VOYA
- Beth Karpas
In this sequel to Greener Grass (Red Deer Press, 2009/VOYA June 2009) Kit Byrne heads to America. The year is 1847, and Kit is a teenage girl (and wanted criminal) disguised as a boy, and traveling across the Atlantic Ocean. In a series of trials and tribulations to rival Job's (Kit will later compare herself to that biblical figure), she runs from pursuers, sickness, and loss, trying desperately to find, and then keep, her remaining family. Along the way, she will lose almost everything before she finds a new place in the world. Kit's problems seem endless, and if Caroline Pignat did not document the actual history of Irish immigrants to Canada in her afterword, one might have been tempted to say they were unbelievable. The facts are there for all to see, however, and many of the secondary characters are real people who Pignat researched quite thoroughly. Everything that happened to Kit could easily have happened to an immigrant of her age at that time. So with that in mind, this is a fine book, more engaging than the earlier title if for no other reason than more happens to Kit sooner. In this volume, Kit is always an active participant—she is not simply observing her family and neighbors. A historical novel, a young adult coming-of-age tale, an adventure yarn, a story of faith and love, all of these describe Wild Geese and will draw a wide audience. Reviewer: Beth Karpas
School Library Journal
Gr 5 Up—In this sequel to Greener Grass (Red Deer, 2009), Kit Byrne finds herself on the run as a criminal, and with Mick O'Toole she boards the Erin, a ship bound for Quebec in 1847. On their journey, they fight to survive the horrendous Atlantic Ocean crossing with other Irish Famine families. While disguised as Mick's brother, "Kenny," Kit befriends a family who takes her under their wing. They lament meager rations, worry about people around them getting "the fever," and pray for the voyage to end. Tossed into the mix are a stowaway, Billy; a hateful sailor, Coyle, who wants "Kenny" and Mick dead; and the vengeful Lynch brothers who follow Kit from Ireland to bring her to justice. She manages to escape capture and make it ashore, but soon faces additional struggles. In Canada she learns the fate of her mother and siblings who sailed before her and has to adjust her plans for survival in a new world. Although Kit faces many adversities, she does not realize that she grows stronger with each one. She only knows that life is hard and that she does not know what to do with hers. Not until she understands her role in life is she able to open up and truly love. This is a compelling historical novel with well-researched details and plenty of backstory for those who have not read the first book.—Wendy Scalfaro, G. Ray Bodley High School, Fulton, NY
Kirkus Reviews
In Greener Grass (2009), Pignat introduced readers to the plight of 15-year-old Kit as she suffered the horrifying consequences of the 1847 Irish famine. This sequel takes up days after the previous work ended and, like its predecessor, is narrated by its protagonist. Kit, pursued as a criminal, has safely made it on board an immigrant "coffin" ship bound for Canada, disguised as a boy and accompanied by Mick, her best friend. Along the way, with historically gritty authenticity, she encounters a lethal fever, near-starvation conditions and terrifying storms, while she desperately worries about her family, who sailed away before her. When she finally reaches Canada, there is more disease and separation as Kit struggles to find her way in a strange, often bleak new world. Although this title can stand alone, reading the first book will certainly enhance understanding of this harrowing, realistic look at the immigrant Irish experience. Actual relief workers of the era play important roles, and an author's note offers more information about them and some of the places Kit visits on her journey. (Historical fiction. 10-14)
