Promising Young Author

I met Janna during the ClanDonnell Mess With Texas Book Tour. The tour took me to the William J. Flynn Center for Irish Studies at the University of St. Thomas in Houston. Janna is a student there, and she radiated enthusiasm about Irish history, mythology, and culture.

She mentioned, quite casually, that she wrote a book of fiction for children, and of course I had to buy and read it.

Kerry is for readers ‘Ages 8 and Up’. I’ve been in the ‘Up’ category for many decades, so I wasn’t overly optimistic that it would keep me intrigued. But it did!

It’s an interesting tale set, as the title and subtitle suggest, in Medieval Kerry near the Atlantic coast and the coastal islands. The setting is an integral part of the story. It’s the site of Viking raids, ring forts, monasteries, and traveling story-tellers. It was an era in which children were children, but were sometimes forced to grow up early (at least by modern standards).

The book will introduce the reader to a wee bit of the Irish language and ancient Irish culture. It includes many Irish names and words which might initially baffle a young English reader, but usually does so in a context which explains the meaning. Kerry also has a name and vocabulary pages with the correct pronunciation.

Here’s but one example. The principal article of clothing worn by the ancient Irish was the brat. ‘Brat’ is first used in the book in this sentence: ‘Eileen wrapped her large woolen brat, which was a rectangle-shaped cloth, around her shoulder’.

I recommend it for young, curious readers. I also look forward to reading more from Janna Tierney.

Kerry Ireland, A.D. 800
By Janna D. Tierney
O’Tighearnaigh Press
Paperback, 110 pages, 2014, © 2012
Ages 8 and Up