Fairy Hill

Strange things are happening in Fairy Hill.

Thirteen-year-old Anna is upset when she is sent to stay with her dad and his new family at Fairy Hill in the west of Ireland. Hearing whispers in the wind, Anna senses she is being watched, but nobody believes her except the mysterious boy down by the lake. When her little half-brother, Jack, nearly gets lost, Anna suspects that someone is trying to steal him away. She wonders if the stories about the old house and the fairies are true. And if they are, could Jack be in real danger?



MARITA CONLON-McKENNA is one of Ireland's most popular, award-winning children's authors. She has written numerous award-winning and best-selling books, and they have been translated into many languages. Under the Hawthorn Tree, her first novel, became an immediate bestseller and has been described as 'the biggest success story in children's historical fiction'. Its sequels, Wildflower Girl and Fields of Home, which complete the Children of the Famine trilogy, have also been hugely successful.

Other books by Marita Conlon-McKenna include: No Goodbye, Safe Harbour, The Blue Horse, In Deep Dark Wood, and A Girl Called Blue. Under the Hawthorn Tree is also available on DVD. Visit www.obrien.ie for full details of all Marita's books.



One of Ireland’s best-loved storytellers for children is back with a story inspired by WB Yeats’ poem The Stolen Child, which brings together modern Ireland and Irish folklore in a captivating way. When Anna is sent from London to stay with her dad and his new family in rural Ireland, she is not happy but slowly her dad’s farm and the woods and animals start to work their magic. Anna’s intelligence and bravery are put to the test when her father ploughs a field said to contain a fairy fort. Strange things begin to happen … A genuinely eerie and captivating story, with a cracking plot



atmospheric adventure



Conlon-McKenna is an expert at crafting page-turners for pre-teens and builds a bewitching tale of mystery and suspense



I’d give the book a 10 out of 10. It was one of the best books I have read. I would definitely read it again



atmospheric adventure … with the excitement and pace increasing around the final encounter, Anna, a very engaging character, must brave the dangers of the fairy ring



the very best in Irish children’s books published in 2023 ... lovers of adventure stories will enjoy Fairy Hill by Marita Conlon-McKenna’



A new story from Ireland's most beloved children's storyteller, Fairy Hill is a gentle, easy read and an excellent entry point for new readers



Marita Conlon-McKenna is an Irish award-winning children’s author, and we were thrilled to find Fairy Hill in our Postbag. O’Brien Books are the publisher of this new novel, a fantastic story for it goes without saying that any story featuring the fairy folk so well-known in all our myths and legends, is sure to be a delight. But what makes this one so readable? It is the element of surprise, the narration of a tale that takes us from a home in London’s Notting Hill, to a wedding and then a flight to Dublin in a few short pages, the sense of mystery, wonder and magic is infused in every word, the feeling of needing to read on to discover more



introduce your children to the gripping writing of Marita Conlon-McKenna



Conlon-McKenna brings together elements that are familiar ingredients in children’s literature; the fractured family, new relationships and friendships, change, the world of faerie and folk lore. They are familiar, indeed, but here skilfully woven together to create a warm-hearted story of family and friendship, of change and acceptance with just the right amount of jeopardy bringing an element of danger and potential loss … Conlon-McKenna’s style is accessible and attractive, allowing for just enough description to create a sense of place, while a good use of dialogue engages the immediate attention. Traditional storytelling beautifully handled



‘Marita ... is a natural storyteller.’



‘In all of Conlon-McKenna’s books there is an underlying sense of resilience, of self-reliance and of enterprise in even the poorest of people.’



‘Conlon-McKenna sees herself very much as a storyteller, and the outstanding feature of her work is its strong narrative thrust.’



I’ve read this and it’s brilliant! It’s Marita at her best ... this cracking new book features a brave girl who fights back against the fairies who are determined to steal her little brother away



wonderful ... a page turning adventure full of bravery, fairies & friendship. Highly recommended



Set in the west of Ireland with inspiration drawn from Irish folklore and culture, 13-year-old Anna is thrown into the deep end when sent from London to spend time with her father and his new family. But when beguiling and bewildering events occur, Anna has a feeling there might be some truth in the tall tales she’s told about the landscape she finds herself in … Another triumph from one of Ireland’s most beloved authors



Marita is back … Marita when she’s on song usually hits it out of the park … really strong buzz, really excited for this



Feels like the book every primary school has been waiting for, for the last 30 years



A contemporary story of family and love, stepped in ancient myth and folklore



new novel from Marita Conlon-McKenna, one of Ireland’s best-known children’s storytellers. Set in Sligo, it follows 13-year-old Londoner Anna, who has returned to her father’s homestead under the shadow of Ben Bulben for the summer. The journey she takes is metaphorical too, as Anna tries to find a place for herself in her father’s new family. Anna’s family circumstances give Conlon-McKenna a rich social real-world context against which to place the otherworldly aspects of the story, which sings into a long history of Irish legend and lore … Conlon-McKenna’s clever positioning of Anna’s rational fears beside the enchanted fantasy adds a thrilling edge, suggesting that the boundaries between the two worlds are even thinner than legends might have us believe