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The Wee Christmas Cabin of Carn-na-ween
Ruth Sawyer's lyrical Christmas story, originally published in 1941, and now hauntingly illustrated by Max Grafe, will melt readers' hearts and make them long for a white and magical Christmas.
A hundred years ago and more, on a stretch of road that runs from the town of Donegal to Killybegs and the sea, a drove of tinkers went their way of mending pots and thieving lambs. Having a child too many for the caravan, they left it, new-born, upon a cabin doorstill in Carn-na-ween.
So begins the life of Oona Hegarty, who grows up to be beautiful, kind, talented and clever — but doomed , as a tinker's child, never to marry or have a home of her own. She spends her life wandering from cabin to cabin, nurturing others' children or tending the sick and the old, only to be turned out again when her usefulness has passed. Then comes the snowy Christmas Eve when Oona, an old woman now, finds herself homeless, hoisting a bundle of donated treasures almost too heavy to lift. With a famine turning human hearts to stone and not a soul who is willing to take her in, it seems Oona will end her days with no place to rest her head or warm her bones. But what of the Gentle People said to live in the boglands near Carn-na-ween — will they let an old woman's lifelong kindness go unrewarded, especially on a white Christmas?
A hundred years ago and more, on a stretch of road that runs from the town of Donegal to Killybegs and the sea, a drove of tinkers went their way of mending pots and thieving lambs. Having a child too many for the caravan, they left it, new-born, upon a cabin doorstill in Carn-na-ween.
So begins the life of Oona Hegarty, who grows up to be beautiful, kind, talented and clever — but doomed , as a tinker's child, never to marry or have a home of her own. She spends her life wandering from cabin to cabin, nurturing others' children or tending the sick and the old, only to be turned out again when her usefulness has passed. Then comes the snowy Christmas Eve when Oona, an old woman now, finds herself homeless, hoisting a bundle of donated treasures almost too heavy to lift. With a famine turning human hearts to stone and not a soul who is willing to take her in, it seems Oona will end her days with no place to rest her head or warm her bones. But what of the Gentle People said to live in the boglands near Carn-na-ween — will they let an old woman's lifelong kindness go unrewarded, especially on a white Christmas?
40 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1941
About the author
Ruth Sawyer
107 books30 followersRuth Sawyer was an American storyteller and a writer of fiction and non-fiction for children and adults. She may be best known as the author of Roller Skates, which won the 1937 Newbery Medal.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
December 18, 2014
As an increasingly cynical adult I found it hard not to read this and think, "Oh, suuure the despised and impoverished old woman who has spent her life caring for others and gets tossed out in the snow to starve will get rewarded by fairies with a cozy cottage. You tell yourself that if it makes you feel better." But I don't suppose there's any rush to break it to kids that the world is unjust and cruel, especially at Christmas time.
Grafe's blue-dominated illustrations are excellent and suitably sad.
Grafe's blue-dominated illustrations are excellent and suitably sad.
November 28, 2018
After reading Margaret Hodge's recent adaptation of this Irish Christmas story (
The Wee Christmas Cabin
), which first saw print in Ruth Sawyer's 1941 collection,
The Long Christmas
, I was quite eager to track down the original version, published in this picture-book edition in 2005, with beautiful illustrations by Max Grafe. As much as I liked Hodges' retelling, I suspected that I would enjoy Sawyer's even more, and I was right!
The moving story of Oona Hegarty, a tinker's child left, when still a newborn babe, on the doorstep of a farming family in Donegal, The Wee Christmas Cabin of Carn-na-Ween is a tale of kindness and cruelty, of prejudice and love, and of the long-awaited fulfillment of a dream. It follows Oona as she spends her life caring for the children and elderly relatives of others, unable to raise a family of her own, as no man will have a "tinker's child" for a wife. Finally, old and worn out, and determined not to take any more food from the mouths of starving children during that most terrible time in Irish history - the Great Famine - Oona heads out onto the bog one snowy Christmas Eve, to meet death like "an old friend." But the fairies - the "Good People," who have been watching Oona since she was a baby, and have noted her long life of service - have other ideas...
Max Grafe's mixed media illustrations here are darkly satisfying, particularly the outdoor scenes, with their blue overtones, and give the book a true fairy-tale feeling. The language is rich, with an authentic Irish dialect missing from Hodges' retelling. The narrative is longer, more fully fleshed out, and - for me - more satisfying, than the contemporary adaptation, but I think that today's children might also find it more difficult. The Wee Christmas Cain of Carn-na-Ween is, after all, a text-heavy picture-book, so I would recommend it more to older children, those in the beginning-reader, and early chapter-book stages, than to the very young.
The moving story of Oona Hegarty, a tinker's child left, when still a newborn babe, on the doorstep of a farming family in Donegal, The Wee Christmas Cabin of Carn-na-Ween is a tale of kindness and cruelty, of prejudice and love, and of the long-awaited fulfillment of a dream. It follows Oona as she spends her life caring for the children and elderly relatives of others, unable to raise a family of her own, as no man will have a "tinker's child" for a wife. Finally, old and worn out, and determined not to take any more food from the mouths of starving children during that most terrible time in Irish history - the Great Famine - Oona heads out onto the bog one snowy Christmas Eve, to meet death like "an old friend." But the fairies - the "Good People," who have been watching Oona since she was a baby, and have noted her long life of service - have other ideas...
Max Grafe's mixed media illustrations here are darkly satisfying, particularly the outdoor scenes, with their blue overtones, and give the book a true fairy-tale feeling. The language is rich, with an authentic Irish dialect missing from Hodges' retelling. The narrative is longer, more fully fleshed out, and - for me - more satisfying, than the contemporary adaptation, but I think that today's children might also find it more difficult. The Wee Christmas Cain of Carn-na-Ween is, after all, a text-heavy picture-book, so I would recommend it more to older children, those in the beginning-reader, and early chapter-book stages, than to the very young.
January 31, 2012
I just read Margaret Hodges' retelling of this Christmas story by Ruth Sawyer, and, I must say, I like Ruth Sawyer's original better because she uses a lot of Irish terms and Irish dialogue that make it seem like an Irish person is telling the story. As for illustrations, I like the illustrations in both equally well. Here in this version, Max Grafe uses soft colors for the Christmas Eve scenes, with deep blues emphasizing the cold and the magical quality of this special night. A glossary at the end, with the pronunciations and meanings of some of the Irish words, is welcome. This apparently was originally a story in her chapter book entitled The Long Christmas, which I haven't read but think I will next time the holiday comes around. Very atmospheric, and a pleasant holiday tale.
December 23, 2019
The illustrations are lovely and add to the story, presented just as it was in its 1941 first publication in The Long Christmas. Sawyer is expansive in true Irish tradition, and her prose maintains the good flavor of the storyteller. A brief glossary and historical note on the Irish potato famine will be helpful, particularly for younger readers.
October 4, 2017
Long. I'd be hard-pressed to include it with Christmas reads. Mostly very sad. Interesting that the author seems to accept the intolerance of 'the tinker's child,' as if she'll be "thieving lambs" like her birth family supposedly did. It's not a very appealing book, even with artistic illustrations.
December 13, 2023
Once again, my library book store never fails to have hidden gems like these! A delightful read during the Christmas season! The whimsical tale follows the life of Oona Hegarty, a cast off tinker's child who wants nothing more than to have own cottage cabin. However, her life is filled with service to the people in her village where she looks after the old and young, but longs to have her own abode. When a famine strikes, she can't bear taking food from a young child and ventures into the winter bogland where a magical Christmas gift awaits.
I loved the humility and servant's heart Oona had throughout this tale even when the people who she served cast her off. Even in old age, Oona looks after others, praying over each home, and expresses gratitude for the small trinkets of her service. I love books that weave in the language and history of fairy tales!
I loved the humility and servant's heart Oona had throughout this tale even when the people who she served cast her off. Even in old age, Oona looks after others, praying over each home, and expresses gratitude for the small trinkets of her service. I love books that weave in the language and history of fairy tales!
August 22, 2017
This 2005 edition of Sawyer’s 1941 tale is illustrated by Max Grafe with blurry-style paintings in muted colors. The story is of a young Irish girl abandoned by her tinker parents and living with one family after another all her life long. In her old age, during the Potato Famine of the 1840’s, she is all alone again but the tiny fairie Gentle People build her a special Christmas cabin.
December 19, 2019
Our family loves this Irish tale of Oona Hegarty who all her life wants a cabin of her own. When her Christmas wish is finally granted she uses her good fortune to help others. The paintings are beautiful and the story bittersweet.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 20, 2019
Beautifully written and illustrated. I just found it a teeny bit creepy.
December 15, 2025
This story is the tale of an abandoned tinker's daughter, forced to fend for herself and serve others until they need her no more. She has to move from one family's cabin to another with an ever-growing sack of personal belongings that she hopes one day to fill her own home. Author Ruth Sawyer is good at evoking a deep sense of longing and need, while illustrator Max Grafe creates a beautiful, haunting winter landscape. Despite the pain and suffering described in this book, the tale ends with a message of loving charity worthy of Christmas.
December 10, 2012
Lovely, sad story. The mixed media illustrations are somber and fit the mood of the story well.
April 14, 2020
One of my favorite Christmas stories to tell.
December 21, 2017
An interesting and inspiring Irish tale.
June 17, 2021
The wording of this school was difficult to navigate and didn't seem to flow well. I'm sure its due to the Irish roots/setting. The story line was just ok.
February 16, 2023
This is a children’s book with lovely illustrations. The story tugged at my heartstrings. Beautiful portrayal of a life spent unselfishly giving to others, and the reward it brings to the giver.
March 13, 2023
Enchanting Irish Christmas tale.
December 17, 2012
I've wanted this book for a while and finally found it at my library. It's a beautiful old Irish story by Ruth Sawyer, but now is illustrated gorgeously by Max Grafe. The tale is about Oona, a tinker's child abandoned at a doorstep & taken in by an Irish family, but no one eventually will want to marry one of her 'kind'. Oona gives her life, then, to be a helper, a healer, a substitute mother when needed, yet she constantly dreams about having her own cabin. Because of the drought and famine, after many years of service, Oona is put out, and it is Christmas eve, . She ends up discovering that kindness to fairies (the wee folk) ends in a good reward, her own cabin. But it's a magical story and I'll let you figure out what more the magic holds.
November 15, 2022
Note: didn't finish it as I didn't care for the writing style.
Cleanliness: nothing to note.
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Cleanliness: nothing to note.
**Like my reviews? Then you should follow me! Because I have hundreds more just like this one. With each review, I provide a Cleanliness Report, mentioning any objectionable content I come across so that parents and/or conscientious readers (like me) can determine beforehand whether they want to read a book or not. Content surprises are super annoying, especially when you’re 100+ pages in, so here’s my attempt to help you avoid that!
So Follow or Friend me here on GoodReads! And be sure to check out my bio page to learn a little about me and the Picture Book/Chapter Book Calendars I sell on Etsy!
November 22, 2009
A really beautiful Irish tale set during Christmas time during The Great Famine. The illustrations are beautiful and have a softness to them which complement the story. This would be wonderful read aloud by someone with an Irish accent. I'd love to share it with children at storytime, but I think my Central New York accent just won't do it justice.
January 1, 2014
A lovely book that is beautifully illustrated. I bought this (used) book last Christmas and decided to make it my last read of 2013. It is magical, but not too much.
I can rationalize counting this as one of my read books despite the short length when I consider the several books I have read this year that were 500 pages plus :)
I can rationalize counting this as one of my read books despite the short length when I consider the several books I have read this year that were 500 pages plus :)
November 30, 2007
Cute Christmas book. It would be awesome to hear this book read aloud by someone with a good Irish accent.
November 20, 2008
An Irish tale of a poor woman who finds charity at Christmas-time. Good story
December 7, 2010
An absolutely lovely little Irish folk tale, written by Ruth Sawyer and published in 1941. Read it, do.
January 4, 2011
A sad but sweet Irish Christmas tale...we all loved it. It's beautifully illustrated. Find someone with a great Irish "voice" to read it to you.
December 10, 2010
Lovely illustrations.
December 28, 2010
My 6- and 5- year olds didn't last through this book's wordiness, but I think children above age 9 or so would appreciate the depth and dark beauty of this Irish tale.
December 9, 2011
Now one of my favorite Xmas books; I'd love to hear it read aloud by a someone with an Irish accent. Touching, but heartbreaking. (Why do I love that so much?)
December 21, 2014
One of the most depressing Christmas stories ever. Leave it to the Irish to have a truly sad Christmas tale. We read this every Christmas story and LOVE it.
February 23, 2016
Ooana Hegarty, a poor woman, has always longed for her own cabin, and on Christmas Eve, after being trapped in the snow with no shelter, she finds a group of wee people who work to grant her wish.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews