads (I LOVE) will have a feature to save reviews on current time so that we don't write and lose reviews!

[Andrea Quigley Maynard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great "beginner" book for Americans interested in their Irish Ancestors. The author touches on everything from the origins of the Celts, what we know about life in Ancient Ireland before written history, Druid beliefs and the acceptance of Christianity, Viking, Norman and English Invasion/Control, emigration from Ireland and the Irish early years in America and all sections are interwoven with Celtic drawings (by the Author's daughter) and short stories by the Author. With only 266 pages, it is hard to get in great depth about any one of these topics (the author does say in the afterward that her goal was "big picture" - which she suceeded in) and there were a few places where I think even a page or two of more information would have made a big difference in my understanding but Osborne-McKnight does the reader who is hungry for more a huge favor by including an easy to understand annotated bibliography at the end of each major section. I'm already revisiting those sections to make a list of additional books on these subjects to add to my reading list.

[Bridget Vollmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great non fiction read on the history of the Irish, not dry at all.

[M. Apple · Rating 3 out of 5]

The content is fine, generally accurate though of course simplified. A good introduction to Irish history. But the constant blurbs from her own fiction began to quickly tire me, and the book seemed like little more than an exercise in self-advertisement. The comment near the end that taking bibles out of public schools was a “modern tragedy” has nothing to do with Irish history and was highly irritating.

[Angelina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent overview of Irish history--a little biased in favor of the Irish (which makes sense). Osborne-McKnight's writing style is highly engaging and her story-telling skills are excellent. I think my very favorite thing about this book is that at the end of each section, she has an annotated bibliography of other books you might want to read as well as films and documentaries relating to the topics she covers. So thorough!!!

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for anyone of Irish American descent. Great story telling, accessible history, moving accounts of faith and love. Proud to be Irish American.

[Deirdre Neafsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good choice for folks new to Irish history. I feel like I learned a lot. However, the author was very obviously pro-Catholic, and while I think it’s important to acknowledge and discuss Catholicism’s place in Irish history and ancestry, I don’t think it was necessary to call the removal of bibles from American schools a “modern tragedy,” especially since our earlier ancestors weren’t Catholic or Christian, anyway. I was hoping for less of a biased take as far as religion is concerned. Additionally, the author included excerpts of her own fiction. The writing was good in its own right, but it disrupted the flow of the book for me and did not aid in my understanding of the content. I did enjoy the discussion of myths and legends, though!

[Cody Fouts · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was really hoping for more out of this book. I enjoyed the history of ancient Ireland and the descriptions of some of the traditions. I also appreciated some of the honest descriptions of "our ancestors'" clashes with with other oppressed communities.

However, a lot of the book read like a middle school history book: a bit of a "rose-colored" glasses view of the Irish conversion to Catholicism and of the United States as a country. I highly doubt that the Irish were willing converts to Catholicism (Additionally, I'm certain that there was a line in the book about it being a shame that religion has been taken out of public schools). Also, the book is a bit tone deaf to how other immigrants groups have fared in the US.

[Alastriona Kroll · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy cow this is an unexpectedly inspirational read! I was moved to tears multiple times by the stories told and the beautiful words she used to share her passion on Irish American history and culture. I learned a lot and am definitely going to research my own Irish heritage more specifically. If you are interested in history, Ireland, or Irish Catholics, this is a fantastic book to dive into. Pro tip: you can listen to the author read her book on audible. That was extra enjoyable as she is clearly well-versed in the pronunciations and vocabulary.

[Lydia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun facts: Druids (that were both male and female) had to study for twenty years and had to carry all of their knowledge in their heads. Nothing could be written down because they believed that knowledge is power and must be guarded. "Gaul" was the Roman word for "Celt," and Celts were big, strong men and women who fought - naked or almost naked - quite fiercely. In Ancient Ireland law was of utmost importance and it protected everyone. There was no sexism, so women fought and ruled alongside men, and their warriors lived by a strict code of honor that prevented them from rape and hurting children. If they orphaned a child they were obligated to find a suitable foster family. There are historical references to Druids picking mistletoe as a cure for cancer (and there's a side note about a recent incident of an oncology staff injecting mistletoe compounds into a patient with liver cancer).

The information is delightful; laid out in an orderly and visually engaging manner. But beware, eventually Irish history must cover the 1800s, during which the English tried to single-highhandedly kill off this story- and spiritual-rich culture.

I did not know this but during The Irish Famine, potatoes were not the only food available. There was plenty of food to go around. The problem was that the English were exporting it all to England. Potatoes were all the Irish had because the rest of the food was being kept from them. When Phytophthora infestans killed all of the potato crops, there was still plenty of food. It was still being kept from the Irish who were now starving. This brought with it the third exodus of Irish people to America, Canada and Australia. And once they had no food, they were evicted from their homes, and once evicted from their homes, they lived in lean-tos or in a large "workhouses" run by army men and policemen where they were separated from their children, wives and husbands and suffered from tuberculosis, whooping cough, influenza, dysentery, cholera, and typhus. This part is very difficult to read. Because of this many historians are now calling the Potato Famine a genocide. (There is a touching excerpt about the Choctaw Nation worth reading!)

It's a fairly quick read and covers as much as author Juilene Osborne-McKnight can cover without going into too much detail on one subject. In fact, if you want to delve into more detail on any given section, she provides a thorough list of book and video references. The Story We Carry in Our Bones: Irish History for Americans is a fantastic starting point for anyone wanting a cursory history of Celt and Irish-American history. Erin go Bragh!

[Cynthia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phenomenal. This book offers a great oversight of the long history of Ireland with amazing resources to hone in on what interests you. A simple read that captivates and encourages further study. Highly recommend.

[MJ Cahill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good historical book on the history of the Irish

[Tom · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very superficial, there are better books

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

A brief overview of Irish history and culture aimed at Irish-Americans who don’t know jack about Irish history and culture. This book does not have depth, but it has breadth. It provides a concise introduction to a wide array of topics that a reader can use as starting points to pursue further reading. Each chronological section has its own bibliography, which comes out to quite an extensive list of sources by the end of the book. There are no in-text citations, which means that tracking down individual assertions to their sources would be quite difficult, but the author did her research.

For the most part, the lack of specific citations poses no major issues. However, the first section of the book presents a number of prehistorical assertions very confidently and with very few discussions of how we know any of the information. Since we’re talking hundreds of years BC and societies with few written records, this affects the credibility of the book right from the beginning. In this section, information is also grouped by topic without regard for time period, which results in tidbits from hundreds of years apart being tossed together in the same paragraph. The author definitely overuses the word “ancient,” which doesn’t have a specific meaning and doesn’t tell you anything about how old the point at hand is. I do not feel informed about ancient Irish history after reading this book.

The discussions of myth are better, because that requires less factual rigor and warrants more consideration of recurring themes. The author’s bio mentions that she is a seanchai, a traditional Irish oral storyteller, so it makes sense that this area is better. Still shallow, though.

Things improve as the book progresses to more modern history, in section three. It covers about a thousand years in broad strokes, including a long string of English monarchs, the Normans and the Scots, Oliver Cromwell, and eventually, the potato famine. Obviously, there are many more written records and much more information available about the last thousand years, and the book gets significantly more specific and more informative in this section. I feel quite a bit more informed about modern Irish history than about ancient Irish history; at the very least, I would know where to start if I wanted to do further reading.

In section four, the author turns to the history of the diaspora in America. This section is unfortunately scattered and suffers from muddy organization. It also features a few sweeping generalizations about black and Chinese workers in the 1800s, which comes across as rather tone-deaf alongside all that expounding about the unfairly prejudiced treatment the Irish received. Personally, I think a more detailed comparison would have been a good piece of analysis to add, but hey, as always, I’m trying to judge by what the book did, not by what it didn’t do. What did it do? Cite the History Channel to generalize about Chinese immigrant railroad workers. Clearly, those statements were only lightly researched.

Section four contains some very interesting stuff about 1800s America through the lens of the Irish immigrant experience. Company towns, the gold rush, Tammany Hall electioneering, the Civil War, the construction of the transcontinental railroad. It’s brief, but it’s there, a story of one diaspora among many embedded in the bones of the country. What a different world we live in now—but the roots are there.

Overall, this was a light and mostly enjoyable read. I generally prefer my history books to be a bit more serious and detailed than this, but then, I probably wouldn’t have picked up a book like that about the history of Ireland. I suppose this makes a decent accessible starting point. It’s deeply mediocre and does a lot of mythologized storytelling, so there are downsides to that, but it certainly isn’t intimidating or dense.

Three stars. Probably will not recommend to anyone. The author did plenty of damage to her credibility with me over the course of the book, so I am unlikely to pick up anything else of hers.

[Edward Whelan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an introduction or a beginner’s guide to Irish History. It was written for the American market but is an excellent introduction to the tangled and fascinating story of the Irish for readers from any nation. The author is both a historian and a novelist, this allows her to tell a great story and yet provide valuable insights and analysis. More than one observer has noted that Ireland has a great deal of history for such a small island. This work tells the story of the Irish from the Stone Age to the Celtic Heroic Age through to the Christian Golden Age of the Early Middle Ages. It then moves to the Norman era to the terrible times of the Great Famine. The section on the Great Famine and subsequent mass migration of Irish people to all parts of the World is both well-researched and moving. This section is invaluable to all those of Irish descent and it can help them to become more aware of their heritage.
Irish history is still very controversial, and this work treats the centuries of English rule in a fair and balanced manner. Some could argue that the work is partial to the native Irish, but it cannot be denied that they suffered greatly under English rule. However, the author’s references to her own historical works could be a distraction for some. Still, many would enjoy these sections as they dramatize the story of the Irish and their struggle. Overall, this book will help the reader to better understand Ireland’s history and encourage them to read more on the subject. The book is a visual delight and offers many beautiful images of the Emerald Isle and its unique art. This work would make a great gift for those who have some connection to Ireland or are just interested in its history and culture. It is also useful for those who are familiar with the subject as it provides a new perspective on the Irish and their history.

[Terhi Tatjana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful bird's eye view of Irish history written in an accessible and engaging way. The Celts (Gauls) have a fascinating history yet continue to be shrouded in mystery, as much of how they came to be in Ireland and how the lived life still remains unknows. I love how Irish history is so closely linked with fairies and folklore, the spirit realm never far away from daily life. The ancient Celtic concept of becoming another to understand how they think is weaved throughout the told history. Similarly, the history of the Druidic period is shrouded in mystery, but some things are known. Something that confounded the Romans was the Celtic belief around death. They were fearless about death because they believed it was simply a transition to another state of being, not the end of existence. They also believe that much around us, including animals, were liminal in nature, meaning they were doorways to other realms and beings. They "observed no difference between myth and history," which was part of the rich continued tradition of stories and fairytales. A fantastic read with so much information!

Favorite Line ~ "Dolmans exist everywhere in Ireland...clearly, these ancestral people populated the entire island and believed in death as a passageway."

Favorite Random Thing ~ Love the power of the written words, as told by the story of the first satire by a poet being so powerful that it could kill its target or cause them to break out in boils. I mean, wow, that's some powerful written words!

[Jamie Boelter · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an excellent book! Being part Irish and with St. Patrick's Day coming up, I wanted to read this beforehand to get an appreciation of what I've been celebrating for years now and to maybe put together some of the bits and pieces of what I know of Ireland and it's people. This book covered an amazing amount of Irish history from the times of the Celts and druids through today and did it in such a concise and entertaining way. I learned so much about how Ireland and its people came to be and then how they were dispersed (in various ways and times) throughout the world, and it really felt like I understood who and how and why without having to read thousands of pages to do so. At the end of the chapters, there are lists of material related to the things covered in that chapter so you can read more thoroughly about the people and events discussed. There were great pictures and sidebars to complement the main content of the chapters, and that made it that much more interesting. The author stated in her Afterword as one of her goals: "To select from all of the scholarly books I have read the highlights of our history and focus not on the details but on the big picture: This happened then and because it happened, this resulted." Congratulations Juilene Osborne-McKnight, you accomplished this spectacularly. Thank you for this book.

[Lora · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eminently keepable human history regarding Ireland written by an author whose passion for the subject and love for her own connections shines through on every page. More historians should shake out their hair and write about what they love!
Irish history from the deep past to more recent America, covering the most significant people without overwhelming me. These are the names that I see referenced when I read anything Irish- wiki just doesn't do it by the way. This is personable, accessible, alive, and full of the human side of these historical facts and figures.
And the BIBLIOGRAPHY. After every chapter. Including movies, books, online sites, and physical sites like museums. I added some titles to my Ebay lists. I rented two movies.
I was so sad when the book ended- an essential test for any book. Except I was also sad for the Irish- my Irish. Stories I had heard in my family gelled with this history. They gained context. People who had been names became more fully fleshed out. I even understood myself a wee bit more.

[Orion · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting, high-level overview of Irish history. There are a few points where I think the author probably reports myth as fact (such as seven-foot tall warriors), but that's all in the ancient history section. But take the veracity with a grain of salt.

She does jump around a lot, and I think the book could be better with some more logical organization. She also intersperses short fictional stories here and there, sometimes as retellings of myths, and sometimes as a sort of short historical fiction. Some people won't like this, but personally I found it a great way to illustrate the historical events. After finishing the book, the short stories are what stick most strongly in my mind.

Overall worth reading.

[David Christensen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this book because I’ll be spending a week in Ireland this fall and I wanted another perspective on Ireland history. This author did a very job of writing the history from a perspective that an American could relate to. I am not Irish. I certainly admire their culture, the beauty of their country and their tenacious work ethic. But I wanted to better understand all the political struggles, their conflicts with raiders, the British and racists in America. And the author did very well on all of this, without getting too bogged down in historical details. I feel much better prepared to explore several geographic areas of Ireland and take in historical tours while there. I recommend this book.

[Shea · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good overview of hundreds of years of history compiled concisely. It is watered down and streamlined but according to the acknowledgments that was the intention. If you have done other reading about Irish history this will be a refresher. I didn’t get anything new out of the Folklore section having begun some surface level studies. But the overview of more recent history was well-summarized and that section accomplishes what it’s supposed to.
I still think it has a very simplistic view of the introduction of Catholicism and eradication of Celtic Paganism. The author’s bias is overwhelmingly clear and her depiction of that piece of history remains a disappointment.

[Michele · Rating 4 out of 5]

"This comprehensive history examines the course of the Irish from 3800 B.C. to the twentieth century. Celtic legends, the evolution of Christianity, the coming of the Vikings, and the time of the Tudors are just some of the topics covered in these pages. Juilene Osborne-McKnight addresses the events leading up to the An Gorta Mor--or the Great Hunger--which initiated the Irish immigration to America. She then follows the Irish as they travel to the new country and establish themselves as Irish-Americans. Accenting each part are whimsical yet complex Celtic drawings and an annotated bibliography of recommended books and movies."

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Catholic Church in America provided our ancestors with spiritual, financial, educational, and protective services unlike any other American Institution. This is something that I did not give much thought about until I read this book. The Irish over the centuries have been savagely dealt with by others but especially by the British Government. This book makes it quite clear why there should always be a separation of church and state. Throughout history, in many cases, religion has done everything but be a good example of 'love thy neighbor as thy self'.

[Katharine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Listened to this book on audio. It's a nice survey of Irish history, and it includes the most important features of Irish culture, including story-telling, fairies, Irish diet and daily life. I only discovered I had Irish ancestors about 10 years ago, and have yet to visit Ireland, so this was a nice way to get the "flavor" of the Irish, both in the old country and here in America. Well done, Juilene Osborne-McKnight!

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Osborne-McKnight has written a well-rounded introduction to Irish history, though I would have liked to have seen a section dedicated to linguistic change, especially in the context of English dominance over Irish Gaelic. Although she has a wide audience in mind, I find the language patronizingly simple. This wide audience is also to blame for the vivid and emotionally charged illustrative short fictional stories that are ultimately needless. Still, it was a relatively comprehensive yet enjoyable work that has left me with a sense of respect for the Irish plight.

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic book detailing the many tales and histories of Irish Americans. I have long searched for information on my ancestors after tracing my lineage through to Ireland. The author does a fine job of telling the stories and myths of the old country while guiding the reader through to the present day.

[Jonathan · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's okay. If you are Irish-American you already know a lot about most of the material in this book and she misnamed it. She should have called it Irish-American History for Irish Americans. I read this hoping to understand the history of my Island and after Ancient Ireland, she glosses over the invasions, the Risings, and the Troubles. It's good buy it could have been a lot better.

[Brianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great introduction to the history that Irish-Americans carry with them today. I found the book as a whole, fascinating, and it was very successful at keeping my focus on certain areas of Irish history that are a little dryer than others. Great book!

[Bob Blanchard · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thoroughly enjoyable digest of Irish history curated by Prof. Osbourne-McKnight for Irish-Americans. Provides a good foundation that enables the reader to then focus on certain eras through additional readings.