Maggie's Door

Nory Ryan #2

by Patricia Reilly Giff

We will dance on the cliffs of Brooklyn.

Maggie’s Door is the story of the journey from Ireland to America told by both Nory and her neighbor and friend Sean Red Mallon, two different stories with the same destination—the home of Nory’s sister Maggie, at 416 Smith Street, Brooklyn, America.

Patricia Reilly Giff calls upon her long research into Irish history and her great powers as a storyteller in this deeply involving, riveting stand-alone companion novel to Nory Ryan’s Song .

Genres: Historical Fiction, Middle Grade, Ireland, Young Adult, Historical, Fiction, Childrens

176 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Patricia Reilly Giff was the author of many beloved books for children, including the Kids of the Polk Street School books, the Friends and Amigos books, and the Polka Dot Private Eye books. Several of her novels for older readers have been chosen as ALA-ALSC Notable Books and ALA-YALSA Best Books for Young Adults. They include The Gift of the Pirate Queen; All the Way Home; Water Street; Nory Ryan's Song, a Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators Golden Kite Honor Book for Fiction; and the Newbery Honor Books Lily's Crossing and Pictures of Hollis Woods. Lily's Crossing was also chosen as a Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Book.

Reviews

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the premise of this children's book. It was creative and well thought out. Members of 2 families trying to escape hunger in Ireland by taking a boat to America in search of Maggie's door. I liked the character development the most in this and even the dialogue was well used. The sense of place was well done too. I think I even own a copy of this somewhere in my children's pile of books.

[Cait Fogerty · Rating 4 out of 5]

This short novel does not shy away from the extremely harsh realities that Irish immigrants faced during the Great Potato Famine. It depicts their harrowing journey with only slivers of hope along the way, and ends in a way that is not entirely happy. Nevertheless, it reveals the strength of the human spirit to persevere despite tremendous hardship in the fight for family, healing, and new beginnings.

I read a lot of historical fiction as a kid, and looking back, I realize what a deep role this played in developing my sense of empathy from a young age. I love that Maggie's Door is told through the eyes of a young girl, with youth as the intended audience (though adults can certainly benefit from this book as well). Americans today need to read more stories like this to better understand the horrors that bring immigrants and refugees to our shores, and our human responsibility to respond with open arms.

[538am_Kelly O'Hara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written by award-winning author Patricia Reilly Giff (Newbery Honor Book and ALA Notable Books), Maggie's Door portrays the harrowing journey of Nory and Sean, Irish youth who are escaping the potato famine of the 1840s. Detailed descriptions of extreme hunger, terrible shipboard conditions, and the loss of loved ones make this a tense book at times. But the story will help 5th-7th grade students understand why people left their home countries to become immigrants to America. There was nothing left for them at home: no food, no chance of employment, and many family members had already left or died. Since it is written from the point of view of young teens, students will be able to relate to their feelings of wanting to find their parents and will be very interested to learn how different our lives are today.

The book could be a part of literature circles or used to stimulate discussion about poor conditions in other countries as part of an immigration unit. It will make very clear to students why people would leave their home countries to come to America and can serve as a beginning to learning about other countries of origin as well.

This book received a Kirkus starred review. A companion book could be the prequel, "Nory Ryan's Song", which describes the conditions in Ireland during the famine before the characters' crossing to America.

[Aidan · Rating 5 out of 5]

i read this book last year for a book report! and i love it! (mainly cuz it takes place in Ireland!)

[Patti Barber · Rating 5 out of 5]

A haunting tail of survival .... Loved it

[Matthew Parks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picks up where Nory Ryan's song left off. A beautifully tragic and challenging story. A great character book, like the first one.

[Kim · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

[Kristine · Rating 4 out of 5]

An incredible read about a piece of history set in Ireland in the mid 1800’s that I knew little about thus far…. The main female character was one to be admired and lauded greatly!!! Already ILL’s the before and after books of this series!!!!!

[Andy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story that teaches values of freedom, sacrifice, and hard work while also providing a real sense of history. Follows a family's immigration from Ireland to Brooklyn.

[Candice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet short story of the struggles of the Irish during the potatoe famine and their great desire to make it to America. Makes you grateful for what you have, and grateful to your ancestors who sacrificed so much in coming to America. I don't think I could have handled that long and terrible boat trip.

[08jaimev · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the story about the aftermath in Ireland when all of the potatoe farms had failed and not everyone but many people resorted to going to America. Nory Robert's family has already made their way toward the ships and her older sister Maggie already has a house with her husband in Brooklyn. There, she is with her husband, who is her neighbors older brother, and also her best friend. Everyone has left and now it is her time to go. She must make this journey alone. Her little brother started walking a few days ahead with her neighbor Sean and his mother, Mrs. Mallon. Now it is her turn to make the tiresome journey.
Her other neighbor has made sure that her pack is all filled up with food for the road,but only enough to suffice for herself. Nory decideds that before she leaves she needs to take one last look at the place she would never be able to call home. She goes to the very top of the cliff, in that one special spot where you can't see anything but miles and miles of water. The day is dreary and now she must make her way. She must walk all the way to the port, it's a little over a three days journey. She sees a bird soaring through the air, a black crow, he's looking for something to eat. What would Anna, her neighbor say, keep walking, the bird is a waste. What would Granda do? Legend has it that if you feed the white bird you and your family shall have a safe travel. The next thing she knows is she throws the food up into the air. The bird catches it in it's mouth only two seconds later to drop it in the water. At least it wasn't all the food. Just a bit of brack. What did that mean? She only hoped at least Patch her little brother would have a safe trip. He was so little. She knows what Anna would have said. "Foolish Girl, that food was for you to eat."
As she makes her way she does eventually get to the port, she meets Granda and Patch there, but where is Sean and Mrs. Mallon? Not to mention one of thier tickets has expired. So who will stay behind? Where is Sean? Someday, she thought to herself, this can't happen, he was her only friend, possibly her future husband and she missed him terribly.
Sean, is now on the ship, he went to go get food for Patch and his mother when he left them with the cart. But he could not find them when he did get back with food. He thought maybe they had left without him or maybe they had decided to hide the cart in the grass so no one would find it and steal it. But it just so happens that Nory and Sean end up on the same boat with Granda and Patch, and they didn't even no it. Because Mrs. Mallon has Sean's ticket so the only way he got on for free was to help cook the food for the ship. He was on the higher deck always serving food to the ones who could afford their own room and this ship. But will they ever meet up again! You've got to read to find out!
I would reccomend this book to anyone who likes nonfiction, and true stories about histories past.
I rated this book three stars because I usuallly don't like non fiction but it's one of the best I've ever read. It was also interesting and I like the way the author did the chapters, it was organized not all over the place. It also had good vocabulary

[Erin Fitzpatrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the book Maggie’s Door by Patricia Reilly Griff, Nory goes to America. This book has 2 different perspectives. Nory is one perspective and Sean is the other. Half of the book takes place in Ireland where they live and the other half is Nory on the boat. There is also a small section on what happens when nNory gets off the boat in America. The characters have changed a little bit. Nory was still independent and brave most times. Sean hasn’t changed very much expect that he has gotten more independent. Nory is caring and hard working. She worked until she bought herself a ticket to America to live with Maggie. Sean is a little more closed off then Nory. Sean is also caring and hard working because he helped Nory even though he had his own to do. The main conflict is that Nory’s family and Sean’s family have the same hope that they will all end up in America. The only problem with that is that they have to work and get money. No one in Ireland have a lot of money. Everyone is scraping up food so they can even survive. This is more of a character vs. nature problem. The famine plague is killing everyone’s crops. Since people can not grow crops they can not make money by selling them. The theme of this book would probably be to never give up. If you keep working hard and you set your mind to it, then you can do it. The time of this story would most likely be a little sad. Everything and some people are dying. People are dying because of starvation and the famine plague is killing all of the crops. The mood of the story would be a little depressing. Everyone is losing hope and giving up. Nory and Sean are kind of the only people who haven’t given up yet. The author used good word choice. Sometimes I had to re-read and google something’s but the author did use specific and advanced word choice. The authors writing style was like how people would talk in the olden days. She made the book feel more real and a little easier to understand. The author tried to make sure the reader understood the book. Sometimes she took a little time to put vivid detail in and explain what some things were. Sometimes the author went a little to fast. Some of the chapters were to short. I would recommend this book/ sequel to anyone who likes history. This is a good book for anyone who wants to find more about the potato famine plague in Ireland.

[Melissa (Semi Hiatus Until After the Holidays) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sequel to Nory Ryan's Song.
The potato famine has made it impossible for the residents of Maidin Bay, Ireland to survive. Those able to afford it, have purchased tickets to sail to America in search of a better life. Nory Ryan and her small brother Patch are making their way to the ships so that they can set sail. Weak from hunger, they find the road long and tortuous.

Nory sends Patch ahead with Sean Red Mallon and his mother, hoping they will get away quickly. Through an unsettling turn of events, Sean becomes separated from them, yet Nory miraculously happens upon Patch. Together, they travel to the waterfront and find their Granda waiting for them. Sean makes it to the boat later and is hired as a cook's assistant. Nory, Patch, and Granda have tickets for the lower class section of the ship. Even though conditions are deplorable, they receive a meal each day, which is more than they have eaten in months. Will they make it to America to be reunited with the rest of the family?

Maggie's Door continues the story that began in Nory Ryan's Song. Though fiction, it reads like fact. Nory's character is true to life and readers will root for her to reach America and achieve her dreams. Chapters alternate between Nory's and Sean's viewpoints, so that we get a larger picture of each individual's triumphs and tribulations. Patricia Giff writes in a descriptive manner that allows the reader to feel involved in the story. Although glad we didn't live during the potato famine, we can sympathize with those who did.

Though aimed at eight to twelve-year-olds, this story is most appropriate for the upper end of this range. The imagery is realistic enough to disturb younger readers. Those interested in history will enjoy this account from young people's perspectives. Their determination and courage shines through even when things look bleak. I especially recommend Maggie's Door to readers with an Irish heritage, as it shows the extreme hardship that people went through just to survive and to improve their family's future.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this book. A great follow up to Nory Ryan’s Song. I think I even liked it more. It told the story well of the hardships the Irish people suffered as they fled their homeland for another in search of food and freedom. I was riveted by the story and the characters. Another quick easy read, great historical fiction for young teens. I will definitely be reading more from this author!

[Copperfield Review · Rating 4 out of 5]

Patricia Reilly Giff is the author of many beloved books for children. Among her notable titles are The Gift of the Pirate Queen and Lily’s Crossing. Maggie’s Door is the sequel to Giff’s much loved Nory Ryan’s Song.

Giff has steeped herself in Irish history and she shares the wealth of her knowledge here. The potato famine that caused the worst hunger Ireland had ever known in 1845 is the backdrop for this well-told story. Maggie’s Door is the story of Nory Ryan’s journey from Ireland to America. We also hear about the journey from Nory’s neighbor Sean Mallon. Both young people are headed to the same place: Nory’s sister Maggie in Brooklyn, New York. The journey on the ship is difficult, even harrowing at times. The conditions were so dangerous that many of the ships leaving Ireland for the U.S. were called coffin ships. Despite the hardships Nory and Sean are determined to reach Maggie’s door.

This is a good story to show children how perseverence through difficult times can get you where you want to go. Though it is a book intended for children, parents will enjoy reading it to their children as much for themselves as for their children. The dialogue has a true Irish flavor and it flows as you read it aloud. Giff’s language is fluid and the historical details are authentic. Whether you are of Irish ancestry or not you will find learning about the history of Irish Americans fascinating because it echoes the experiences of other immigrants to America.

This is a good story to read to children eight or older. If you’re going to give this book to your children to read for themselves I would recommend this as a fifth or sixth grade level book, though my 7th grader read it and then he read Nory Ryan’s Song because he loved Maggie’s Door so much.

[Elaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ireland's poorest depended heavily on potatoes for their daily survival, eating the vegetable for all three meals. In Nory Ryan's Song, a fungus wipes out the entire crop of many of the residents. Nory's friend Sean and his mother are on their way to America, taking with them Nory's very young brother, Patch. Maggie's Door is the continuation of that story as Nory leaves her new friend Anna and embarks alone on a long walk from their village to the sea so as to catch the boat going to Brooklyn where she is to meet the rest of her family. Sean's trip is also documented, with the chapters moving between his journey and hers, including the travails that such a trip would entail.

Nory hurts herself. Food is stolen from her.

Sean and his mother and Patch become separated when an Englishman demands that Sean take a side trip to the man's house for another horse, promising him food for his trouble. Because of the promise of food, his mother encourages him to go. When Sean returns, he is unable to find his mother or Patch. Not knowing what to do, he boards the boat alone, enduring his own hardships.

The author does a good job in these two books, keeping these young characters from being "over the top" in what they can manage on their own. They are not superheroes and Patricia Reilly Giff doesn't make them out to be, keeping the story believable in all its accounts.

[Kathryn, the_naptime_reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this book up to read because I was attempting to find 4 different chapter books for my 4th graders that deal with immigration (different times, places) to America that we could use for literature circles. This book is the continuing story of Nory Ryan and her family's life in Ireland. I had not read the first book in the series (and apparently there is another that follows it), however, it was not necessary to have read the earlier book to understand what is happening. This book deals with the after math of the potato famine in Ireland and the great wave of immigration to NYC that occurred afterwards. It documents Nory Ryan's departure from her home, her journey to the port to meet her boat, and the boat trip over to the United States. It does a good job at capturing some of the emotions and feelings that would have been happening for a person in her situation. I liked how the narration switched back and forth between Nory and her friend Sean, and showed slightly different experiences. The fourth/fifth grade girl that I once was would have loved the hints that were placed about an impending romance. The pacing was a bit slow, however, in some ways this did serve the purpose of the book, as the journey on the boat to America was a bit slow. My biggest wish is that the author had given a bit more background on the potato famine, and what arrival in America would have been like, they jump past the Ellis Island bit, which I was hoping to see in the novel.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book follows the adventures of Sean and Nory as they travel to New York City from Ireland. It's the sequel to Nory Ryan's Song.
This book was less depressing than Nory Ryan's Song and had more incident in it, which was a plus for me. Also it had one very memorable line about the boats that once were used for transporting slaves now being used to transport the Irish. The baby romance between Nory and Sean is cute in a barely perceptible sort of way, and her sadness when she believed she might never see him again reminded me of sad Celtic music. The ending was very strong and moving.
Overall, I think a combination of this book with Nory Ryan's Song would make a good miniseries. Just think of the soundtrack they'd come up with for such a theme! :)
The book, however, has two flaws that bumped it down to a 4 star. Both have to do with Sean. The cook he works for on the ship was an interesting but oddly stagey character, and Sean's behavior about the books in the rich passenger's room on board ship was downright stupid. I couldn't believe a poor Irish kid who'd had a hard life would be so dumb. He would know better than to meddle with someone else's property. Books are not worth getting into trouble.

[Cookav · Rating 5 out of 5]

After Nory's decision to leave Ireland for America, she is split up from the Mallons and her little brother, Patch. Her grandpa, her sister Celia and her dad have already gone ahead to the docks which is a long way away. The story not only tells the path of Nory, but of Sean Red also, Nory's friend and Mrs. Mallon's son. Their paths intertwine without them knowing it, and for a while, Nory believes that she'll never be able to see Sean again.

This story amazed me. The wonderful storytelling kept you reading until you finished the book, and it was difficult to set down.
The characters went smoothly from the first book in the set to the second, but there is also background information if you read this first. One of my favorite things about this book though was how realistic it was historically. The book discussed the social gap between the poor immigrants and the rich families, and also gave amazing descriptions of what the journey to the boat was like and conditions on the boat (which could be horrifying at times.)The plot flowed well and it ended on a touching note, helping the reader remember all the characters that were lost but also all the characters who developed a new life.

[Ava C · Rating 5 out of 5]

After Nory's decision to leave Ireland for America, she is split up from the Mallons and her little brother, Patch. Her grandpa, her sister Celia and her dad have already gone ahead to the docks which is a long way away. The story not only tells the path of Nory, but of Sean Red also, Nory's friend and Mrs. Mallon's son. Their paths intertwine without them knowing it, and for a while, Nory believes that she'll never be able to see Sean again.

This story amazed me. The wonderful storytelling kept you reading until you finished the book, and it was difficult to set down.
The characters went smoothly from the first book in the set to the second, but there is also background information if you read this first. One of my favorite things about this book though was how realistic it was historically. The book discussed the social gap between the poor immigrants and the rich families, and also gave amazing descriptions of what the journey to the boat was like and conditions on the boat (which could be horrifying at times.)The plot flowed well and it ended on a touching note, helping the reader remember all the characters that were lost but also all the characters who developed a new life.

[Conan Tigard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the fact that Maggie's Door takes off right where Nory Ryan's Song leaves off. I thought that maybe this book would have all been about Nory adjusting to life in Brooklyn, but it wasn't. This book is all about Nory and Sean making their way across a desolate land and their struggle to survive the horrifying ship passage to America.

Patricia Reilly Giff does and excellent job of creating a setting for the story, which immediately immerses the reading into the tale. The storytelling is first-rate and I could not put the book down during the last 60 pages. I just had to find out what was going to happen. I love the strong characters Patricia Reilly Giff has created in both Nory and Sean. How many people could survive some of the ordeals these two have gone through? Not many, I would hasten to say. But family make them strong. Family gives them purpose. Family will make them survive.

Overall, Maggie's Door is an tremendous book for any age and I highly suggest it to all who want to learn more about the Irish Potato Famine. I sure hope there is another book to follow.

I rated this book a 9 out of 10.

[Megan M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Megan M.

Maggie's Door
By: Patrica Rielly Giff
Copyright Date:September 2003
Publisher: Random House/ Wendy Lamb Books
Price: Hard Cover:US $15.95/ CAN $23.95
Age recommendation: 5th-7th grade

Two perspectives one goal – Maggie's door.

Have you ever wondered what a journey from Ireland to America was like? Well then Maggie's Door is the perfect book for you. Patrica uses wonderful elements throughout this book. Flashback is very important to this story especially when Nory has to make decisions. Instead of taking the entire story back, only the words from the past are spoken. Even what someone would've said was used also.
Nory and her neighbor Sean Red Mallon are on a journey to Galway hoping to find Nory's family. Nory and Sean both have one goal – to reach Maggie's door. Maggie is Nory's sister. Hoping to find Nory's family, Sean and Nory journey to Brooklyn to reunite with everyone.
A story of family, hardships, and one long journey will stay with you after you finish this remarkable book.

[emma grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

October 2009 review:

This is the 2nd book in the Nory Ryan’s Song trilogy. It picks up the story right where Nory Ryan’s Song left off. Nory Ryan and Sean Red are both traveling the road to get to the ship that will take them to America. Nory and her brother Patch are able to get tickets on the ship and so they have bunks to sleep in and food, but Sean doesn’t have any money so he gets a place as a cook’s assistant on board the ship. The voyage is long and hard, but Nory and her little brother survive and so does Sean. Sean and Nory travel almost the whole voyage unknown to each other, but then Sean is burned very badly on the arm and Nory is summoned because she can heal. Nory and Sean have a very joyful reunion and travel the rest of the voyage together. This was a great book, although it was pretty sad because the conditions that they lived through on the ship were very bad.

[Lori Clark-Erickson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Historical Topic and Time Period: 19th century Ireland Potato dought
Lexile Level: 720
What I liked: The thing that I liked about this book is that it not only told a historically evident story, but also was about family and the love of your friends. The story was also very visually compelling with the way it described each individual events.
What I disliked: This book was simply too easy of a reading level. It may have had an interesting story, but I read the book too fast because it was simply easy to read.
Summary: This book tells the story of two young teenagers, Nory and Sean. They become poor in a drought in Ireland and find themselves in attempt to travel across the sea along with their families. In these two different stories with the same destination, there is a tale of determination and perseverance.

[Heidi-Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I hadn't realized that there was a sequel to "Nory Ryan's Song." I am really coming to love this author's work, and as I was looking for a shorter audiobook, this was a great choice. However, it is always difficult (for me) to do one book in print and another in audio. It was great listening to the accents and correct pronunciations. It gave the book such a flare. But I think I missed some possible great parts of the book that wouldn't have happened if I'd read the print. Still, the book was very good. Not as enthralling for me as the first (but again, I blame that on having listened to it instead of reading the print). Still, it was a good book and I loved being part of the characters' lives again.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as its predecessor, mostly because it’s missing the spark that made Nory Ryan’s Song transform into more than a history lesson. Maggie’s Door picks up as Nory is headed to Galway, where she will catch a ship to America and reunite with her family. There are some powerful moments, but they didn’t grab me the way similar moments did in the first book. The entire book felt like a checklist of what had to happen. The narration also switches from the first-person used in Nory Ryan’s Song, to alternating third person. I like third person (and tend to find first person overused), but it didn’t work here. It diminished the story, mostly because Nory was such an engaging narrator. Quasi-recommended.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although this is a sequel to “Nory Ryan’s Song”, it is definitely a stand-alone book that could be read without any previous knowledge of the characters. The first book ends with the decision by two families to leave Ireland during the Famine and this book begins with the walk to Galway and then the transatlantic crossing. Told in spare prose but with all the horror of the trip on the “coffin ships” intact, the author shares history in the context of a human interest story. Told in alternating POV of Nory and her friend, Sean, it gives middle school readers a great look at this period of immigration, as well as young people who cope with disease and hardship. Very good. Also, I read it in one sitting and there’s something very satisfying about reading a book from beginning to end. ;)

[Forgetfulone · Rating 2 out of 5]

My sixth graders were required to read this book over the summer if they were enrolled in advanced social studies this year. I finally finished reading the book last week. I wasn't impressed. The main character is a young girl whose family is trying to get to America from Ireland during the potato famine. I didn't feel like there was enough historical background information to convey why it was so important for them to leave their home country. The characters were also one-dimensional. Their arrival in the United States was anti-climactic. I wasn't on the committee that selected this book, and I hope it is not on the list again next year.

[KidsFiction Teton County Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

J Giff

Kay Farmer

A fast paced historical fiction novel about a horrible potato famine in Ireland in the mid 1800's. A young girl, Nory, sets off to join her family for a voyage to America, where they hope to have a better life. Her neighbor and friend, Sean, has also separately set off for the docks. Not only are the characters trying not to starve before reaching Brooklyn, where Nory's sister and brother in law are living, but they are faced with many tragedies to endure. The story is seen through Nory's and Sean's eyes. A true page turner, the reader will find themselves wanting to see what happens next and how their lives will change.

[Brett · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is not necessarily an easy book to read, but then it isn't an easy topic - it's short, but it's intense. Picking up where "Nory Ryan's Song" left off, it follows Nory & her dear friend Sean in alternating chapters as they desperately struggle to make it to their married siblings in Brooklyn - to the "Maggie's Door" of the title. It will give middle-grade readers a good taste of the immigrant experience & its numerous challenges - both those of the Irish of the last century, & all the others who have continued to leave behind persecution & poverty for the hope of America ever since. Giff's writing style continues to be beautifully sparse.