From the Bookshelf of Bound Together…

The Graves Are Walking: The Great Famine and the Saga of the Irish People

John Kelly

Start date: February 15, 2019

Finish date: April 5, 2019

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What Members Thought

Feb 22, 2019 ♥ Sandi ❣ rated it liked it

Shelves: cultural, non-fiction, historical-history

3 stars

I was totally unprepared for this book. I read a lot of non-fiction, but usually what is now referred to as 'contemporary' or 'novel' non-fiction, which has it's facts put into an easy to read story-like format. This book was true non-fiction - textbook non-fiction. It took me chapters to meld with this book and the information that was being presented.

Now saying the above, does not take away from the book. I feel it did a good job of explaining the Irish potato famine in the mid 1800's. ...more

21 likes · Like · see review

Mar 03, 2019 Diane S ☔ rated it liked it

Shelves: 5000-2019

Thoughts soon.

16 likes · Like · see review

Feb 11, 2019 Ruby Grad rated it it was amazing

Difficult to read because of the suffering and inhumanity described, so I took it slowly. It is definitely worth reading, even if one already knows something about the great potato famine and emigration. Well researched and written, it is full of personal stories that make the history more relatable than simply a presentation of the facts.

1 like · Like · see review

Feb 23, 2019 Pat rated it really liked it

13 hours of audio, and quite depressing, but pretty much what we heard when visiting Ireland 3 years ago. Well researched and written, but I had to turn it off 1/2 way through to listen to another novel before coming back to finish it. Explicit descriptions of every misery and death were a bit much for me. This may have been better read than audio so I could have skimmed the more troubling sections.

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Mar 14, 2019 Marianne rated it liked it

I admit, I skimmed much of this since I found the government maneuvering less than interesting. The human stories, however, we're fascinating and heartbreaking. ...more

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Mar 29, 2019 Mairzi rated it it was ok

Really interesting subject matter but wished Kelly spent a little less effort on impressing the reader with his expansive vocabulary and a little more on making the book interesting and readable. Also I hated the quality of the paper on which it was printed. I know that sounds trivial but too some of us the tactile aspect of a book contributes to one's reading enjoyment or lack thereof. ...more

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Feb 06, 2023 Mandy rated it liked it

Honestly, I really struggled to get through this one. It was interesting. But it really read as a history book. (Which I guess it is). I tend to like non fiction that still reads as a story, per se. This did not. I learned quite a bit, but often found my mind wandering. I did the audiobook, which probably did not help. I was relieved to be done with it. A generous 3/5 stars

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