Orphan Among the Irish

Hanorah Martley was like any other poor girl in Ireland in the 1880s. Her dream was to one day see America, raise a family, and have the basic necessities of life-food, shelter, and clothes. In that environment, she would provide love in abundance. She went on to survive, having six children and living on a prosperous farm in the United States.


In Orphan among the Irish: Hanorah's Story, Hanorah's great-grandson, author Paul Brown, describes her physical and emotional journey across the decades. Brown recounts the family's history from the humblest of beginnings. Hanorah grew up in the midst of poverty and famine in Ireland, a nation that was still suffering from the effects of the great potato famine. She watched as her family perished one by one. This biography tells how she overcame the challenges and became a pillar for future generations.


Telling the personal story of Hanorah and her zest for life, Orphan among the Irish: Hanorah's Story pays tribute to the hardy Irish immigrants who found their way to America to realize a better life.