Her debut novel for adults, The Magdalen, was a number-one bestseller in 1999, telling the story of a young pregnant woman sent to a Magdalene Laundry in 1950s Ireland. Other children's books include The Blue Horse, which won the Bisto Irish Book of the Year Award and reached the top of the bestseller's list in 1993, No Goodbye, and A Girl Called Blue. Among her historical children's books are Safe Harbour, set during World War II, which was shortlisted for the Bisto Book of the Year Award, and two follow-up books to Under the Hawthorn Tree: Wildflower Girl and Fields of Home, which completed the Children of the Famine trilogy. Her characters are often depicted in challenging situations or life events. Ĭonlon-McKenna went on to write more books for young readers. Under the Hawthorn Tree was a worldwide success and sold over 250,000 copies in the Irish market alone, earning its status as a classic children's novel. The inspiration for her first children's novel Under the Hawthorn Tree came when she heard a radio report on the discovery of an unmarked grave under a hawthorn tree, where three children from the Famine era were buried. She credits Dr Pat Donlon, director of the Children's Literature course, with encouraging and supporting her to publish her work. While a mother of young children, she began writing a picture book for her daughter. She took an interest in writing and enrolled in writing classes in UCD, including courses in Anglo-Irish literature, women's studies and children's literature. She married James McKenna at age 20 and had jobs in the family business, in a bank, and with a travel agency. She excelled at school but deferred a place at university to care for her father. She attended school at the Convent of the Sacred Heart in Mount Anville. Biography Ĭonlon-McKenna was born in Dublin and raised in Goatstown.
Her debut adult novel Magdalen was published in 1999. Conlon-McKenna went on to be a prolific writer and has published over 20 books for both young readers and adults. Praised for its child-accessible yet honest depiction of the Great Famine, Under the Hawthorn Tree has been translated into over a dozen languages and is taught in classrooms worldwide. She is best known for her Famine-era historical children's book Under the Hawthorn Tree, the first book of the Children of the Famine trilogy, which was published in 1990 and achieved immediate success. Marita Conlon-McKenna (born 5 November 1956) is an Irish author of children's books and adult fiction. Convent of the Sacred Heart, Mount Anville
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