Galway Bay Blog Tour

March 17th - Blog Tour - Galway Bay by Mary Pat Kelly and Paddy the Elephant Giveaway!


To start.... Isn' t this just a beautiful book?

I am going to post a full review in the next day or two. I will say that I love this book inside and out! It reminds me of other favorite great books such as The Thorn Birds, Angela's Ashes, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Angela's Ashes, East of Eden and the "Fambly" in Grapes of Wrath. It is a book about a family struggling in horrific circumstances, I love family sagas. I can't say enough about my journey into this book. Like so many powerful stories of oppression and tyranny this book pulled me through a range of emotions, laughter, tears, and truly heart breaking scenes. I can not recall more heroic characters than Micheal and Honora. Because in my opinion the most noble of people in life are a man and woman as mother and father working together for their family in the most simple in sincere life sustaining tasks. Once caught up in this story I didn't want to do anything else.

This is definitely a favorite book of mine and I am pretty sure it will hold high rank for years to come.


Description:

Here at last is one Irish family's epic journey, capturing the tragedy and triumph of the Irish-American experience. In a rousing tale that echoes the myths and legends of Ireland herself, young Honora Keeley and Michael Kelly wed and start a family, inhabiting a hidden Ireland where fishermen and tenant farmers find solace in their ancient faith, songs, stories, and communal celebrations. Selling both their catch--and their crops--to survive, these people subsist on the potato crop--their only staple food. But when blight destroys the potatoes three times in four years, a callous government and uncaring landlords turn a natural disaster into The Great Starvation that will kill one million. Honora and Michael vow their children will live. The family joins two million other Irish refugees in one of the greatest rescues in human history: the Irish Emigration to America. Danger and hardship await them there. Honora and her unconventional sister Maire watch their seven sons as they transform Chicago from a frontier town to the "City of the Century", fight the Civil War, and enlist in the cause of Ireland's freedom. The Kelly clan is victorious. This heroic story sheds brilliant light on the ancestors of today's 44 million Irish Americans.

In the author's colorful and eclectic life, she has written and directed award-winning documentaries on Irish subjects, as well as the dramatic feature Proud. She's been an associate producer on Good Morning America and Saturday Night Live, written books on Martin Scorsese, World War II, and Bosnia, and a novel based on her experiences as a former nun - Special Intentions. She is a frequent contributor to Irish America Magazine and has a PhD in English and Irish literature.

About the Author:

Mary Pat Kelly is the author of a novel Special Intentions, and nonfiction on subjects as varied as Martin Scorcese and the rescue of Scott O'Grady from Bosnia. In her life, she has been everything from a nun to a documentary filmmaker to a producer of short films for "Saturday Night Live". She lives in New York, NY.

Click here to read a letter from author Mary Pat Kelly.

Where to buy the book?

Now for the Giveaway!

It is Paddy the Elephant! You must have seen him lurking around my blog... And A Circle of Books is giving him away! And to sweeten the deal. Miriam from Hachette is adding a copy of this beautiful book!

Just to be clear, this giveaway is for the handmade stuffed elephant, Paddy, shipped from Toni, and a copy of this gorgeous epic book shipped from Hachette!

A Circle of Books is going to raffle Paddy off in honor of this fabulous book. Galway Bay! It is a random drawing and here is how you get entries.

• For one entry just reply on this post.
• For 2 entries add the giveaway to your side bar.
• For 3 entries add the giveaway to your side bar and include it in a POST on your blog.
• For 4 entries.. all of the above and follow this blog.... at least 50 people already have this step done and it does count! Thank you loyal followers.
• Do all of the above and something fantastic like advertise on Twitter and that will give you a fifth entry!

Please let me know in your post what you are doing and how many entries you get (please include links). It is okay to post again if you decide to earn more later.

This contest runs from today 3/17/2009 through 3/28/2009. Winner will be announced on Sunday 3/29/2008. YOU will have to check back to claim this little guy. So please email me within 3 days . I will not be emailing the winner. So you do not have to include your email address in the post. You can email me directly with your snail mail address when I announce your name!

I am shipping to US and Canada only.

Paddy is hand knit by myself using 100% wool. He is NOT child safe and although I think I knit him and sewed him thoroughly, he is not for children under the age of 4. Allergy alert! ...And although my house is pretty darned tidy when it comes to pet hair, this toy was crafted in a house occupied by a dog, and has been knitted of 100% animal fiber. He is stuffed with Poly fiberfill. He does come from a smoke free home.

Here are the participants in the blog tour. CHECK them out. MANY will have giveaways. Not only that... many are so clever and write darned good reviews. I really can't think of a better way to spend a morning blog hopping!!

http://peekingbetweenthepages.blogspot.com/
http://jennsbookshelf.blogspot.com/
http://2kidsandtiredbooks.blogspot.com
http://athomewithbooks.blogspot.com/
http://book-thirty.blogspot.com/
http://readersrespite.blogspot.com
http://www.myfriendamysblog.com
http://bermudaonion.wordpress.com
http://www.corinnesbookreviews.blogspot.com
http://lorisbookden.blogspot.com/
http://www.bookthoughtsbylisa.blogspot.com
http://teddyrose.blogspot.com
http://libraryqueue.blogspot.com
http://allisonsatticblog.blogspot.com
http://cherylsbooknook.blogspot.com/
http://luanne-abookwormsworld.blogspot.com/
http://bookingmama.blogspot.com/
http://enroutetolife.blogspot.com/
http://thetometraveller.blogspot.com/
http://www.marjoleinbookblog.blogspot.com
http://cafeofdreams.blogspot.com/
http://thebookczar.blogspot.com
http://writeforareader.blogspot.com/
http://linussblanket.com
http://booksbytjbaff.blogspot.com/
http://www.caribousmom.com
http://hiddenplace.wordpress.com/
http://www.chikune.com/blog
http://librarygirlreads.blogspot.com
http://diaryofaneccentric.blogspot.com
http://savvyverseandwit.blogspot.com
http://www.kayespenguinposts.blogspot.com
http://writebyfaith.blogspot.com
http://www.frommipov.blogspot.com
http://booksiesblog.blogspot.com/
http://www.bookbargainsandpreviews.com/reviews/history/galwaybay.htm
http://wendisbookcorner.blogspot.com
http://www.thisbookforfree.com
http://abookbloggersdiary.blogspot.com/ Share