Song of the Silent Harp

Five years ago as I was returning to upstae NY from a visit to my daughter in Texas, I asked her for a book to read as I had a long layover on the trip. She gave me the Song of the Silent Harp and my life changed forever. By the time the plane landed in NY, I was 3/4 of the way through it. I immediately called the Life Discovery Book Store locally and went over and bought the next four books in the Series. I read continually, only taking time out for the necessities, and was totally mesmerized by the stories. Let me say here, that both my parents were born in Ireland, and so much of the stories brought back memories of tales my parents told me about life in Ireland and their immigration to Upstate NY. I couldn't put the books down. I had a wonderful Italian friend, Angie, who loved to read and had an empathy for the Irish so I bought her the set of books and her last note to me before she died, she thanked me for introducing her to the writings of B. J. Hoff. She claimed it was the best gift she ever got. I subsequently gave a set to my younger sister, who ws traveling to Italy, and she likewise was mesmerized with the books, even more so than her trip to Italy. To read these books, the author gets you caught up in the story of what it was like to be Irish and an immigrant and makes me so proud to be of Irish descent. I have 10 grown children who are avid readers and the books are a real education for all of them and helps them understand the sacrifices their grandparents made and the hardships they overcame as immigrants. In the five years since I first read them, I have yet to read a book that left me with such wonderful feelings. I read that B.J. Hoff wrote these books from memories her grandmother shared with her about her life. The language is wonderful and can be read by anyone able to read. The books have a prominent spot on my bookcase. Thank you B. J. Hoff

I read these books years ago when I was twelve or thirteen. I honestly couldn't put the books down once I started, I devoured them in every sense of the word and was not dissapointed. This book sparked in me a love for history and literature that I don't think ever will be quenched. My teachers that year were I think a bit shocked when I decided to pick the Irish Potato Famine as the topic for my research/presentation project. LOL You won't be dissapointed with this book or series, you will be left wanting more like I was.

My friend got this book from the library when I was fourteen or so... I remember she kept telling me what a WONDERFUL, AMAZING book it was, and I could only think, "What on earth could be interesting about the potato famine?" She went on to read the rest of the series, and eventually through telling me more about the story, I became extremely interested, and when I read it it surpassed my wildest hopes. Of course, as I said, I was fourteen or fifteen, and girls that age live on this kind of book. I did live on it. I read it in two days and had to wait a whole week to meet my friend at church and get the second one from her. But enough on how I found B.J.Hoff... The "Emerald Ballad" series is the best series of books that I think I've ever read. I don't get into romance novels like Grace Livingston Hill or Janette Oke or Beverly Whats-her-name that writes the Amish soap operas - I find them pretty predictable and tacky... With B.J. Hoff I never knew what was going to happen, and she made it all seem so REAL. I have read all five of the books in this series through at least three times, some I've read four or five times. This first one is the best, and could stand alone. It's after you read the second book that you know you HAVE to read the rest.The story is, essentially, about three people - Nora Kavanagh, Michael Burke, and Morgan Fitzgerald. They were friends in childhood and went separate ways as adults. Nora married, Michael went to New York, and Morgan is a wandering dreamer who writes poetry, plays the harp, and is obsessively devoted to Ireland. It's been a while since I last read the book, so I'm not good with details, but this book has famine, fear, death, romance, white slavers, evil landlords, stuttering Englishmen, near hangings, one killing, one chase scene (what's a good story without at least one chase scene? That was Alfred Hitchcock's idea). But more than anything else, God is the centre of this story, providing all the central people with faith to pull through all the events and survive all the villains I mentioned above. You should definitely give this book a try. Now that I'm a bit older, it's no longer the staple and sustenance of my literary life but I still enjoy them once in a while and fondly cherish the memories of my friend and I going ga-ga over Morgan.Let me say a few words about Morgan. For one thing, he's a great big tall guy. For two other things, he has copper hair (which the sun can light ablaze) and green eyes. He's poetic and musical, as I said, and whenever he talks, his choice of words is fittingly dramatic, just as if it came straight out of those dear old melodramatic 30's movies. Personally I find that pretty neato. I would say that he was definitely my favourite character. My friend liked him a lot, but she liked Michael more. I learnt to like Michael a lot toward the fourth read-through, but Morgan remained my favourite. Okay, I believe I have waxed descriptive enough. If you want to know more, go get thi

I really like this book.It takes you from the dark dispair of the Great Famine of Ireland, to the shores of hope imigrating to the US. I was 1/2 way finished the book, and thought, I have to get the rest of the series! It also teaches about faith. You grow with the characters growth in faith. You can see that even in our darkest times, God does not abandon us. He's always there with us, and can use even the most dismal circumstances to bless us. Truley a good read!

This was definitly one of the best books I have ever read. I was wrapped up in the story of these families and am thirsting for more in the sequals. I was so wrapped up I read the book in about 2 days every free time I got I was engrossed to find the end.