I came across Pegeen when I was 10 years old, and it was an intimidating book: 2 inches thick and larger than a typical hardback. (It was in very large type, with many pictures.) I was, and am, so glad that I was brave enough to read it. In my adulthood, I searched for it for years before I unexpectedly found it at a home-school conference … and I was delighted to find that Pegeen is actually the third book in a trilogy of stories about the O’Sullivan family of Bantry Bay, Glengarriff, County Cork, Ireland.
The three books in the trilogy are The Cottage at Bantry Bay, Francie on the Run, and Pegeen. The books are well-written and approachable stories, excellent for reading aloud to younger children, or good reading material for intermediate readers.
The Cottage at Bantry Bay introduces the O’Sullivans: Mother, Father, Michael (age 11), Brigid (age 9), and twins Liam and Francie (age 6). The O’Sullivans have the normal life of an Irish farm family, but they have unexpected adventures that will keep readers of all ages on tenterhooks. And the family has a deep need that only a miracle will solve …
Francie on the Run is all about Francie, whose clubfoot requires an operation. Francie is an active and uninhibited child, and when he finds the hospital boring, he runs away. In his travels back home, he meets Pegeen and her granny, who help him recuperate from the strain of abusing his not-quite-healed foot, and then arrange to return him to his very worried family. His adventures are rollicking good fun, and will enthrall even active boys.
Pegeen tells how Francie’s new friend loses her Grannie and come to live with the O’Sullivans. Pegeen has grown like a weed, with little guidance or discipline, and her attempts to fit into “civilised” life are sometimes sad, sometimes amusing, and sometimes scary.
In all, this series is a fantastic addition to your children’s library, and will be treasured throughout the generations as a good tale well told.