A review by peytonktracy
So Far From Home: the Diary of Mary Driscoll, an Irish Mill Girl, Lowell, Massachusetts, 1847 by Barry Denenberg

challenging emotional informative slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

This Dear America book was speedy. And not very plot heavy, truthfully. More like, an account of someone bearing witness to a moment in history, but without a lot of meat about the person themselves. We meet Mary Driscoll suffering from the famine in Ireland, follow her on her journey across the Atlantic to Boston, and then learn about what life was like for Irish immigrants in the early industrial revolution towns. You frankly don't have time to get invested in any of the characters in particular, you just don't see them enough. It well written, well researched, and I was able to empathize with the difficult experiences faced by many 19th century women immigrants, like Mary, but I didn't really connect with her as a character - she was just too placid. The epilogue was very unexpected though, so that was an appreciated twist from the historian in me! 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings