May The Road Rise Up To Meet You

 May The Road Rise Up To Meet You is the beginning of an Irish prayer and it is also the title of a historical fiction novel by Peter Troy. The book has the point of view of four people. At first the four people seemed so totally different and random I couldn't see how they could possibly come together. Ethan MacOwen is a boy in Ireland during the potato famine. His beloved sister has just died of the famine. His Dad and other brother have already emigrated to New York. Ethan, his mother and his Aunt are getting ready for their journey. Ethan meets a black man on the ship who takes him under his wing and saves his life. Marcella is a girl in Spain living with her brothers and Grandmother. When her father arrives to take them to live in New York City, Marcella is sad to leave. She isn't happy living as a socialite and being brought out to meet suitors chosen by her father. Micah is a boy learning how to be a carpenter from his father. Micah and his family are slaves in Virginia. When the plantation comes upon hard times, Micah and his father are sold for cash to keep the place going. Micah goes east and his father goes west. Mary is also a slave living with Gertie and learning how to sew and embroider clothes. Mary is also sold. As she stands on the auction block she sees a white family with a little girl. The girl has beautiful clothes and a green and yellow hat. The girl asks that her parents buy Mary so she can have a friend to play with. Mary and Justiana do become friends. As the tutor schools Justiana in French and math, Mary learns beside her. Eventually Mary's skills as a seamstress are noticed and she is put to work in the family store as a dressmaker. Since Mary can speak French, her dresses sell for more money. Ethan, Marcella, Micah, and Mary are all living in the time before and during and after the Civil War. The story of how they end up meeting each other is a fascinating tale. The characters are very well developed. Reading the dialects (Irish brogue, Spanish, and the deep South drawl) takes some getting used to. This was a wonderful story.