The Feminization of Famine

Kelleher begins with a critical reading of the novels and short stories written about the Irish famine over the last 150 years, from the novels of William Carleton and Anthony Trollope to the writings of Liam O'Flaherty and John Banville. She then moves on to unveil a lesser-known body of literature-works written by women. This literature is read in the context of a rich variety of other sources, including eyewitness accounts, memoirs, journalistic accounts, and famine historiography. Concluding with a reading of the twentieth-century accounts of the famine in Bengal, this book reveals how gendered representations have played a crucial role in defining notions of famine.