RETHINKING CRITICALLY AND HOLISTICALLY: LITERARY SCHOLARSHIP ON MARY ANNE SADLIER AND THE FEMALE IRISH IMMIGRANT EXPERIENCE

Abstract

This paper focuses on the life of the Irish author Mary Anne Sadlier (1820-1903) who wrote under
the pseudonym of J. Sadlier. Her novels are set against the backdrop of The Great Famine (1845-
1849) and depict the lives of Irish female migrants of the 19th century. In this paper, we offer a
critical and holistic academic review of Sadlier’s life and literary scholarship on her works of
fiction with regards to the experience of female Irish immigrants during the harsh and extremely
challenging period in Irish history of the Great Famine also known as the Irish Potato Famine.