Reviews for Water Street
Book list
From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.
Gr. 5-8. Continuing the Irish American immigration story begun in Nory Ryan's Song0 (2000) and Maggie's Door0 (2003), Giff's new novel, set in 1875, is about the next generation. Nory and Sean's daughter, Bridget ("Bird"), 13, befriends a lonely boy, Thomas, who lives upstairs with his father in Brooklyn. From their tenement windows they can see the building of the bridge and the structure's great towers. Bird's dad has a job there, and the construction is both fact and metaphor. Bird would like to be a nurse-midwife like Mama, but the work is sometimes hard and scary. The story is told from the alternating viewpoints of Bird and Thomas; Bird's loving family takes Thomas in, and the two young people help each other at school and on the street. The happily-ever-after ending never denies the harsh struggle; the memory of what drove them from the Old Country is always there, as is the mantra "We have to better ourselves." A poignant immigration story of friendship, work, and the meaning of home. --Hazel Rochman Copyright 2006 Booklist
Publishers Weekly
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Water Street by Patricia Reilly Giff follows the journey begun with Nory Ryan's Song and Maggie's Door, picking up in 1875 Brooklyn, where Nory's daughter, Bird, aspires to be a healer like her mother. (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Kirkus
Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Bird Mallon wants to be a healer like her mother, but she has doubts about her capabilities. She also worries about her sister Annie and especially her brother Hughie, who is trying to earn money in illegal bare-knuckle fights. New neighbor Thomas Neary is Bird's age and has troubles of his own. His father spends most of his time at the pub and leaves Thomas alone to dream and write about a better life. Thomas and Bird's friendship becomes the catalyst for changes that affect their lives and the lives of the people they love. Revisiting the Irish immigrant experience of Sean and Nory from Nory Ryan's Song (2000) and Maggie's Door (2003), and introducing their children, Giff has meticulously recreated the sights, sounds and atmosphere of 1876 Brooklyn during the construction of the towers of the great suspension bridge being built across the East River. By focusing on one small group of strong, complex and believable characters, she opens a door to the past and makes it all come alive for modern young readers. Historical fiction at its best. (Historical fiction. 9-12) Copyright ŠKirkus Reviews, used with permission.
School Library Journal
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Gr 4-8-This heartwarming novel continues the saga begun in Nory Ryan's Song (Delacorte, 2000) and Maggie's Door (Random, 2003). With the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge as background, the story is told from the alternating perspectives of Bridget (Bird) Mallon and Thomas Neary, from the time that they are nearly 13 until they are 14. Bird is the youngest child of Nory and Sean Mallon, who came from Ireland to Brooklyn to escape the poverty and hopelessness of the potato famine. Thomas moves with his father into the tenement where the Mallons live. Mr. Neary spends most of his time at a neighborhood pub, and where the boy's mother is remains a mystery for much of the book. A strong friendship develops between the young teens. The creation of the bridge looms as a dream that parallels the dreams of the characters. Bird, a bright, sensitive girl, wants to follow in her mother's path and become a healer, but she discovers that the road is not without obstacles. Thomas dreams of becoming a writer and of having a family like the Mallons. Though the plot is somewhat predictable and the likable characters are a bit stereotyped, Giff masterfully integrates the historical material and presents a vivid picture of the immigrant struggle in the 1870s.-Renee Steinberg, formerly at Fieldstone Middle School, Montvale, NJ (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
School Library Journal
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Gr 4-8-Set in the 1870s, Patricia Giff Reilly's Water Street (Wendy Lamb Books, 2006) is the sequel to Nory Ryan's Song (Delacorte, 2000; Listening Library, 2002) and Maggie's Door (Random, 2003; Listening Library 2003). The stories of Bridget "Bird" Mallon and Thomas Neary are told in alternating chapters. Classmates and neighbors in Brooklyn, Bird and Thomas become friends during the eighth grade. Bird's parents emigrated from Ireland to escape the potato famine, and Thomas's father is a drunk. Each has dreams of bettering themselves. Bird longs to be a healer like her mother, but when a gruesomely injured patient leaves her shaken, she doubts herself. Thomas diligently records his experiences on paper, hoping to become a writer. Coleen Marlo's distinctive voice complements the narration, providing varying degrees of an Irish accent for the adults. Listeners new to the family saga will have no trouble appreciating Water Street as a stand-alone, and will search out its predecessors.-Erin B. Allen, Rowan Public Library, Salisbury, NC (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
