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May the Road Rise Up to Meet You
An engrossing, epic American drama told from four distinct perspectives, spanning the first major wave of Irish immigration to New York through the end of the Civil War.
Four unique voices; two parallel love stories; one sweeping novel rich in the history of nineteenth-century America. This remarkable debut draws from the great themes of literature—famine, war, love, and family—as it introduces four unforgettable characters. Ethan McOwen is an Irish immigrant whose endurance is tested in Brooklyn and the Five Points at the height of its urban destitution; he is among the first to join the famed Irish Brigade and becomes a celebrated war photographer. Marcella, a society girl from Spain, defies her father to become a passionate abolitionist. Mary and Micah are slaves of varying circumstances, who form an instant connection and embark on a tumultuous path to freedom.
All four lives unfold in two beautiful love stories, which eventually collide. Written in gorgeous language that subtly captures the diverse backgrounds of the characters, and interspersed with letters, journals, and dreams, this unforgettable story, rendered in cinematic detail, is about having faith in life's great meaning amidst its various tangles.
Four unique voices; two parallel love stories; one sweeping novel rich in the history of nineteenth-century America. This remarkable debut draws from the great themes of literature—famine, war, love, and family—as it introduces four unforgettable characters. Ethan McOwen is an Irish immigrant whose endurance is tested in Brooklyn and the Five Points at the height of its urban destitution; he is among the first to join the famed Irish Brigade and becomes a celebrated war photographer. Marcella, a society girl from Spain, defies her father to become a passionate abolitionist. Mary and Micah are slaves of varying circumstances, who form an instant connection and embark on a tumultuous path to freedom.
All four lives unfold in two beautiful love stories, which eventually collide. Written in gorgeous language that subtly captures the diverse backgrounds of the characters, and interspersed with letters, journals, and dreams, this unforgettable story, rendered in cinematic detail, is about having faith in life's great meaning amidst its various tangles.
400 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2012
181 people are currently reading
6965 people want to read
About the author
Peter Troy
2 books45 followersPeter Troy is a former journalist and high school history teacher. He lives in New York State, where he is at work on his next novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 395 reviews
November 16, 2017
As the Preface begins, it is September 5th, the year is 1853, and Mary, a ten year-old girl in Raleigh, North Carolina, is lying on her bed, watching Gertie doing her stitching. The only light is from the fire, and she’s full of questions about what she’s stitching, how she knows what it’s going to end up looking like from all those itty-bitty strands of threads and scraps of fabric the Misses gives her. How does she know what she’s doing?
”You cain’t tell nothin ‘bout whachu seein when you layin over there, she says,
“Cain’t tell nothing ‘bout nothing in dis worl’ when all you seein is th’knots an tangles an ever’thin’ goin ever which way, lookin like a buncha mess. How you gonna unnerstan’ when you layin’ dere seein jus’ th’messa it all, when th’mess only one parta it, no matta how it seem sometime? Cain’t see how all dese little bitsa thread be connected together, jus’ like all th’bitsa thread be connected together, jus’ like all th’bitsa yo’ life gonna be, cause you ain’ lookin at the way it meant t’be seen.”
As the story begins, Ethan McOwen is in County Fermanagh, Ireland in April of 1847, attending Mass to be said for Aislinn, his sister. The older graves had upright tombstones, where the newer ones, those lost to The Hunger, like Aislinn’s, would have a thick slate laid flat on the ground. The only thing to mark the life of a girl who lived to be almost sixteen, who had wanted to be a teacher, who had taught the children in their village how to read, it showed nothing of the memories, the stories about the shows they’d put on, just her name, AISLINN McOWEN and beneath that 1831-1847. His Da and his brother Sean had been in America for two years by then, saving up for them all to cross to the land where people said things like The Hunger couldn’t happen there.
Soon it’s time for them to begin their journey, Ethan, his Mam, his Aunt Em pack what few things they can carry. Two extra sets of clothes, their blankets and a few other trinkets. All Ethan really wants to take are the eleven books Aislinn had added to their “Library,” but quickly realized six was the most he could carry, opening the front covers, reading each hand-written inscription, Aislinn’s idea:
”This book passes now through the grateful hands of
Aislinn McOwen & Ethan McOwen
(though the stories contained within belong to the ages)
Ethan heads off for America, alone on a ship, being watched over by an older couple on their way, as well. His Aunt Em and Mam will stay in Newry, working, until enough money can be saved for them to cross, as well. Some of the books were left behind along the way, and by the time he leaves, only three are left to journey with him to America. To Red Hook, where he will live with his Da.
”It was all nice and organized with stone walls and iron gates to keep them exactly where they belonged. Back in the Old Country, that was.
“But here in America, it was all a taunting, torturing mess, without enough stone walls or iron gates to keep things separated the way the Good Lahrd had seen fit to make them in the first place.”
Marcella Arroyo is an abolitionist staying, temporarily, in Savannah, Georgia, playing the coy Southern Belle when necessary, disarmingly charmingly winning her way through poker games in order to raise funds for her special cause. She was raised by her Abuela in Spain, but is the daughter of a well-to-do family in America, still she cherishes her Abuela's memory.
Micah, is a slave who was separated from his family in South Carolina, sold to another, and then sold again. He becomes a carpenter with a reputation for excellent work.
”And the idea of a new Massa and a new home not even something he let himself think on for long. Just hoped a dreamless sleep would come to him soon. All he ever hoped for.
“Anymore.”
”Then he saw her.
“She walked along the cobblestone path like she wasn’t walkin’ at all. Such easy steps that didn’t disturb her dress more than an inch to one side or the other. Straight-back and chin held up to let the world know she was there. Graceful. And beautiful as anything he’d ever seen. Like the sun dippin’ down over the Blue Ridge in the distance. Demanding, with a whisper, that a man stop and take notice at what God had done here.”
This story covers a lot of territory, different continents, horrific living conditions from The Hunger – Ireland’s Great Famine, which began in September 1845 and lasted until 1852, to slavery, to the suffrage movement, to the repression of women, in general, and, oh yes, the Civil War. While these are not happy topics, this story doesn’t dwell overmuch on the heaviest or most disturbing scenes.
Add in some photography, some baseball, some historical figures and memorable settings, memorable characters along with a love of literature, familial love, romantic love, joy, and finding a place to call home. Sometimes, like with Gertie’s stitching, you might have to look at the threads from the finished side.
Although this story begins in Ireland, at its heart, this is essentially a story of the roots of America, of immigrants, of facing adversity after adversity, and still managing, in the end, to achieve victory over oppression of one kind or another.
The title of this book is taken from the English translation of an old Irish proverb, which (loosely) translated into:
May the road rise to meet you
May the wind be always at your back
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
The rains fall soft upon your fields
And until we meet again
May God hold you in the hollow of His hand.
In Irish Gaelic
Go n-éirí an bóthar leat
Go raibh an ghaoth go brách ag do chúl
Go lonraí an ghrian go te ar d'aghaidh
Go dtite an bháisteach go mín ar do pháirceanna
Agus go mbuailimid le chéile arís,
Go gcoinní Dia i mbos A láimhe thú.
Many thanks, once again, to the Public Library system for the loan of this book!
”You cain’t tell nothin ‘bout whachu seein when you layin over there, she says,
“Cain’t tell nothing ‘bout nothing in dis worl’ when all you seein is th’knots an tangles an ever’thin’ goin ever which way, lookin like a buncha mess. How you gonna unnerstan’ when you layin’ dere seein jus’ th’messa it all, when th’mess only one parta it, no matta how it seem sometime? Cain’t see how all dese little bitsa thread be connected together, jus’ like all th’bitsa thread be connected together, jus’ like all th’bitsa yo’ life gonna be, cause you ain’ lookin at the way it meant t’be seen.”
As the story begins, Ethan McOwen is in County Fermanagh, Ireland in April of 1847, attending Mass to be said for Aislinn, his sister. The older graves had upright tombstones, where the newer ones, those lost to The Hunger, like Aislinn’s, would have a thick slate laid flat on the ground. The only thing to mark the life of a girl who lived to be almost sixteen, who had wanted to be a teacher, who had taught the children in their village how to read, it showed nothing of the memories, the stories about the shows they’d put on, just her name, AISLINN McOWEN and beneath that 1831-1847. His Da and his brother Sean had been in America for two years by then, saving up for them all to cross to the land where people said things like The Hunger couldn’t happen there.
Soon it’s time for them to begin their journey, Ethan, his Mam, his Aunt Em pack what few things they can carry. Two extra sets of clothes, their blankets and a few other trinkets. All Ethan really wants to take are the eleven books Aislinn had added to their “Library,” but quickly realized six was the most he could carry, opening the front covers, reading each hand-written inscription, Aislinn’s idea:
”This book passes now through the grateful hands of
Aislinn McOwen & Ethan McOwen
(though the stories contained within belong to the ages)
Ethan heads off for America, alone on a ship, being watched over by an older couple on their way, as well. His Aunt Em and Mam will stay in Newry, working, until enough money can be saved for them to cross, as well. Some of the books were left behind along the way, and by the time he leaves, only three are left to journey with him to America. To Red Hook, where he will live with his Da.
”It was all nice and organized with stone walls and iron gates to keep them exactly where they belonged. Back in the Old Country, that was.
“But here in America, it was all a taunting, torturing mess, without enough stone walls or iron gates to keep things separated the way the Good Lahrd had seen fit to make them in the first place.”
Marcella Arroyo is an abolitionist staying, temporarily, in Savannah, Georgia, playing the coy Southern Belle when necessary, disarmingly charmingly winning her way through poker games in order to raise funds for her special cause. She was raised by her Abuela in Spain, but is the daughter of a well-to-do family in America, still she cherishes her Abuela's memory.
Micah, is a slave who was separated from his family in South Carolina, sold to another, and then sold again. He becomes a carpenter with a reputation for excellent work.
”And the idea of a new Massa and a new home not even something he let himself think on for long. Just hoped a dreamless sleep would come to him soon. All he ever hoped for.
“Anymore.”
”Then he saw her.
“She walked along the cobblestone path like she wasn’t walkin’ at all. Such easy steps that didn’t disturb her dress more than an inch to one side or the other. Straight-back and chin held up to let the world know she was there. Graceful. And beautiful as anything he’d ever seen. Like the sun dippin’ down over the Blue Ridge in the distance. Demanding, with a whisper, that a man stop and take notice at what God had done here.”
This story covers a lot of territory, different continents, horrific living conditions from The Hunger – Ireland’s Great Famine, which began in September 1845 and lasted until 1852, to slavery, to the suffrage movement, to the repression of women, in general, and, oh yes, the Civil War. While these are not happy topics, this story doesn’t dwell overmuch on the heaviest or most disturbing scenes.
Add in some photography, some baseball, some historical figures and memorable settings, memorable characters along with a love of literature, familial love, romantic love, joy, and finding a place to call home. Sometimes, like with Gertie’s stitching, you might have to look at the threads from the finished side.
Although this story begins in Ireland, at its heart, this is essentially a story of the roots of America, of immigrants, of facing adversity after adversity, and still managing, in the end, to achieve victory over oppression of one kind or another.
The title of this book is taken from the English translation of an old Irish proverb, which (loosely) translated into:
May the road rise to meet you
May the wind be always at your back
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
The rains fall soft upon your fields
And until we meet again
May God hold you in the hollow of His hand.
In Irish Gaelic
Go n-éirí an bóthar leat
Go raibh an ghaoth go brách ag do chúl
Go lonraí an ghrian go te ar d'aghaidh
Go dtite an bháisteach go mín ar do pháirceanna
Agus go mbuailimid le chéile arís,
Go gcoinní Dia i mbos A láimhe thú.
Many thanks, once again, to the Public Library system for the loan of this book!
July 30, 2014
I've come across a number of reviews and book discussions that reflect the point of view that anything less than a tragically sad ending to a story somehow diminishes its importance in the literary arena. I don't agree. While I wouldn't say that the ending of this novel is necessarily a happy one, it is definitely a perfectly beautiful conclusion to a book filled with many moments of anguish, sadness, and injustice. The story is about the despicable treatment of slaves, the starvation of The Hunger during the famine in Ireland, the wounds, the death, and the killing during the Civil War. In spite of all of this, the story manages to be about the joy that people discover when they find love.
Four narratives alternate the stories of Ethan, an Irish immigrant, Marcella, a Spanish transplant, estranged from her family, Micah, a slave from South Carolina, separated from his family and Mary, a slave from North Carolina. The story of how their lives will connect and their paths will cross is nothing short of gripping. This is in essence two love stories that captured my heart and my imagination.
One of the lovely things that is present throughout is the love of books and the desire to read. Ethan’s sister Aislinn shared her books and her love of literature with him and one of the most moving scenes in the book is just before Ethan leaves for America. He says goodbye to Aislinn as he sits by her grave and reads Shakespeare. Mary, the young slave girl, having suffered abuses , sits quietly in the corner while Miss Juss is being tutored and learns to read and also to speak French. Micah’s mother teaches him to read from the Bible and he loves the poetry of the Psalms.
The immigrant experience and the Civil War certainly are major parts of this novel, as are the amazing love stories , but the horrific suffering and injustices of slavery are particularly gut wrenching. Micah’s feelings at one point are so powerful - "What he'd been happiest to leave behind was the subjugation. Of himself. The need to present himself as less than a man”. What a powerful description!
Their stories and what these characters endure and how they eventually cross paths is an amazing one and I highly recommend it.
Four narratives alternate the stories of Ethan, an Irish immigrant, Marcella, a Spanish transplant, estranged from her family, Micah, a slave from South Carolina, separated from his family and Mary, a slave from North Carolina. The story of how their lives will connect and their paths will cross is nothing short of gripping. This is in essence two love stories that captured my heart and my imagination.
One of the lovely things that is present throughout is the love of books and the desire to read. Ethan’s sister Aislinn shared her books and her love of literature with him and one of the most moving scenes in the book is just before Ethan leaves for America. He says goodbye to Aislinn as he sits by her grave and reads Shakespeare. Mary, the young slave girl, having suffered abuses , sits quietly in the corner while Miss Juss is being tutored and learns to read and also to speak French. Micah’s mother teaches him to read from the Bible and he loves the poetry of the Psalms.
The immigrant experience and the Civil War certainly are major parts of this novel, as are the amazing love stories , but the horrific suffering and injustices of slavery are particularly gut wrenching. Micah’s feelings at one point are so powerful - "What he'd been happiest to leave behind was the subjugation. Of himself. The need to present himself as less than a man”. What a powerful description!
Their stories and what these characters endure and how they eventually cross paths is an amazing one and I highly recommend it.
July 18, 2013
A wonderful first novel by Peter Troy.
Set against the dramatic backdrop of the Civil War, May The Road Rise Up To Meet You is a story of four unforgettable characters who have parallel lives, all are setting out on a journey in life and along the way intersect with each other lives.
The plot for this novel is so well written and unlike other immigrant stories I have read it is not stereotyped or over written which I really appreciated. The characters are believable and richly drawn. I especially loved the characters of Micah and Mary and found myself deeply engrossed in their story about slavery and the fight for freedom.
I loved the insights into the civil war seen through the eyes of Ethan and really felt that Peter Troy wrote this part of the novel beautifully.
The only reservation I had while starting the novel was for the first 20 pages or so the author uses a style of writing that I find really annoying. I don't like writing in Dialect and found the Irish and American slang off putting but thankfully it does fizzles out and the writing becomes fluent and energetic again. Any reservations I had about the writing in the first 20 pages were put well behind me as I found myself thinking about this story even when I wasn't reading it.
An engrossing read and really good character driven novel and one I will be recommending to my friends.
I think lovers of books like
will really enjoy this Historical Fiction Novel.
Set against the dramatic backdrop of the Civil War, May The Road Rise Up To Meet You is a story of four unforgettable characters who have parallel lives, all are setting out on a journey in life and along the way intersect with each other lives.
The plot for this novel is so well written and unlike other immigrant stories I have read it is not stereotyped or over written which I really appreciated. The characters are believable and richly drawn. I especially loved the characters of Micah and Mary and found myself deeply engrossed in their story about slavery and the fight for freedom.
I loved the insights into the civil war seen through the eyes of Ethan and really felt that Peter Troy wrote this part of the novel beautifully.
The only reservation I had while starting the novel was for the first 20 pages or so the author uses a style of writing that I find really annoying. I don't like writing in Dialect and found the Irish and American slang off putting but thankfully it does fizzles out and the writing becomes fluent and energetic again. Any reservations I had about the writing in the first 20 pages were put well behind me as I found myself thinking about this story even when I wasn't reading it.
An engrossing read and really good character driven novel and one I will be recommending to my friends.
I think lovers of books like
will really enjoy this Historical Fiction Novel.
December 27, 2017
I know I know....
It sounds like a cliche´.... but indeed this book will stay unforgotten and deep buried in my heart.... and that for a long, long time !!!!!
Characters so vividly depicted that you cannot but care about them;
A story grippingly told and saturated with honesty and truthfulness;
As background the American civil war full of fascination and sufferings with his legendary battles and charismatics leaders;
A wonderful narrated novel, beautifully shaped with awesome prose full of evocative colorful and vivid pictures....
Peter Troy has achieved with his first novel and story a remarkable narrated family saga and almost epic in his scope to enclose a world full of strong and dominant emotions!!!
In "May the Road Rise Up to Meet you" you have depicted three persons and his fate full of tragedy:
Ethan McOwen and his family escape from the "Great Hunger", an Irish Famine, to the new world....
Micah a slave, escape too, but from slavery and inhuman treatment at a Christmas Eve and must pay a horrendous price for.....
And then we have Marcella Arroyo, a young girl from the Spanish high society, which will become a convinced abolitionist in the new world and then having to face the disdain from her family.....
The fate and the path trough life of this persons with his diverse eventful and peculiar experiences are interweaved masterfully in this epic historic novel!!!!
From the beginning to the end an exquisite fresh novel from a new author you must and will keep watching..
I loved it to the very uttermost.....
Folks, I'm happy so near the end of the year have come across this beauty!!!!!
My full recommendation with five stars!!!!
Dean;D
It sounds like a cliche´.... but indeed this book will stay unforgotten and deep buried in my heart.... and that for a long, long time !!!!!
Characters so vividly depicted that you cannot but care about them;
A story grippingly told and saturated with honesty and truthfulness;
As background the American civil war full of fascination and sufferings with his legendary battles and charismatics leaders;
A wonderful narrated novel, beautifully shaped with awesome prose full of evocative colorful and vivid pictures....
Peter Troy has achieved with his first novel and story a remarkable narrated family saga and almost epic in his scope to enclose a world full of strong and dominant emotions!!!
In "May the Road Rise Up to Meet you" you have depicted three persons and his fate full of tragedy:
Ethan McOwen and his family escape from the "Great Hunger", an Irish Famine, to the new world....
Micah a slave, escape too, but from slavery and inhuman treatment at a Christmas Eve and must pay a horrendous price for.....
And then we have Marcella Arroyo, a young girl from the Spanish high society, which will become a convinced abolitionist in the new world and then having to face the disdain from her family.....
The fate and the path trough life of this persons with his diverse eventful and peculiar experiences are interweaved masterfully in this epic historic novel!!!!
From the beginning to the end an exquisite fresh novel from a new author you must and will keep watching..
I loved it to the very uttermost.....
Folks, I'm happy so near the end of the year have come across this beauty!!!!!
My full recommendation with five stars!!!!
Dean;D
July 2, 2012
Four different people coming from four different backgrounds. Mary and Micah are both slaves, Ethan left Ireland after the potato famine and journeys to New York and Marcella who become a fierce abolitionist.
All face adversity in varying degrees and yet eventually all four come together. This is a wonderful historical novel, with interesting characters. Ethan had me when leaving Ireland he tried to take with him the few books he and his sister (she dies before he leaves Ireland) had, that they had reread over and over. Troy covers much history, in different circumstances, but does it all very well.
All face adversity in varying degrees and yet eventually all four come together. This is a wonderful historical novel, with interesting characters. Ethan had me when leaving Ireland he tried to take with him the few books he and his sister (she dies before he leaves Ireland) had, that they had reread over and over. Troy covers much history, in different circumstances, but does it all very well.
June 7, 2015
Historical fiction of the lives of four main characters before, during and after the Civil War in America. Ethan McOwen's story begins as a child in Ireland during the famine and he immigrates to America to join his "Da" and older brother, Seanny, in NYC. Marcella Arroyo is a NYC high society girl following her families immigration from Spain. Micah and Mary are slaves in Virginia. How their circumstances change and how the war affects each one brings a final intersection in their paths.
What I enjoyed: I like books that aren't afraid to write in dialect. Ethan's voice feels more authentic when he begins with a thick Irish brogue in his native country. His story was probably my favorite of the book. What I especially loved (as any avid reader would) was Ethan's love of books and the initial story of how he carried and discarded some. And, how he gave "The Odyssey" as a gift had me in tears.
I liked Marcella's fighting spirit and the love story between Micah & Mary.
The scenes describing the audience reaction and Lincoln's speech before his election to the presidency were especially memorable.
The author was ambitious and yet achieved a sweeping saga of this historical time period. Well done. 4 stars for me.
What I enjoyed: I like books that aren't afraid to write in dialect. Ethan's voice feels more authentic when he begins with a thick Irish brogue in his native country. His story was probably my favorite of the book. What I especially loved (as any avid reader would) was Ethan's love of books and the initial story of how he carried and discarded some. And, how he gave "The Odyssey" as a gift had me in tears.
I liked Marcella's fighting spirit and the love story between Micah & Mary.
The scenes describing the audience reaction and Lincoln's speech before his election to the presidency were especially memorable.
The author was ambitious and yet achieved a sweeping saga of this historical time period. Well done. 4 stars for me.
August 30, 2014
This novel (currently only in audio book form) has several creative twists going for it. First of all, there are four main characters whose lives start out as different as can be, and eventually the story comes together in one narrative. Secondly, the audio book format the four main men and women (Ethan, Micah, Marcella and Mary) each have their own narrator, and some of these narrators bring their characters to life (see review of the narrators below). Then there is the format of the book. The story is often told as though the action is happening to "you": "then you discover that . . ." which puts you behind the eyeballs of the person whose portion of the story it is at that moment. Fourthly, the story arc covers a fascinating time in history, from "The Hungers" of Ireland and death and emigration of its people, to slavery in the south, to the art of photography and the beginnings of baseball, to the Civil war and its aftermath including the discussion of suffrage for blacks and women.Finally, the novel uses letters, journals, and dreams as well as the storytellers themselves to carry the plot forward. Peter Troy has thrown a lot into this debut novel!
I am a fan of books where you get to know the characters and care about them. Here, too, the novel succeeds well.
I felt the book was weak in an important area: the four central characters were very twenty-first century in their attitudes, opinions and way of communicating. Marcella especially was up-to-date in her views on women's rights. Women of that period who believed in women's rights would have had some quirks or at least ways of dealing with the opinions of those around them. Supposedly Marcella was from Spain, but she seemed like a very modern American -- in fact the only character with no trace of her cultural background or speech patterns of the four.
I also felt that the book made the characters a little too successful and superior to other human beings.
As for the narrators:
Ethan McOwen -- by John Keating, whose Irish brogue was always apt -- RATES 4 out of 5 stars
Micah Plowshare -- by Adam Lazarre-White, whose deep voice and pleasant way of speaking made Micah the strongest character in the book -- RATES 5 stars!
Mary and Gertie -- by Allyson Johnson, whose accents and voices brought the South to life -- RATES 4 of 5 stars
Marcella -- by Barrie Kreinik. She may have been the "celebrity" choice for narrating Marcella, but I am convinced she was a mismatch. What a joy a Latina would have been in the part, especially with Marcella's coquettish ways! Barrie Kreinik's voice came across as an actress enjoying herself doing a role. It was a jarringly modern voice among all the others. RATES 3 of 5 stars.
I am a fan of books where you get to know the characters and care about them. Here, too, the novel succeeds well.
I felt the book was weak in an important area: the four central characters were very twenty-first century in their attitudes, opinions and way of communicating. Marcella especially was up-to-date in her views on women's rights. Women of that period who believed in women's rights would have had some quirks or at least ways of dealing with the opinions of those around them. Supposedly Marcella was from Spain, but she seemed like a very modern American -- in fact the only character with no trace of her cultural background or speech patterns of the four.
I also felt that the book made the characters a little too successful and superior to other human beings.
As for the narrators:
Ethan McOwen -- by John Keating, whose Irish brogue was always apt -- RATES 4 out of 5 stars
Micah Plowshare -- by Adam Lazarre-White, whose deep voice and pleasant way of speaking made Micah the strongest character in the book -- RATES 5 stars!
Mary and Gertie -- by Allyson Johnson, whose accents and voices brought the South to life -- RATES 4 of 5 stars
Marcella -- by Barrie Kreinik. She may have been the "celebrity" choice for narrating Marcella, but I am convinced she was a mismatch. What a joy a Latina would have been in the part, especially with Marcella's coquettish ways! Barrie Kreinik's voice came across as an actress enjoying herself doing a role. It was a jarringly modern voice among all the others. RATES 3 of 5 stars.
July 13, 2016
Ethan is a child when the famine in Ireland forces his family to flee. However, he must make the trip alone to join his father and brother already in New York, as there is only enough fare for one. Marcella lives with her abuela (grandmother) in Spain when the letter that she has dreaded finally arrives, the one in which her father asks her to join him and the family in America. Micah and Mary, both slaves, live on separate plantations until both are taken away from their families and sold off. These four individuals start off as strangers but as their paths collide, their lives become intertwined and joined in ways that profoundly affects them.
Initially, I was not all that taken by this novel. The beginning is a touch slow and the opening scene written in dialect was challenging. Having said, once I read further in, the dialect won me over, as did the pace. The novel is narrated by four characters: Ethan, Marcella, Micah and Mary. All of varying circumstances and ethnicities, these four characters were wonderfully and richly developed. The backstory for each of these character was compelling. Perhaps my favorite character would have to be Ethan, if only for the fact that he loves books and reading. The scene in which he chooses which books to take with him to America was touching. All the details and characters felt authentic. The novel covers a range of topics: slavery, The Hunger (famine), the Civil War, some photography and baseball history as well. Just for good measure, its a love story too. Yet it all works. No topic overwhelms another and everything flows beautifully. This novel is so aptly named (May the Road Rise to Meet You, the Irish blessing) as it reflects the essence of the narrative. A great read.
Initially, I was not all that taken by this novel. The beginning is a touch slow and the opening scene written in dialect was challenging. Having said, once I read further in, the dialect won me over, as did the pace. The novel is narrated by four characters: Ethan, Marcella, Micah and Mary. All of varying circumstances and ethnicities, these four characters were wonderfully and richly developed. The backstory for each of these character was compelling. Perhaps my favorite character would have to be Ethan, if only for the fact that he loves books and reading. The scene in which he chooses which books to take with him to America was touching. All the details and characters felt authentic. The novel covers a range of topics: slavery, The Hunger (famine), the Civil War, some photography and baseball history as well. Just for good measure, its a love story too. Yet it all works. No topic overwhelms another and everything flows beautifully. This novel is so aptly named (May the Road Rise to Meet You, the Irish blessing) as it reflects the essence of the narrative. A great read.
March 10, 2012
I loved this book - the characters were each so different and so compelling. I admit that it took me a while to get used to the sounds of the Southern and Irish voices but once I got over the first few pages and could focus on what Troy's characters were saying, I carried the book with me everywhere.
On the one hand, you might expect the book to be depressingly heavy since the lead characters go through so much - from the Great Famine in Ireland to slavery in the American South to the American Civil War and an escape to freedom. But while Peter Troy gives us a full sense of what it must have been like - undoubtedly drawing on his background as a history teacher - he also delivers characters with such heart, hope, and integrity that we come to care about them.
The book opens with the funeral of Ainslinn, the young sister and closest friend of twelve-year-old Ethan McOwen in Ireland during the Great Famine (The "Hunger"). The Hunger killed one million people and forced one million more to migrate to other lands to survive. Ethan and his family are on the verge of starvation and have decided to leave their home for New York. Ethan, his mother and his Aunt Em can only bring what they can carry during their 50 mile walk to the harbor. They have some raw potatoes, Aunt Em carries some of her wedding china and Ethan carries the six precious books he shared with his sister Ainslinn. There's this heartbreaking scene that sort of reminded me of The Gift of the Maji when Aunt Em can't carry her china and Ethan leaves behind some of his books to carry the plates for his Aunt Em. It had me crying as I read on the subway.
Ethan watches his Aunt unwrap the six ceramic plates her husband had bought her as a wedding present. They're handpainted with different designs, and she looks each of them over before picking out her favorite.
Well, dis one'll have to be enough to remember better days, she says, and wraps it back with her extra dress.
Don't, Em, Ethan's Mam protests. Moichael gave 'em to ya.
I have to, Nora, I can't carry 'em anymore....
Since at least Ainslinn's funeral, Ethan's felt like he's let everyone down. Da told him he was the man of the house when he left, and even if he was just kidding about that, seein' how he was just a lad of ten when his Da said it, Ethan still feels like he's failed to take care of all of them the way he should've, the way his Da would've, or even Seanny. And to see Aunt Em leave this treasure behind, after all she's already left back home, is about all he can take of that shame without doing something drastic. So he ducks behind a tree, unwraps his satchel, and makes the difficult decision in just a few seconds. Shakespeare, Homer, Milton and Chaucer make the cut, while Shelley and Swift are left behind. Out of sight form his Mam and Aunt Em, he places the two books side by side and leans them against a tree, hoping they'll be adopted by passersby for something more than kindling or to wipe their arses. Then he walks over to the discarded plates and begins to wrap them carefully in his satchel.
Ethan, what're ya doin? Aunt Em asks.
I can carry dem, he says with confidence.
Now don't be stahrtin'--
I can carry dem, he interrupts like he never would, somehow stumbling upon a man's sense of resolution, what with how neither his Aunt, nor his Mam, say anything more about it.
There's only enough money for Ethan's passage in steerage on the "cattle car" to America. His mother and aunt stay in Ireland and work until the family can raise money for their trip. On each leg of Ethan's journey, he somehow makes friends and it is by tenacity and luck that he survives. The friends that Ethan makes, his openness, his deep interest in the world around him stayed with me long after I'd finished the book.
We begin Micah's story when he's sixteen. We learn that Micah's family is well regarded by their master, so much so that his father is able to strike a bargain on the day of Micah's birth. Micah's father asks permission to plant and grow indigo in a small unused portion of the plantation. He works during his free time and the harvest goes towards paying for Micah's freedom. They have agreed that 1,000 lbs of indigo will buy Micah's freedom. This endeavor is a testament to Micah's father's hard work and their master's good faith, but it also depends upon the condition being complied with before any change of circumstance - and Fate is not kind to Micah or his family or his master. We learn the cruel fate of a slave, and the ways that Micah tries to cope and builds his life, drawing on the pride in work, integrity, and skills that he learned from his father.
Micah and Ethan are only two of the four main characters. Mary and Marcella are just as complex as they struggle to establish their identities and independence. All characters come together in a deftly crafted plot. If you enjoy historical fiction or are just looking for an engrossing read, do not miss May the Road Rise Up to Meet You.
ISBN-10: 0385534485 - Hardcover $25.95
Publisher: Doubleday (February 28, 2012), 400 pages.
Review copy courtesy of the publisher.
On the one hand, you might expect the book to be depressingly heavy since the lead characters go through so much - from the Great Famine in Ireland to slavery in the American South to the American Civil War and an escape to freedom. But while Peter Troy gives us a full sense of what it must have been like - undoubtedly drawing on his background as a history teacher - he also delivers characters with such heart, hope, and integrity that we come to care about them.
The book opens with the funeral of Ainslinn, the young sister and closest friend of twelve-year-old Ethan McOwen in Ireland during the Great Famine (The "Hunger"). The Hunger killed one million people and forced one million more to migrate to other lands to survive. Ethan and his family are on the verge of starvation and have decided to leave their home for New York. Ethan, his mother and his Aunt Em can only bring what they can carry during their 50 mile walk to the harbor. They have some raw potatoes, Aunt Em carries some of her wedding china and Ethan carries the six precious books he shared with his sister Ainslinn. There's this heartbreaking scene that sort of reminded me of The Gift of the Maji when Aunt Em can't carry her china and Ethan leaves behind some of his books to carry the plates for his Aunt Em. It had me crying as I read on the subway.
Ethan watches his Aunt unwrap the six ceramic plates her husband had bought her as a wedding present. They're handpainted with different designs, and she looks each of them over before picking out her favorite.
Well, dis one'll have to be enough to remember better days, she says, and wraps it back with her extra dress.
Don't, Em, Ethan's Mam protests. Moichael gave 'em to ya.
I have to, Nora, I can't carry 'em anymore....
Since at least Ainslinn's funeral, Ethan's felt like he's let everyone down. Da told him he was the man of the house when he left, and even if he was just kidding about that, seein' how he was just a lad of ten when his Da said it, Ethan still feels like he's failed to take care of all of them the way he should've, the way his Da would've, or even Seanny. And to see Aunt Em leave this treasure behind, after all she's already left back home, is about all he can take of that shame without doing something drastic. So he ducks behind a tree, unwraps his satchel, and makes the difficult decision in just a few seconds. Shakespeare, Homer, Milton and Chaucer make the cut, while Shelley and Swift are left behind. Out of sight form his Mam and Aunt Em, he places the two books side by side and leans them against a tree, hoping they'll be adopted by passersby for something more than kindling or to wipe their arses. Then he walks over to the discarded plates and begins to wrap them carefully in his satchel.
Ethan, what're ya doin? Aunt Em asks.
I can carry dem, he says with confidence.
Now don't be stahrtin'--
I can carry dem, he interrupts like he never would, somehow stumbling upon a man's sense of resolution, what with how neither his Aunt, nor his Mam, say anything more about it.
There's only enough money for Ethan's passage in steerage on the "cattle car" to America. His mother and aunt stay in Ireland and work until the family can raise money for their trip. On each leg of Ethan's journey, he somehow makes friends and it is by tenacity and luck that he survives. The friends that Ethan makes, his openness, his deep interest in the world around him stayed with me long after I'd finished the book.
We begin Micah's story when he's sixteen. We learn that Micah's family is well regarded by their master, so much so that his father is able to strike a bargain on the day of Micah's birth. Micah's father asks permission to plant and grow indigo in a small unused portion of the plantation. He works during his free time and the harvest goes towards paying for Micah's freedom. They have agreed that 1,000 lbs of indigo will buy Micah's freedom. This endeavor is a testament to Micah's father's hard work and their master's good faith, but it also depends upon the condition being complied with before any change of circumstance - and Fate is not kind to Micah or his family or his master. We learn the cruel fate of a slave, and the ways that Micah tries to cope and builds his life, drawing on the pride in work, integrity, and skills that he learned from his father.
Micah and Ethan are only two of the four main characters. Mary and Marcella are just as complex as they struggle to establish their identities and independence. All characters come together in a deftly crafted plot. If you enjoy historical fiction or are just looking for an engrossing read, do not miss May the Road Rise Up to Meet You.
ISBN-10: 0385534485 - Hardcover $25.95
Publisher: Doubleday (February 28, 2012), 400 pages.
Review copy courtesy of the publisher.
August 22, 2013
Argh. Everybody else seems to love this but I just didn't and I can't even seem to sum up why. For starters, it took me awhile to really dig in and enjoy. In part I needed to pick up the rhythm of the various accents (which I find distracting until I really get into the swing of things) and partially because it takes quite awhile for the stories to begin to come together. So I had to accept and wrap my mind around the way each character thinks and speaks and I was a little impatient to get on with things - those are on me, not the author because this is a fairly well written piece of historical fiction. May the Road Rise Up to Meet You, as you might suspect from the title, covers the Great Famine in Ireland but also slavery and the Civil War with the beginnings of women's suffrage stirred in. All told in the voices and from the viewpoint of four main characters, two slaves and two very different types of immigrants, whose stories eventually weave together into a story about love, family, courage, class struggles, change, loss and making your way in a changing and foreign world.
All that said, I just really didn't love it and I'm really not sure why. To some extent it just felt too all over the place for me, switching around between characters, with so many social issues. In the beginning you have some time gaps and so much of the story happens inside everybody's head. Maybe there was too little dialog and too much telling and not enough "show me?" For me. In my present mood. May I just say argh again? Because I don't know why it didn't resonate with me but there you have it.
All that said, I just really didn't love it and I'm really not sure why. To some extent it just felt too all over the place for me, switching around between characters, with so many social issues. In the beginning you have some time gaps and so much of the story happens inside everybody's head. Maybe there was too little dialog and too much telling and not enough "show me?" For me. In my present mood. May I just say argh again? Because I don't know why it didn't resonate with me but there you have it.
January 3, 2015
Lately I've read several books that have the format of telling the story of different characters, alternating between them. Is this a trend, or have I just randomly selected such books. Peter Troy uses this format in his debut novel. Troy tells the story of four quite disparate people. First we meet Ethan McOwen, who with the help of his family escapes the Irish famine to join his father and brother in New York. Life in New York is not easy for the Irish in the nineteen century. But we learn of Ethan's struggles, especially to determine what he wants to do in life. Marcella Arroyo is another character presented. She and her wealthy family have come from Spain to America. Marcella is an independent-minded young woman who chafes at the domination of her father. Then we separately encounter two slaves, Micah and Mary, who suffer the degradation of slave status. Micah is separated from his parents, but is am accomplished carpenter. Mary as an accomplished seamstress earns a place as companion for her young owner.
The novel alternately follows these characters through the years preceding the Civil War and later. For my part, the characters of Ethan and Micah are better developed. At least I related to them more. And as is expected, these four people's paths connect in the denouement of the novel. Though it makes for a nice resolution, I felt it was a bit contrived. Still I enjoyed the book and recommend it to those who like historical fiction.
The novel alternately follows these characters through the years preceding the Civil War and later. For my part, the characters of Ethan and Micah are better developed. At least I related to them more. And as is expected, these four people's paths connect in the denouement of the novel. Though it makes for a nice resolution, I felt it was a bit contrived. Still I enjoyed the book and recommend it to those who like historical fiction.
May 9, 2014
This book found me through my local library's list of recommendations. I am so glad I picked it up.
The story involves four characters on all the cusp of change as America is transforming itself during the Civil War.
Ethan is a recent arrival from Ireland; Marcella is a transplant from Spain; Micah is a slave that is sold to a man in Virginia separated from his family; and Mary is bought as a young girl an a slave auction when a wealthy white girl wants her for a "sister."
These characters each have their own trajectory in the plot, but all the paths cross at some point. It is written very well and Troy captures the voice of his characters with ease and honesty.
There is a lot to learn here about assimilation, baseball, women's rights, photography and the Civil War.
An engaging read.
The story involves four characters on all the cusp of change as America is transforming itself during the Civil War.
Ethan is a recent arrival from Ireland; Marcella is a transplant from Spain; Micah is a slave that is sold to a man in Virginia separated from his family; and Mary is bought as a young girl an a slave auction when a wealthy white girl wants her for a "sister."
These characters each have their own trajectory in the plot, but all the paths cross at some point. It is written very well and Troy captures the voice of his characters with ease and honesty.
There is a lot to learn here about assimilation, baseball, women's rights, photography and the Civil War.
An engaging read.
December 27, 2011
There are multiple books on Goodreads that I can't figure out why they don't have more reception. This is one of those books. Although it hasn't been released yet, I would expect to see it on more TBR lists. I enjoyed the book due to its' setting, but also the character development. These were truly characters I could sink me teeth into and get to know. One word of warning...as this book first started out I couldn't figure out where or for what purpose it was heading. Even half the way through the book, I was thinking the same thing. Lucky for me, I didn't give up on it, because it came together nicely.
March 14, 2016
What appealed to me at first was the title of this book as it is one of my favorite Irish blessings. Being of Irish descent I wanted to learn more of the young boy who survived the Irish famine and made his way to America at a time of critical unrest in our country. What a bold and unique novel that intertwines the stories of four characters during the days of America's Civil War. We forget how tumultuous those times were and how brave people needed to be in order for us to have the country and the freedoms we have today. Well done.
June 30, 2018
Loved this book. It will be among my all time favorites. I love books written in this time period because people worked so hard to overcome their hardships. So many had a great character that is lacking when times are easier.
The characters were all well developed and I liked that it was written in four voices. Of course there's going to be some skipping through time unless you want to have a 1000 page book. I could have read more but was fine with the choices the author made. This book gave a good flavor of what it was like during the Irish Potato famine, the American immigrant experience, slavery, the civil war, early photography, the beginning of baseball even, all in 400 pages! A first novel?! Amazing! Can't wait for the next one from Peter Troy.
Seeing other people talk about the audio book with different voices for each character, makes me want to try that too.
The characters were all well developed and I liked that it was written in four voices. Of course there's going to be some skipping through time unless you want to have a 1000 page book. I could have read more but was fine with the choices the author made. This book gave a good flavor of what it was like during the Irish Potato famine, the American immigrant experience, slavery, the civil war, early photography, the beginning of baseball even, all in 400 pages! A first novel?! Amazing! Can't wait for the next one from Peter Troy.
Seeing other people talk about the audio book with different voices for each character, makes me want to try that too.
February 24, 2012
It's hard to know where to begin. This book is so filled with characters you root for, it's like you've spent all those years with them on their journey, sharing their hopes, their dreams, their worries. On a purely technical aspect, I found that I enjoyed the informal writing style, the general lack of quotation marks that indicate talking. It somehow made it feel more...real. Even though the characters are not real, it brings to life and gives a face (faces), to part of American history that unites us all.
August 18, 2014
This book was incredibly, historically inaccurate, the attempts at imitating local dialects was atrocious and made the reading nearly impossible, and worst of all, any character that was not apart of the inner chore of characters was played off as two dimensional and rather unintelligent. This book was a chore to read and a waste of time.
April 17, 2012
I don't know where to begin with this book as it was truly a gem. Mr. Troy has crafted really three love stories in this novel; that of the two main couples and a third for what we all long for, home. Ethan leaves Ireland during "The Hunger" after losing his beloved sister and comes to America to live with his father and brother. Mary, a slave is first horribly treated and then uplifted but still enslaved. Marcella, a woman of means and family breaks from her family as soon as she can because she knows she is more than just a pawn for her father's use and Micah, a slave sold away from his family who is a brilliant carpenter and engineer but who is treated like an animal.
These four distinct individuals travel different paths through the Civil War yet will come together to form a lasting bond. But it won't be easy traveling for any of them. Each character is unique, well defined and surrounded by a strong cast of supporting characters that help to tell the story. Mr. Troy has a way with his writing that is as different as any I have read; he slips from first person to second to third and you hardly notice as you find yourself so engrossed in the tale being told. The grammar and syntax changes for each character as well keeping true to their heritage and station in life. Even when they interact within a chapter they maintain their manner of speaking and description. This book is a marvel.
The Civil War plays an important role as well - the harm it did to the young men that fought and to the country as a whole. Marcella is an abolitionist so the slavery issue is front and center - Mary experiences the worst that a female slave can and then rises high; not understanding for a long while what freedom truly brings.
The writing is magical even when dealing with the worst of what one human can do to another. Mr. Troy truly has that way with words that makes it hard to put a book down. He beguiles you into his world and despite its hardships you don't want to leave. This will be a book that enters my to be read again shelf.
These four distinct individuals travel different paths through the Civil War yet will come together to form a lasting bond. But it won't be easy traveling for any of them. Each character is unique, well defined and surrounded by a strong cast of supporting characters that help to tell the story. Mr. Troy has a way with his writing that is as different as any I have read; he slips from first person to second to third and you hardly notice as you find yourself so engrossed in the tale being told. The grammar and syntax changes for each character as well keeping true to their heritage and station in life. Even when they interact within a chapter they maintain their manner of speaking and description. This book is a marvel.
The Civil War plays an important role as well - the harm it did to the young men that fought and to the country as a whole. Marcella is an abolitionist so the slavery issue is front and center - Mary experiences the worst that a female slave can and then rises high; not understanding for a long while what freedom truly brings.
The writing is magical even when dealing with the worst of what one human can do to another. Mr. Troy truly has that way with words that makes it hard to put a book down. He beguiles you into his world and despite its hardships you don't want to leave. This will be a book that enters my to be read again shelf.
August 18, 2013
I enjoyed this far more than I thought I would. I stumbled a bit to get through the prologue but from then on it was smooth sailing. Four people come into play, Mica, a slave sold away, Mary, a slave also sold away, Ethan, fleeing Ireland from the great hunger, Marcella brought from Spain with her family.
Each character comes with his own set of problems and feelings brought about by all they have been through. somehow Micah and Mary find each other while Ethan and Marcella also find each other. Marcella gets in with abolitionists. Micah after running finds himself leading others to freedom.
Against this background the civil war rages.
I have selected this book as a recommendation for best books I have read for this year 2013.
Each character comes with his own set of problems and feelings brought about by all they have been through. somehow Micah and Mary find each other while Ethan and Marcella also find each other. Marcella gets in with abolitionists. Micah after running finds himself leading others to freedom.
Against this background the civil war rages.
I have selected this book as a recommendation for best books I have read for this year 2013.
April 6, 2012
I love reading about the Civil War... especially with the hope of freedom and the promise of America as the underlying theme. The Irish and Southern dialects in this book may be a little difficult to get used to but, I think, they lend so much to the characters! I learned about Irish immigrants and their role in some of the notable battles of the Civil War. I also enjoyed the different slavery situations portrayed in the book. Not all white masters were cruel to their slaves and, in some cases, the urge to flee for freedom was overcome by other emotions. I don't typically like books that have prose that is too flowery or poetic but this book struck just the right balance for me.
August 30, 2013
Wonderful says it all for me too.
February 21, 2012
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Notes: I read the ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) of this book. Some of the quotes may differ from the final version. Assume errors are mine.
Famine...Slavery...A country on the cusp of change.....
Four remarkable individuals
Two couples
One War that will change everything
"How you know whachu doin Gertie?" you ask.
"Been at dis fo' alooong time" she says, an starts hummin.
"Naw," you say, "I mean...how you know whachu stitchin when it don' look like nothin but a buncha threads ain' got nothin t'do wit each otha? All I see is a whole buncha scraps... An justa whole messa knots an tangles all along th'back. It don' look like nothin from over here!"...
"Cain't tell nothin 'bout nothin in dis worl' when all you seein is the knots an tangles an ever'thin' goin ever which way, lookin like a bucha mess... when th'mess only one parta it...Cain't see how all dese little bitsa thread be connected togetha, jus' like all th'bitsa yo' life gonna be, cause you ain' lookin at it the way it meant t'be seen"....
An then she she turns'round that stitchin she been workin on so you can see it straight off. An it's pretty as a picture ever was....
"Dis here", she says, "what aaaall dat mess look like...when you gets t'seein it frontsways."
Life has a way of making you think it's just a mess with seemingly nothing having a purpose when you're living in the moment. Sometimes, however, when you look back, you see the pattern that was in the works. The 'stitchin' that held together what seemed likes scraps and bits with no reason or rhyme and realize the wonder of what was truly created. It may not be what you were expecting, it may not be what you wanted, but in the end it creates something better--and you realize there was a purpose. You just didn't realize it at the time. Only when you look at it from the right angle do you see the big picture and see it for what it is.
Mary Wilton is a slave living in the south. Her life is not her own because it's owned by her master. Life is not pretty and at times it has been harsh. Separated from her parents, Gertie is the one who cares and watches out for her. Her life is about to change for the better.
Ethan McOwen has lived through The Hunger (aka The Great Potato Famine). In an effort to survive his family moved one or more individuals at a time to what the hope to be a better, longer life in America. He's seen much death, the most tragic being of his best friend and sister, Aislinn. Originally from Ireland, he dreams of going to school and studying.
Micah (no last name) is a slave of the south. His father once made a deal with the master to buy his son's freedom. When the master died, so did the dream that Micah would one day be his own man. As his family was sold off and torn apart, he became the property of a man who saw slaves as little more than an animal. He'd entered into a nightmare of which there was little hope of escape. The life he had hoped once to lead seems to have slipped from his hands.
Marcella Arroyo was from a well off family who came to America from Spain. She's smart and talented, but because she's living in a male dominated world, her dreams and aspirations do not coincide with those of her parents. Always underestimated she's made an art of using that knowledge to her advantage whenever she can.
These four individuals will come through one of the toughest times the world and our country has ever faced, and we will watch how certain events and situations mold them. We'll see the front side of the embroidery (aka stitchin) as well as the invisible threads which stitched and held all those bits and pieces together so they could reach their full potential. The words stated at the beginning of the book by Suah, the black man who more than likely saved Ethan's life on the trip over from Ireland, will permeate through story--"So why is it you do not die from de fever Etan? Perhaps God have somet'ing he wants yo to do...Whatever it is God has keep you alive for Etan, it is best dat you do it while you can."
I felt this was very intense and beautiful story. At times it was harsh, but that's life, and Troy attempted to capture facets of it in his book. Micah's story was most heart wrenching of the four. He went through so much. To be such a smart and talented individual and be treated no better than dog just shows how far the world has come. Stories like this one are often needed lest we forget how harsh the world can be.
Marcella is by far my favorite character. The way she acts the part of a dumb female just made me grin. In her introductory scene, she hustles three slave owners out of a lot of money in a poker game and does so with such finesse they don't even know they've been duped. Then she turns around and donates the money to a group which frees slaves. You've just got to love her. She's had a relatively easy life compared to the other three, but I like that she sees what's going on and attempts to change it in any way she can. Many would turn a blind eye and figure life is what it is.
Each character shows us a different aspect of life during a turbulent time in history. Ethan's view is from that of an immigrant's and soldier's perspective. Marcella's view is from that of a woman with connections and a little wealth. Micah and Mary give us a view from the eyes of male and female slaves. We get a peek into all four individuals thoughts, fears, hopes and dreams. The story is brought full circle at the conclusion as the they all see what life has rendered them and come to terms with it all.
Overall, this one gets a 5 out of 5 roses. It took me on an emotional roller coaster ride and made me feel like I was experiencing it all first hand. An epic (as others have called it) debut novel by Peter Troy. I hope we'll be reading more of his books.
Notes to keep you in the know:
"May the road rise up to meet you
May the wind always be at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
and rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand." (An Irish Blessing)
"May the Road Rise up to Meet you. This is the opening line from one of Ireland’s most common blessings. This invitation to the rising road can be taken on many levels. It is really a blessing about the road that is your journey to the high road of meaning and purpose for your life. The rising up to meet you is the way in which the travelling this road of life need not be a struggle and that the resistance to change be met half way. May the road rise up to meet you is a blessing that recognises that the road of life is a road that rises up and widens into a high place where you connect the highest potential within you. What is the highest potential within you? Wisdom teachers who have travelled this road that rises up to meet you will tell you that it is the road of Love. This Irish blessing is inviting you to meet this rising road within you by being willing to serve Love’s purpose." (Information obtained from http://irishblessingstours.com/blog/2... )
Notes: I read the ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) of this book. Some of the quotes may differ from the final version. Assume errors are mine.
Famine...Slavery...A country on the cusp of change.....
Four remarkable individuals
Two couples
One War that will change everything
"How you know whachu doin Gertie?" you ask.
"Been at dis fo' alooong time" she says, an starts hummin.
"Naw," you say, "I mean...how you know whachu stitchin when it don' look like nothin but a buncha threads ain' got nothin t'do wit each otha? All I see is a whole buncha scraps... An justa whole messa knots an tangles all along th'back. It don' look like nothin from over here!"...
"Cain't tell nothin 'bout nothin in dis worl' when all you seein is the knots an tangles an ever'thin' goin ever which way, lookin like a bucha mess... when th'mess only one parta it...Cain't see how all dese little bitsa thread be connected togetha, jus' like all th'bitsa yo' life gonna be, cause you ain' lookin at it the way it meant t'be seen"....
An then she she turns'round that stitchin she been workin on so you can see it straight off. An it's pretty as a picture ever was....
"Dis here", she says, "what aaaall dat mess look like...when you gets t'seein it frontsways."
Life has a way of making you think it's just a mess with seemingly nothing having a purpose when you're living in the moment. Sometimes, however, when you look back, you see the pattern that was in the works. The 'stitchin' that held together what seemed likes scraps and bits with no reason or rhyme and realize the wonder of what was truly created. It may not be what you were expecting, it may not be what you wanted, but in the end it creates something better--and you realize there was a purpose. You just didn't realize it at the time. Only when you look at it from the right angle do you see the big picture and see it for what it is.
Mary Wilton is a slave living in the south. Her life is not her own because it's owned by her master. Life is not pretty and at times it has been harsh. Separated from her parents, Gertie is the one who cares and watches out for her. Her life is about to change for the better.
Ethan McOwen has lived through The Hunger (aka The Great Potato Famine). In an effort to survive his family moved one or more individuals at a time to what the hope to be a better, longer life in America. He's seen much death, the most tragic being of his best friend and sister, Aislinn. Originally from Ireland, he dreams of going to school and studying.
Micah (no last name) is a slave of the south. His father once made a deal with the master to buy his son's freedom. When the master died, so did the dream that Micah would one day be his own man. As his family was sold off and torn apart, he became the property of a man who saw slaves as little more than an animal. He'd entered into a nightmare of which there was little hope of escape. The life he had hoped once to lead seems to have slipped from his hands.
Marcella Arroyo was from a well off family who came to America from Spain. She's smart and talented, but because she's living in a male dominated world, her dreams and aspirations do not coincide with those of her parents. Always underestimated she's made an art of using that knowledge to her advantage whenever she can.
These four individuals will come through one of the toughest times the world and our country has ever faced, and we will watch how certain events and situations mold them. We'll see the front side of the embroidery (aka stitchin) as well as the invisible threads which stitched and held all those bits and pieces together so they could reach their full potential. The words stated at the beginning of the book by Suah, the black man who more than likely saved Ethan's life on the trip over from Ireland, will permeate through story--"So why is it you do not die from de fever Etan? Perhaps God have somet'ing he wants yo to do...Whatever it is God has keep you alive for Etan, it is best dat you do it while you can."
I felt this was very intense and beautiful story. At times it was harsh, but that's life, and Troy attempted to capture facets of it in his book. Micah's story was most heart wrenching of the four. He went through so much. To be such a smart and talented individual and be treated no better than dog just shows how far the world has come. Stories like this one are often needed lest we forget how harsh the world can be.
Marcella is by far my favorite character. The way she acts the part of a dumb female just made me grin. In her introductory scene, she hustles three slave owners out of a lot of money in a poker game and does so with such finesse they don't even know they've been duped. Then she turns around and donates the money to a group which frees slaves. You've just got to love her. She's had a relatively easy life compared to the other three, but I like that she sees what's going on and attempts to change it in any way she can. Many would turn a blind eye and figure life is what it is.
Each character shows us a different aspect of life during a turbulent time in history. Ethan's view is from that of an immigrant's and soldier's perspective. Marcella's view is from that of a woman with connections and a little wealth. Micah and Mary give us a view from the eyes of male and female slaves. We get a peek into all four individuals thoughts, fears, hopes and dreams. The story is brought full circle at the conclusion as the they all see what life has rendered them and come to terms with it all.
Overall, this one gets a 5 out of 5 roses. It took me on an emotional roller coaster ride and made me feel like I was experiencing it all first hand. An epic (as others have called it) debut novel by Peter Troy. I hope we'll be reading more of his books.
Notes to keep you in the know:
"May the road rise up to meet you
May the wind always be at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
and rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand." (An Irish Blessing)
"May the Road Rise up to Meet you. This is the opening line from one of Ireland’s most common blessings. This invitation to the rising road can be taken on many levels. It is really a blessing about the road that is your journey to the high road of meaning and purpose for your life. The rising up to meet you is the way in which the travelling this road of life need not be a struggle and that the resistance to change be met half way. May the road rise up to meet you is a blessing that recognises that the road of life is a road that rises up and widens into a high place where you connect the highest potential within you. What is the highest potential within you? Wisdom teachers who have travelled this road that rises up to meet you will tell you that it is the road of Love. This Irish blessing is inviting you to meet this rising road within you by being willing to serve Love’s purpose." (Information obtained from http://irishblessingstours.com/blog/2... )
April 25, 2022
Usually I am a fan of books written from separate perspectives that begin to intertwine. And I am always up for a well written story about the immigrant experience, the Civil War, or abolition, but this one somehow fell a little flat for me. I listened to the audiobook and I think part of the reason I didn’t enjoy it as much as I might have is because one of the voices of the characters seemed forced and wasn’t read as well as the others. Had I read this book, I’m curious if I would have liked it better or not.
August 20, 2023
A wonderful debut novel! Set in the Civil War era, the characters include Irish immigrants fleeing The Hunger, an enslaved master carpenter and enslaved seamstress, whose stories will eventually intertwine. Powerful themes of resilience and redemption.
August 10, 2017
This book was amazing. Can't understand anything lower than a five star rating. Famine in Ireland, slavery in the South, Civil War. So very well written. Could NOT put it down.
August 15, 2017
A very good period piece circa Civil War America.
May 29, 2018
4 1/2 stars. I really enjoyed this epic novel. I will look forward to this author’s next novel. Highly recommend.
June 9, 2012
May the Road Rise Up to Meet You by Peter Troy is a sweeping dramatic saga of loss and redemption against the backdrop of the American Civil War. The story is told by four primary characters: Mary, Ethan, Micah, Marcella. Mary and Micah are slaves in the South; Ethan and Marcella are immigrants from Ireland and Spain.
The first half of the book slowly and painstakingly describes each character's life and hardships in detail, and also sets the background leading to civil war. The second half of the book develops two love stories: Ethan and Marcella, Micah and Mary.
Ethan's story starts with The Hunger in 1847 Ireland. It describes the economic inequality of Irish families living in dire poverty on scraps scrounged from the trash of rich English landowners that employed the poor Irish peasants as servants. The only hope for survival was emigration to the United States to start a new life, but many emigrants could not survive the harsh ocean crossing. Through a lucky relationship formed onboard ship, Ethan survives to join his father and brother in New York. Ethan finds the golden land of opportunity does not favor Irish immigrants, and he struggles to succeed without turning to crime. An interesting side story is of the Brooklyn Excelsiors baseball team formed by the Irish immigrants in Red Hook, and their game against the Knickerbockers at Elysian Fields. Stirred by the shots fired on Fort Sumter, Ethan and his friends sign up for the 69th Regiment of the Irish Brigade, and demonstrate valiant bravery in major battles. After Ethan invalids out, he returns to battles as a war photographer.
Mary's story begins in 1853 in North Carolina. Mary was raised by elderly slave Gertie after Mary's parents were sold off. Gertie taught Mary the art of fine hand sewing. After an escape attempt that claims Gertie's life, Mary is sold off as a servant to rich white spoiled brat Justinia "Juss" Kittredge. Because Mary's companionship tames Juss's behavior, Mary is educated alongside Juss. Mary's skill at needlework earns her a coveted position in the Kittredge's dress shop in Richmond Virginia.
Micah's story begins in South Carolina in 1853, when his family was broken up and sold off at auction. He suffers under a cruel master who delights in torture along with his slave-catching friends and their dogs. The carpentry skill Micah learned from his father eventually fetches a high price at auction. Micah escapes the wanton cruelty but still feels like a mule, not a man.
Marcella is a rich brat living in luxury with her wealthy family in New York City. She chafes at following her father's rules, and rejects all suitors he chooses for her. She joins the Ladies Abolitionist Society on the sly, pretending to visit friends when she attends meetings. She revels in the freedom she feels during society discussions. Marcella uses her poker playing skill to win money to assist runaway slaves. She abandons her family and life of luxury for the independence of living with members of the Ladies Abolitionist Society.
The novel provides detailed history lessons on the harsh reality of life in Ireland during The Hunger, the prejudice Irish immigrants faced in New York, the cruel institution of slavery, and the horrific slaughter of Civil War battles. The author plausibly connects the lives of his four main characters through most of the tale, but a few final reunions stretch credibility and lack supporting detail, as if hastily added to finish the book. Recommended for readers who enjoy slowly developing character stories filled with extensive historical detail.
The first half of the book slowly and painstakingly describes each character's life and hardships in detail, and also sets the background leading to civil war. The second half of the book develops two love stories: Ethan and Marcella, Micah and Mary.
Ethan's story starts with The Hunger in 1847 Ireland. It describes the economic inequality of Irish families living in dire poverty on scraps scrounged from the trash of rich English landowners that employed the poor Irish peasants as servants. The only hope for survival was emigration to the United States to start a new life, but many emigrants could not survive the harsh ocean crossing. Through a lucky relationship formed onboard ship, Ethan survives to join his father and brother in New York. Ethan finds the golden land of opportunity does not favor Irish immigrants, and he struggles to succeed without turning to crime. An interesting side story is of the Brooklyn Excelsiors baseball team formed by the Irish immigrants in Red Hook, and their game against the Knickerbockers at Elysian Fields. Stirred by the shots fired on Fort Sumter, Ethan and his friends sign up for the 69th Regiment of the Irish Brigade, and demonstrate valiant bravery in major battles. After Ethan invalids out, he returns to battles as a war photographer.
Mary's story begins in 1853 in North Carolina. Mary was raised by elderly slave Gertie after Mary's parents were sold off. Gertie taught Mary the art of fine hand sewing. After an escape attempt that claims Gertie's life, Mary is sold off as a servant to rich white spoiled brat Justinia "Juss" Kittredge. Because Mary's companionship tames Juss's behavior, Mary is educated alongside Juss. Mary's skill at needlework earns her a coveted position in the Kittredge's dress shop in Richmond Virginia.
Micah's story begins in South Carolina in 1853, when his family was broken up and sold off at auction. He suffers under a cruel master who delights in torture along with his slave-catching friends and their dogs. The carpentry skill Micah learned from his father eventually fetches a high price at auction. Micah escapes the wanton cruelty but still feels like a mule, not a man.
Marcella is a rich brat living in luxury with her wealthy family in New York City. She chafes at following her father's rules, and rejects all suitors he chooses for her. She joins the Ladies Abolitionist Society on the sly, pretending to visit friends when she attends meetings. She revels in the freedom she feels during society discussions. Marcella uses her poker playing skill to win money to assist runaway slaves. She abandons her family and life of luxury for the independence of living with members of the Ladies Abolitionist Society.
The novel provides detailed history lessons on the harsh reality of life in Ireland during The Hunger, the prejudice Irish immigrants faced in New York, the cruel institution of slavery, and the horrific slaughter of Civil War battles. The author plausibly connects the lives of his four main characters through most of the tale, but a few final reunions stretch credibility and lack supporting detail, as if hastily added to finish the book. Recommended for readers who enjoy slowly developing character stories filled with extensive historical detail.
November 9, 2017
Peter Troy opens his novel with an evocative image: a child, watching a woman embroidering cloth, only sees the tangle of threads from the underside. It is not until she can see the threads stitched into a design--frontways--that the pattern becomes clear. The lives of the novel's four main characters start in very different places (Ireland during the Hunger, Spain, New York, and the American South), and Troy does not rush the characters' encounters. Each character is fully drawn in his/her own milieu, each one's longings ringing true in the tumultuous era of the American Civil War. Then, when the characters' lives are finally stitched together, the resulting pattern is a tribute to perseverance and love.
June 5, 2014
This book was better than average, but it really wasn’t anything spectacular. Ultimately it was just two parallel love stories set in the historical context of the Civil War. Not really fabulous on any level, but page turning and interesting enough.
The four main characters all had strong voices, but were still fairly similar to each other (independent women and men who respect them). I enjoyed the brogue and the southern accent and there were definitely a few funny scenes. Given the time of year (spring and baseball season for my two boys), I enjoyed the story about the origin of strikes in baseball (I am not sure about the accuracy of this, but it was a cute scene).
I was quite pleased by the plot twist when Micah was forced to run away without Mary, but was later disappointed that they found each other. Clearly, this is a love story, not really a war story, but the likelihood of the two of them meeting again 2 years later was very very low.
I did like that Micah struggled with reconciling his own actions, especially when he killed Dunmore. Clearly, the three men deserved it, but killing is killing and Troy added a great dimension by introducing the different elements in Micah. He tried to do a similar thing with Ethan and Finny and the Rebs that they had killed in the war (reconciling the 3 and 9), but I didn’t feel like it was as authentic with the war stories (“all’s fair in love and war” seemed to be the providing theme spelled out by Finny).
I found the switch in point of view to be very distracting and annoying. Troy sometimes presents the characters in 2nd person, other times in 3rd person, and for all but Micah (poor guy has no dead folks to talk to) in 1st person when speaking to their favorite deceased relative. I was not confused (I always knew who was speaking or being spoken about), but it pulled me out of the story. I didn’t really see any point to this technique.
My favorite quote was descriptive (rather rare for me): “sitting in a silence almost as disruptive as what’d filled their home after Aislinn’s funeral” and I liked that Mary has a thought about freedom vs. slavery that is similar to the prisoner-after-release fond thoughts of having been imprisoned: “I’m most scared of all this not-knowin’. I’m tired of it. And if this is what freedom’s all about, then maybe it ain’t such a good thing after all.”
Overall, it is a compelling read; nothing profound but definitely worth the time.
The four main characters all had strong voices, but were still fairly similar to each other (independent women and men who respect them). I enjoyed the brogue and the southern accent and there were definitely a few funny scenes. Given the time of year (spring and baseball season for my two boys), I enjoyed the story about the origin of strikes in baseball (I am not sure about the accuracy of this, but it was a cute scene).
I was quite pleased by the plot twist when Micah was forced to run away without Mary, but was later disappointed that they found each other. Clearly, this is a love story, not really a war story, but the likelihood of the two of them meeting again 2 years later was very very low.
I did like that Micah struggled with reconciling his own actions, especially when he killed Dunmore. Clearly, the three men deserved it, but killing is killing and Troy added a great dimension by introducing the different elements in Micah. He tried to do a similar thing with Ethan and Finny and the Rebs that they had killed in the war (reconciling the 3 and 9), but I didn’t feel like it was as authentic with the war stories (“all’s fair in love and war” seemed to be the providing theme spelled out by Finny).
I found the switch in point of view to be very distracting and annoying. Troy sometimes presents the characters in 2nd person, other times in 3rd person, and for all but Micah (poor guy has no dead folks to talk to) in 1st person when speaking to their favorite deceased relative. I was not confused (I always knew who was speaking or being spoken about), but it pulled me out of the story. I didn’t really see any point to this technique.
My favorite quote was descriptive (rather rare for me): “sitting in a silence almost as disruptive as what’d filled their home after Aislinn’s funeral” and I liked that Mary has a thought about freedom vs. slavery that is similar to the prisoner-after-release fond thoughts of having been imprisoned: “I’m most scared of all this not-knowin’. I’m tired of it. And if this is what freedom’s all about, then maybe it ain’t such a good thing after all.”
Overall, it is a compelling read; nothing profound but definitely worth the time.
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