Breda's Island

Name: Breda's Island
Brand: Harper Audio
Availability: InStock
Author: Jessie Ann Foley
ISBN: 9780063207769

Author: Jessie Ann Foley

Narrator: Megan Trout

Unabridged: 5 hr 12 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Quill Tree Books

Published: 07/12/2022

Categories: Children's Fiction, Children's Social Themes

Synopsis

In the vein of When You Trap a Tiger and Shouting at the Rain, this is the story of the journey one girl undertakes to find herself.After Breda Moriarity gets caught stealing one too many times, Breda's mom sends her to Ireland, a place she has never been, to live with the grandfather she has never met.While Breda doesn’t want to be in this strange land, she finally gets to meet Granda, her mom’s father. He’s a grumpy farmer who is also a seanchaí, a traditional Gaelic storyteller. But the most important story is the one nobody will talk about: what happened to her absent father. If nothing else this summer, Breda is determined to figure out the truth about her family’s history—and herself.This powerfully poignant middle grade novel, the first from award-winning author Jessie Ann Foley, asks questions about estranged relationships, immigration, and family secrets.

About Jessie Ann Foley

Jessie Ann Foley is the Printz Honor–winning author of the YA novels The Carnival at Bray (also a Morris Award finalist), Neighborhood Girls, Sorry for Your Loss, and You Know I’m No Good. For middle graders, she has written Breda's Island and Severe and Unusual Weather. Her work has been named to best-of lists by Kirkus Reviews, ALA Booklist, YALSA, Entertainment Weekly, and many other outlets and has been featured on school and library recommended reading lists all across the United States. Jessie lives with her family in Chicago, where she was born and raised. You can visit her online at jessieannfoley.com.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Jessie on October 18, 2021

The great Irish author Colum McCann says writers should not necessarily write about what we know, but what we wish we knew more about. For me, that wish is connected to my grandparents, whose lives remain mostly a mystery to me. And so, in early 2020, with McCann’s advice in mind, I started to write......more

Goodreads review by Kayla on April 14, 2022

Family is one of the greatest blessings in the world, but it is also full of challenges. Breda’s Island is a story about a young girl trying to work through some of those challenges. She has to deal with broken family ties and struggle to understand herself as well. While I’m not sure if I love all......more

Goodreads review by Julie on June 14, 2022

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy in return for an honest review. I absolutely adored the setting of the book, Ireland, and truly felt transported to Ireland. In that sense, the book reminded me of McCullough's Across the Pond. I also have a soft spot for stories with inter......more

Goodreads review by Chelsea on December 01, 2024

What a beautiful story. Some books might be written for children but really they’re written for everyone. A story of family and all that entails … hurt and grief, love and longing. Of growing emotionally and finding acceptance. All set within the beauty and magic that is Ireland......more

Goodreads review by Andrew on April 19, 2022

Breda isn't necessarily looking forward to spending an entire summer in the Ireland countryside with the grandfather she's never met-- after all, he's one of the reasons her mother left for America thirteen years ago, now living as an undocumented immigrant. It's not all bad, though-- there's lots t......more