From Publishers Weekly
The task of transforming the events of the 1916 Irish Rebellion into coherent fiction would terrify most writers. Llywelyn (The Lion of Ireland; Red Branch), however, has produced a thunderous, informative read that rises to the challenge. Sticking to the historical facts and incorporating all the major historical figures, Llewelyn filters them through the experience of the fictional Ned Halloran, a young Titanic survivor whose lust for life takes on new meaning when he goes to the Irish-language school run by poet and schoolmaster Padraic Pearse. Gaining a new appreciation of Irish culture, Ned also learns of Ireland's tragic, bloody history. He soon becomes aware that he is alive in a vibrant and epochal time, when the new century's potential inspires poets and revolutionaries to challenge the British Empire's colonial might. Ned falls in love and graduates from schoolboy to soldier. On Easter Monday, 1916, he is ready for the Rising itself, and (as happened on those famously unisex barricades) his sweetheart fights by his side. Battle scenes are both accurate and compelling. The betrayals, slaughters and passions of the day are all splendidly depicted as Llywelyn delivers a blow-by-blow account of the rebellion and its immediate aftermath. The novel's abundant footnotes should satisfy history buffs; its easy, gripping style will enthrall casual readers with what is Llywelyn's best work yet. Author tour. Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From School Library Journal
YA-A novel set in Ireland at the time of the Easter Rebellion. Llywelyn tells the tale of 15-year-old Ned Halloran, a young Titanic survivor who lost both of his parents in that disaster. Upon his return to his native Ireland, he becomes embroiled in its rapidly changing political scene. The headmaster of his school is a renowned scholar and also a rebel and patriot for the Irish cause. Ned acts as a courier for the rebels, becoming more and more supportive of their struggle. The young man's coming-of-age is complicated by his feelings of nationalism, the love of several women, and his rescue of a young orphan during a street battle. YAs will get caught up in the excitement of this epic novel and root for Ned as he tries to save his comrades and fights side by side with the woman he loves.Katherine Fitch, Lake Braddock Middle School, Burke, VACopyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Library Journal
Llywelyn revisits the bloody Easter Rising of 1916. Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From AudioFile
A revolutionary turning point in Irish history is orchestrated by purist poets and devout patriots. The story focuses on the life of one man who plays a major part in the uprising. Fiacre Douglas's melodic Irish brogue, expressing a feisty enthusiasm for these colorful characters, authenticates this narration with rich dramatization. This story is complicated, moving between the Irish rebellion and the background of WWI, yet Douglas simplifies the twists and turns by focusing on and endearing us to the valiant men and women associated with each conflict. This Irish legend is vividly presented. B.J.P. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine


From Kirkus Reviews
A noted chronicler of Irish history and legend (Pride of Lions, 1996, etc.) here deals with the Easter Rising of 1916, as seen through the fictional adventures of a young man close to the inner circle of those working and fighting for Ireland's independence from England. When first introduced, teenager Ned Halloran is on his way to the US with his parents to attend the wedding of sister Kathleen to an Americanthe ship is the Titanic. On his grieving return to Ireland, Ned, a farmer's son, is sent to St. Enda's, a school where Irish history, languageand prideare not only valued but taught with fervor. It's at St. Enda's that he meets the ``conspiracy of poets,'' including Headmaster Padraic Pearse, who will become commander-in-chief during the Rising. Ned becomes acquainted with the many faces and phases of the rebellion against the ``looting'' and ``occupying'' English, while a plethora of movements begin to surface: the Sinn Fein (then standing for nonmilitary rebellion); the socialist Connolly's Citizen Army; and the Volunteer Corps. Ned joins the Fianna, a youth corps founded by the doughty Countess Markievicy (who, like the other real-life people here, makes a substantial appearance). In New York, meantime, sister Kathleen makes some unsettling discoveries: Her husband is a brute, contemptuous of her Irish nationalism, and Father Paul, a young priest, is stirring most unspiritual fires within. Back in the homeland, Ned is battling through an amorous dilemma: Is it to be a prim lady (an Anglophile) or a patriotic prostitute, the sister of a dead friend? The revolution heats up; Ned becomes a courier between the many groups and sectors; there are marches, spying, drillsand finally terrible sacrifice. Llywelyn tells her tale with gusto and a respect for the facts; a good deal of both bizarre and somber history shines through the fictional fustian of its likable characters. (Author tour) -- Copyright ©1998, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.


Review
Praise for 1916 :

"A thunderous, informative read that rises to the challenge...Llywelyn's best work yet." -- Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"A marriage of stories and truth that breathes life into history in a way a textbook never could....It is [Llywelyn's] soul's song for Ireland, which is clearly the place of her heart." -- The Knoxville News-Sentinel

"Llywelyn weaves the tapestry of her story with intelligence and skill, and gives us access to a period when the bullets flew and patriots gave their lives for the ideal of freedom." -- San Diego Union-Tribune



Review
Praise for 1916 :

"A thunderous, informative read that rises to the challenge...Llywelyn's best work yet." -- Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"A marriage of stories and truth that breathes life into history in a way a textbook never could....It is [Llywelyn's] soul's song for Ireland, which is clearly the place of her heart." -- The Knoxville News-Sentinel

"Llywelyn weaves the tapestry of her story with intelligence and skill, and gives us access to a period when the bullets flew and patriots gave their lives for the ideal of freedom." -- San Diego Union-Tribune



Review
Praise for 1916 :

"A thunderous, informative read that rises to the challenge...Llywelyn's best work yet." -- Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"A marriage of stories and truth that breathes life into history in a way a textbook never could....It is [Llywelyn's] soul's song for Ireland, which is clearly the place of her heart." -- The Knoxville News-Sentinel

"Llywelyn weaves the tapestry of her story with intelligence and skill, and gives us access to a period when the bullets flew and patriots gave their lives for the ideal of freedom." -- San Diego Union-Tribune



Book Description
Ned Halloran has lost both his parents--and almost his own life--to the sinking of the Titanic . Determined to keep what little he has, he returns to his homeland in Ireland and enrolls at Saint Enda's school in Dublin. Saint Enda's headmaster is the renowned scholar and poet, Patrick Pearse--who is soon to gain greater fame as a rebel and patriot. Ned becomes totally involved with the growing revolution...and the sacrifices it will demand.

Through Ned's eyes, 1916 examines the Irish fight for freedom--inspired by poets and schoolteachers, fueled by a desperate desire for independence, and played out in the historic streets of Dublin against the backdrop of World War I. It is the story of the brave men and heroic women who, for a few unforgettable days, managed to hold out against the might of the British Empire to realize an impossible dream.



From the Publisher
Praise for 1916: "A thunderous, informative read that rises to the challenge...Llywelyn's best work yet." --Publishers Weekly (starred review) "A marriage of stories and truth that breathes life into history in a way a textbook never could....It is [Llywelyn's] soul's song for Ireland, which is clearly the place of her heart." --The Knoxville News-Sentinel "Llywelyn weaves the tapestry of her story with intelligence and skill, and gives us access to a period when the bullets flew and patriots gave their lives for the ideal of freedom." --San Diego Union-Tribune


About the Author
Since 1980 Morgan Llywelyn has created an entire body of work chronicling the Celts and Ireland, from the earliest times to the present day. her critically acclaimed novels, both of history and of mythology, have been translated into many languages. She is an Irish citizen and lives in Dublin.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Ned Halloran has lost both his parents, and almost his own life, to the sinking of the Titanic, and has lost his sister to America. Determined to keep what little he has, he returns to Ireland and enrolls at Saint Enda's school in Dublin. Saint Enda's headmaster is the renowned scholar and poet, Patrick Pearse - who is soon to gain greater and undying fame as a rebel and patriot. Ned becomes totally involved with the growing revolution...and the sacrifices it will demand. Meanwhile, in America, his sister feels her own urge toward freedom, both for her native Ireland and herself. Kathleen too becomes involved in the larger struggle, as America's role in the Irish fight for freedom escalates. The novel examines the Irish fight for freedom, which parallels in so many ways America's own bid for independence. For the first time, it gives us a look at the heroic women who were willing to fight and die beside their men for the sake of the future. Above all, 1916 is the story of the valiant patriots who, for a few unforgettable days, held out against the might of empire to realize an impossible dream.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

The task of transforming the events of the 1916 Irish Rebellion into coherent fiction would terrify most writers. Llywelyn (The Lion of Ireland; Red Branch), however, has produced a thunderous, informative read that rises to the challenge. Sticking to the historical facts and incorporating all the major historical figures, Llewelyn filters them through the experience of the fictional Ned Halloran, a young Titanic survivor whose lust for life takes on new meaning when he goes to the Irish-language school run by poet and schoolmaster Pdraic Pearse. Gaining a new appreciation of Irish culture, Ned also learns of Ireland's tragic, bloody history. He soon becomes aware that he is alive in a vibrant and epochal time, when the new century's potential inspires poets and revolutionaries to challenge the British Empire's colonial might. Ned falls in love and graduates from schoolboy to soldier. On Easter Monday, 1916, he is ready for the Rising itself, and (as happened on those famously unisex barricades) his sweetheart fights by his side. Battle scenes are both accurate and compelling. The betrayals, slaughters and passions of the day are all splendidly depicted as Llywelyn delivers a blow-by-blow account of the rebellion and its immediate aftermath. The novel's abundant footnotes should satisfy history buffs; its easy, gripping style will enthrall casual readers with what is Llywelyn's best work yet. Author tour. (Apr.)

Library Journal

Llywelyn revisits the bloody Easter Rising of 1916. (LJ 2/15/98)

School Library Journal

YA-A novel set in Ireland at the time of the Easter Rebellion. Llywelyn tells the tale of 15-year-old Ned Halloran, a young Titanic survivor who lost both of his parents in that disaster. Upon his return to his native Ireland, he becomes embroiled in its rapidly changing political scene. The headmaster of his school is a renowned scholar and also a rebel and patriot for the Irish cause. Ned acts as a courier for the rebels, becoming more and more supportive of their struggle. The young man's coming-of-age is complicated by his feelings of nationalism, the love of several women, and his rescue of a young orphan during a street battle. YAs will get caught up in the excitement of this epic novel and root for Ned as he tries to save his comrades and fights side by side with the woman he loves.-Katherine Fitch, Lake Braddock Middle School, Burke, VA

Kirkus Reviews

A noted chronicler of Irish history and legend (Pride of Lions, 1996, etc.) here deals with the Easter Rising of 1916, as seen through the fictional adventures of a young man close to the inner circle of those working and fighting for Ireland's independence from England. When first introduced, teenager Ned Halloran is on his way to the US with his parents to attend the wedding of sister Kathleen to an Americanþthe ship is the Titanic. On his grieving return to Ireland, Ned, a farmer's son, is sent to St. Enda's, a school where Irish history, languageþand prideþare not only valued but taught with fervor. It's at St. Enda's that he meets the "conspiracy of poets," including Headmaster Padraic Pearse, who will become commander-in-chief during the Rising. Ned becomes acquainted with the many faces and phases of the rebellion against the "looting" and "occupying" English, while a plethora of movements begin to surface: the Sinn Fein (then standing for nonmilitary rebellion); the socialist Connolly's Citizen Army; and the Volunteer Corps. Ned joins the Fianna, a youth corps founded by the doughty Countess Markievicy (who, like the other real-life people here, makes a substantial appearance). In New York, meantime, sister Kathleen makes some unsettling discoveries: Her husband is a brute, contemptuous of her Irish nationalism, and Father Paul, a young priest, is stirring most unspiritual fires within. Back in the homeland, Ned is battling through an amorous dilemma: Is it to be a prim lady (an Anglophile) or a patriotic prostitute, the sister of a dead friend? The revolution heats up; Ned becomes a courier between the many groups and sectors; there are marches,spying, drillsþand finally terrible sacrifice. Llywelyn tells her tale with gusto and a respect for the facts; a good deal of both bizarre and somber history shines through the fictional fustian of its likable characters. (Author tour)