A collection of pleasant, breezy tales of the exploits, especially in hurling, of the young men of Moondharrig (South Kilkenny), showing an intimate knowledge and love of the people of the author’s native place. An unobtrusive spirit of piety runs through it.
DORSEY, Anna Hanson.[3] Born Georgetown, D.C., 1815. Received into the Catholic Church, 1840. She is a pioneer of Catholic light literature in the States. Nearly all her stories—there are more than thirty of them—have a religious purpose, but as a rule this is not too much forced on the reader. She was a Laetare medallist, described as the highest honour the Church in America can bestow. Some titles of her books are—Tears on the Diadem, Dummy, Tangled Paths, Warp and Woof, and her last Palms, which was by many considered her best.
[3] Her daughter, Ella Loraine Dorsey, has written even more than Mrs. A. H. Dorsey, and is one of the most prominent figures in American Catholic literature.
⸺ THE HEIRESS OF CARRIGMONA. Pp. 381. (Boston: Murphy). Third thousand. (Washbourne). 4s. 1910.
Scene: Co. Wicklow and Western U.S.A. Chiefly concerned with the fortunes of an Irish peasant family named Travers, especially the son, who goes to America, gets into trouble, is rescued, and then⸺. A strong warning against emigration is conveyed in this latter part of the story. Mrs. Dorsey’s peasants here, as usual, are lifelike and interesting. Their best qualities—trust in Providence, resignation under trial, piety, self-sacrifice—are well brought out. The brogue is not overdone. Anti-Irish characters are represented as mean and hypocritical.
⸺ MONA THE VESTAL. Pp. 163-324. (N.Y.: Christian Press Association Publishing Co.). n.d.
Bound in same vol. as “Norah Brady’s Vow” and under latter title. An endeavour to place the heroic virtues of new Christians in contrast with the decaying Druidic paganism. The writer claims the Abbé McGeoghegan’s authority (also that of Mooney and Carey) for her descriptions of the Ireland of the time. But, with the exception of the incident of Patrick’s arrival at Tara, the story and its setting are purely imaginary and ideal. The Druids worship in vast temples with long corridors and fine carvings. Tara is a great city of marble palaces.
⸺ NORA BRADY’S VOW. Pp. 160. (N.Y.: Christian Press Association Publishing Co.). 0.50. n.d.
Nora is only a servant girl, but is, without suspecting it, a true heroine. But she is no saint, and has a sharp tongue in her head. Her witty sallies are cleverly reproduced. The author tells us that Nora was a “real and living person.” John Halloran takes part in the rising of ’48, and is obliged to fly to America. Nora vows not to settle down in life until the fortunes of the Hallorans are restored. She goes to America, works to support the family, which has been ruined by an informer, and at length finds Halloran and reunites the family once more. Scene: near Holy Cross Abbey on the Suir; afterwards Boston. On the whole the tone and style are very emotional, but with an emotion that rings true. This is relieved by not a few gleams of pleasant humour. Irish dialect well done. Sympathy strongly national.