The Graves Are Walking

The Great Famine and the Saga of the Irish People

By: John Kelly

Narrated by: Gerard Doyle

It started in 1845 and lasted six years. Before it was over, more than one million men, women, and children starved to death and another million fled the country. Measured in terms of mortality, the Great Irish Potato Famine was one of the worst disasters in the 19th century-it claimed twice as many lives as the American Civil War. A perfect storm of bacterial infection, political greed, and religious intolerance sparked this catastrophe. But even more extraordinary than its scope were its political underpinnings, and The Graves Are Walking provides fresh material and analysis on the role that nineteenth-century evangelical Protestantism played in shaping British policies and on Britain's attempt to use the famine to reshape Irish society and character.

Perhaps most important, this is ultimately a story of triumph over perceived destiny: for 50 million Americans of Irish heritage, the saga of a broken people fleeing crushing starvation and remaking themselves in a new land is an inspiring story of exoneration.

Based on extensive research and written with novelistic flair, The Graves Are Walking draws a portrait that is both intimate and panoramic, that captures the drama of individual lives caught up in an unimaginable tragedy, while imparting a new understanding of the famine's causes and consequences.

©2012 John Kelly (P)2012 Tantor

Critic reviews

"[Kelly's] exhaustive research covers every aspect, threading the gruesome events into a huge panoramic tapestry that reveals political greed lurking behind the pestilence." ( Publishers Weekly)

Explains many causes of the Irish potato famine

I recommend this book for lovers of history and nonfiction and for those close to anyone who learned to speak Gaelic in school. Author Kelly explains many causes of the Irish potato famine: the British Government, Irish landlords, human frailty (greed, stupidity, prejudice, fear), misfortune, and the wrath of God.) kelly also chronicles the devastating effects with mind-numbing facts about the potato blight, famine, typhoid and dysentery epidemics, massive emigration of the Irish people, and Irish loathing for Britain. I like how he included the impact of diseased and starving Irish people to England, Canada, and the United States. Good prequel to the Gangs of New York.

Unvarnished Truth

I really enjoyed The Graves Are Walking. I’ve read John Kelly’s other book on the Black Plague, so I was prepared for his style of story-telling. I’m also interested in the full story of the Irish Famine since I learned it was mainly due to cruelty through policy failure by ardent state capitalists and not solely the potato blight.
Kelly has a style that gets to the point with saying very little on his own accord. He sews together historical anecdotes and first-hand accounts which then tells its own story. Right or wrong, he presents the many narratives of the historical era with their bias and enthusiasm in tow.
If I had to settle on something I’d improve with this audiobook, I’d suggest that although the Irish speaker is a perfect voice for this story, a little more dramatic inflections and intonation to punch up the delivery at times would be helpful.

Poor audio quality

Any additional comments?

The volume on the recording varied so wildly I found myself having to adjust it almost continually, as well as the median volume on this was abnormally low to start with. Although the book might have had promise, I finally had to give up after a couple of hours of real frustration.

Full detail of how the famine got started! How was involved

My fail my came from Cork, Waterford I’m 1837, before things got bad! They were talented, one whisky barrel maker, errs carder, jewelry maker!They still had to suffer the terrible trips over down below ships bait trips over the sea where many still died before getting to America,
Kathleen

All-around Excellent

Very well researched, weaving in both the Irish experience and the English response as the crisis mounted almost in slow motion. I especially appreciated the many personal stories of the profound suffering by the Irish and the excellent explanations of the English policies that shaped the calamity. I didn't know much about the Great Famine before - a very sobering account. The reader's narration was outstanding; using an Irishman was appropriate to authentically convey the Irish experience.