Sophia Elahi RPC Blog

“And they lived happily ever after.” Fiona said quietly.  Connor was already asleep, as was their parents.  Fiona smiled.  Her little brother always fell asleep before the ending.  She got up quietly and put the book under her pillow.  She blew out the bedroom candle and climbed into her bed. 

She sighed sadly.  It was a beautiful night.  She wanted nothing more than to run around the fields.  Unlike most children, Fiona rarely slept early.  She always ended up in the doorframe of the house enjoying the night.  Fiona loved the darkness, while others were scared of what the darkness could conceal.  Fiona loved the quiet tranquility of the darkness.

Fiona longed to run through a dark forest, her red hair glowing under the moonlight, not having a care in the world.  But she could not do that, especially not tonight.  Winter was coming fast, and this year everyone on the farm had to help harvest their crop because Fiona’s parents were able to plant twice as much compared to last year.  Tomorrow was harvesting day, she needed energy.  She sighed once more and turned over in her bed.

Morning came faster than expected, but Fiona was ready.  As soon as she felt the warmth of the sun come through the window she was ready for the day. 

“Good morning Mother” Fiona said walking into the kitchen, helping Mother make breakfast. 

“Good morning.” Mother responded, “Are you ready for today?” 

“Of course!” Fiona exclaimed. “Maybe this year we’ll be able to keep more food for ourselves?”  She asked hopefully.  Last year the British came and took the majority of the Murphy’s crop.  They barely survived the harsh winter.

Mother’s happy expression darkened.  She doubted the British would have mercy, but she didn’t want to worry Fiona. 

“Good morning family!” Father said loudly as he walked into the kitchen with Connor on his shoulder.  The question Fiona asked seconds earlier was immediately “forgotten”.

“Morning!” Fiona and Mother responded. 

“Come get breakfast monkey.”  Fiona said, handing Connor a bowl of oatmeal.

“Is everyone ready for today?” Father asked as Fiona and Mother sat down with their breakfast.  Connor nodded eagerly.  Despite his quiet nature, Connor was always ready for work.  This year Mother would allow him to work until suppertime like the adults. 

Father laughed heartily at Connor’s eagerness.  “Well then, what are we waiting for?”

The family finished breakfast and went out into the fields.  Mother handed baskets to everyone and went to the far left side of the field where the wheat grew.  Father and Connor took the middle of the field where the oats grew, which left Fiona to the far right side where the barley grew.  The family would harvest the potatoes together after dinner.

Fiona got to work straight away.  She was determined to finish her side before anyone else.  But as usual, she slipped into her daydreaming state.  She couldn’t stop thinking about all of the amazing things she could do if she didn’t have to work.  Of course, she loved work, and never complained, but like most children, she longed for free days.  She imagined sitting in the lush, grassy hills next to her house, reading until sunset.  Then after dinner she would wander the woods, in the dark, with nothing but a rifle to protect herself. 

The sound of Father and Connor laughing brought her back to reality.  She looked down and realized while she was daydreaming she had picked almost all of the barley (and some weeds).  She looked over at Mother’s side and saw she was almost done.  Panicking, Fiona started to frantically run around the field, picking the barley.

Fiona wasn’t able to finish before anybody else, but she did finish the barley before Father and Connor were done with the oats and went to help them.  Mother already finished picking the wheat and was inside preparing dinner.

“Dinner’s ready!” Mother called from the house.

“Perfect timing.” Father said as he gathered the last of the oats.  Fiona and Connor carried the baskets of oats and barley into the shed.

“Look at all of the food!  We’re going to live like kings this winter!” Connor said excitedly.  The shed was almost bursting with baskets filled with their crop.

“We’re going to be rich with food!” Fiona exclaimed.

Everyone was anxious to get back to harvesting, and dinner went quickly.  Father assigned baskets to everyone and the family spread across the potato field and started digging. 

In the Murphy family, every child starts helping with potato harvesting as soon as they turn five.  Fiona had been doing this for years.  The movements were imprinted into her mind.  Fiona loved potato harvesting for two reasons, it was good training for when she starts her own farm, and she time to daydream.

As Fiona went through the motions of picking the potatoes, her mind started to wander once again.  She couldn’t stop thinking about the story she read Connor last night, specifically the “happily ever after”.  She loved the sound of that sentence.  There was a certain ring to it.  As she thought about it her mind went back to a memory.

“And they lived happily ever after…” Fiona said, closing her book and sliding it under her pillow.  Connor had stayed awake through the story for once.

“One more story?” Connor asked sleepily.

“No more stories.  Little boys like you need sleep.” Fiona stated.

“I’m not a little boy! I’m four! That means I’m a big boy.” Connor said.

“But big boys still need rest.” Fiona said. 

“Fine.” Connor huffed.

Fiona started to tuck Connor into bed, but he suddenly raised his arms and sat up.

“I have a question!” Connor exclaimed.  Fiona sighed tiredly.  She loved her brother, and always will, but she longed to leave the cramp bedroom and sit outside.

“Yes?” Fiona asked sweetly.

“What does happily ever after mean?” He asked.

“It means that everything is perfect, and everyone is happy and healthy.” Fiona said.

“Does that mean that we are happily ever after?” Connor asked.

“Yup. We’re as happily ever after as anyone one of these stories” Fiona said happily, gesturing to her big storybook. “Now, no more questions, it’s time for bed.”  She tucked Connor in and said goodnight.

 Fiona looked out of the bedroom window dreamily.  The night was extra quiet tonight.  Extra inviting.  She sat in the doorframe of the house looking at the stars.  They were so beautiful. 

Fiona usually had deep thoughts while star gazing.  This time, she was thinking about her life and how lucky she is to have a healthy, happy family.  She had a roof over her head and a thriving farm.  She had the special privilege to go to school, and had many friends there.  Her grades were good and she could read and write quite well.  She lived a happily ever after life, a perfect life.

Fiona was snapped back to reality when she heard the sound of horses.  She looked up and saw a beautiful white horse heading towards the farm.  She recognized the horse, it was the Sheriff’s.

“Fiona!” Mother called.  Fiona brushed off the dirt from her hands and skirt and walked over to her.  As she approached her Mother she knew something was wrong.  “Take Connor and hide under the beds.  Don’t make a sound and don’t let yourselves be found.”  She hurriedly.

Fiona didn’t understand what was happening, but she knew something was wrong and she knew better than to not listen to her Mother.

“Fiona..?  What’s going on?” Connor asked.  Fiona turned around and saw his scared face.  His lower lip was trembling slightly and his eyes were filled with tears.

“It’s ok.  We’re just playing a game of hide and seek.” She said picking him up. “We’re going to go hide under the beds, ok?”  Connor nodded.  Fiona could tell he wasn’t convinced, but he didn’t resist.

While heading to the house Fiona heard the Sheriff’s deep, dark voice from the doorway.  She changed her direction and headed to the back door of the house.  While passing she heard some of his words, “How much did you harvest this year?”

Fiona gasped slightly.  He was here to take their crop, and she doubted he would be merciful and leave them enough for winter.

“Connor, I want you to run to the bedroom and hide under your bed.” She said putting him on the ground.

“Without you?” He asked.

“Yes, I need to do something.” She saw his lip started to tremble again. “I need you to be a strong, big boy for me. Can you do that?”  Connor took a deep breath and nodded and he ran inside.  When Fiona was sure he was inside of the house she headed for the shed.

She grabbed baskets and threw them on the ground, making it seem like an animal had been there.  She then took baskets of food and hooked them onto her arms.  As she was leaving the shed she accidently kicked a bell that was left on the ground.  It was one of the shed’s safety alarms.  She heard the adult’s heavy footsteps leaving the kitchen and heading towards the shed.  She ran towards the tall grasses near the shed.

The Sheriff came out, closely followed by her parents just as Fiona ducked her head under the grass.   The Sheriff looked at the tall grass suspiciously.

“Where are your children?” He asked.  The sound of his voice sent chills down Fiona’s spine.

“In town.” Mother lied. “We sent them on some errands after dinner.”

“Very well.” The Sheriff said.  He didn’t seem to believe her, but he had no proof. “It seems an animal has stolen your food.  My men will take these.”

“But that is all the food we have!” Father exclaimed. “We won’t have enough to feed our children!”

“Pity.” The Sheriff sniffed.  He then walked towards the front of the house where his men were.  Mother looked at the grass where Fiona was hiding for a few seconds, then turned around and followed the Sheriff back inside.

Fiona exhaled deeply.  When she heard the front door of the house close she ran back to the shed and grabbed another basket of potatoes for good measure, then ran back into the house.  She went through the back door and into the bedroom.  She put the baskets up on the top racks above the beds.

As she did, she heard heavy footsteps coming towards the bedroom.  She knew it was the Sheriff.  Father didn’t walk like that.  She quickly threw blankets on top of the baskets and slid under the nearest bed.

The Sheriff walked in, his heavy, black boots hitting the floor.  She heard a slight whimper and saw Connor across from her.  His eyes were red and swollen from crying and his cheeks were stained with tears.  She gave him a reassuring smile and put her finger to her lips, signaling for him to be quiet.

The Sheriff walked around the room a couple times before leaving and closing the door.  Connor starts to get out from under the bed, but Fiona shakes her head.  She points to the shadow of boots under the door.  He was still there, waiting for them.  Connor understands and slips back under the bed.  After a few minutes the shadow leaves, but both children refuse to leave from their hiding spots.

“Children?” Mother said softly as she walked into the room.

“Mama!” Connor cried, sliding out from under the bed and running to Mother.  Fiona follows suit, but has a little challenge.  Mother laughs slightly when she spots Fiona thrashing slightly and helps her out from under the bed and wrapped Fiona and Connor into a tight hug.

Night came faster than expected.  There was very little for supper, and Connor was still hungry, but he didn’t say anything.  He knew something was wrong, especially when Fiona didn’t read him a goodnight story.

Fiona sighed as she sat in the doorframe of the house.  She loved the night, but it didn’t feel the same.  She had told her parents what she did when the Sheriff came over.  Mother scolded her, but not very harshly.  She knew that if Fiona didn’t grab those baskets the family would starve.  The Sheriff had taken the baskets Fiona didn’t take and most of the unpicked potatoes.

When Mother walked out of the kitchen she saw Fiona sitting in the doorframe, but she didn’t disturb her.  After a long and difficult conversation with Father she knew this would be one of the last times Fiona would enjoy the tranquility of the night in the countryside.

NOTE:

I am still deciding on a title for my book. Please leave some suggestions if you have 🙂

Thanks for reading!

“A Tale of Two Cities”, is a historical fiction written by Charles Dickens.  “The Scarlet Pimpernel”, is also a historical fiction, written by Baroness Orczy.  These books are set in the same time period, 1789 – 1799, which was during the French Revolution.  In this essay I am going to talk about both books.

A Tale of Two Cities

“A Tale of Two Cities” is a historical fiction set during the French Revolution.  This story is one of the many classics written by Charles Dickens.

Charles Dickens, born on February 7^th 1812, has written over 40 books, many of which are considered to be classics.  “A Tale of Two Cities” was one of his more popular books, though it cannot beat “A Christmas Carol” or “Oliver Twist”.  Dickens was married to Catherine Dickens, and had six children with her: Mary, Kate, Dora, Charles Jr., Henry, and Edward.  He died at the age of 58 in 1870.

Before discussing the plot of “A Tale of Two Cities” here is some background to the French Revolution if you are not familiar: the French people overthrew their government.  All royalty/aristocrats are considered traitors and villains.  Many, if not all, were sentenced to death by guillotine by the people.

Something to note is that this is the book where the quote “it was the best of times, it was the worst of times” came from.

“A Tale of Two Cities” is narrated in first person and is about a young girl named Lucie Manette.  The story starts with Lucie retrieving her father from London after 18 years.  Dr. Manette (Lucie’s father), was imprisoned under false accusations.  Five years later a man named Charles Darnay was put on trial for crimes that he did not commit, Lucie and her father are witnesses at court and pleads his innocence.  Another man named Sydney Carton convinces the court that Darnay is innocent, and he is pardoned.

As time passes, both Darnay and Carton fall in love with Lucie.  Lucie does not like Carton in a romantic sense, and married Darnay.  Years later Charles and Lucie are a happy couple with a young daughter when Darnay hears that Carton was in France and was being sentenced to death.  He attempts to free Carton but gets arrested and sentenced to death.  When the news reaches Lucie she takes her father and daughter to France to save Darnay and Carton.  Because Darnay was a French aristocrat, the people wanted him dead, as did Madame Defarge.  Madame Defarge hated Darnay and his family because of the crimes Darnay’s father and grandfather committed.

I am afraid I cannot and will not reveal the fate of Darnay and Carton.  I will have to leave you at this.

The Scarlet Pimpernel

“The Scarlet Pimpernel” is another historical fiction written by Baroness Orczy in 1905.  It is set during the French Revolution, like “A Tale of Two Cities”.

Baroness Orczy was born on the 23^rd of September in 1865 in Hungary.  She lived to the age of 82 before dying in 1947 in the UK.  She was married to Montagu Barstow and had one child, John Blakeney.  She wrote forty books, “The Scarlet Pimpernel” being one of the most popular.

This book was one of the more entertaining historical fictions that I have read.  The story is narrated in first person and starts by introducing the Scarlet Pimpernel, a group of Englishmen helping French aristocrats escape from France.  This group given the code name “the Scarlet Pimpernel” because of the flower they wore on their lapel.  I will not give away too much information, but the book follows a woman named Lady Blakeney.  She is approached by a French agent named Chauvelin, he needs her help to find the true identity of the Scarlet Pimpernel.  When she finds out that her brother is involved with helping the Scarlet Pimpernel and could get killed because of his offense to France, she agrees as long as her brother will not get punished.  But when she finds that the true identity of the Scarlet Pimpernel is her husband, Percy Blakeney, she is forced to make a hard choice. 

I will not give away too much information.  And giving away the ending is too much information, right?  Guess you will have to read the book to find out what happens next 😉

A Tale of Two Cities vs. The Scarlet Pimpernel

The two books that I have talked about in this essay are quite alike in genre and time period, but are also quite different.  I feel that the only thing the two books have in common is the time period, otherwise the style of writing and where the story is set is very different.

The books were alike character wise.  The male protagonists seem to have the same morals, as does the female protagonists.   The antagonists however, seem to be different form each other.

Percy Blakeney and Charles Defarge, the male protagonists.  Percy started the Scarlet Pimpernel with the purpose of saving French aristocrats he has never met before, knowing that he could get arrested, and maybe even killed for doing so.  Charles went back to France to save the man who wanted to marry his wife, even if it meant going back to his old life and facing charges for crimes his family did.  Both of these men are selfless and put other people’s greater good first, even if it means putting them at risk.  Another thing to notice is that both of these men had families, if they got caught they would have to leave their wives and children, and they still tried to help others.

Lucie Manette and Lady Blakeney, the female protagonists.  In both stories they had to make hard choices based on love.  For example, Lucie did not have to go to France to save her husband.  At the time she had an elderly father and a young daughter, and bringing them into a middle of a rebellion was extremely dangerous.  But she still did, because she loved her husband.  Lady Blakeney also had to do the same thing.  She agreed to help Chauvelin to save her brother, whom she loved.  But when she found out that her husband was the Scarlet Pimpernel she tried to save him as well, out of love.  Both books showed the many things people will do for love.

Chauvelin and Madame Defarge, the antagonists.   Being the antagonists, they put obstacles in the way of the protagonists, but Chauvelin and Madame Defarge had different motives in the books.  I think that Chauvelin was not doing anything “bad” in his mind.  He most likely thought that he was doing a service for his country.  While Madame Defarge wanted to get revenge on Darnay and his family.  She was knowingly doing something bad.

Of course, the books were written by two different authors, and each author has their own writing style.  Baroness Orczy writes at a continuous and fast paced speed, while Charles Dickens takes his time to describe each detail and often pauses the story to do so.  I personally, like the way Baroness Orczy writes, the story keeps going and never slows down, unlike Charles Dickens.  Of course, there is nothing wrong with how Dickens writes, everyone writes differently, but it can get a little tedious while reading.

 “A Tale of Two Cities” is set in London and there is not much talk of the French Revolution.  It was only towards the end of the book when Darnay is being sentenced that the characters are in France.  “The Scarlet Pimpernel” is switching between France and England and talks about the revolution often.

The biggest difference between the two books was how they ended.  If you thought I was going to give away the endings, you are sorely mistaken.  I will still be very vague about the endings (sorry).  Even though the characters in the books were very much alike, the stories ended very differently.  “A Tale of Two Cities” had a depressing ending, while “The Scarlet Pimpernel” had a happy ending that warms the coldest heart.

 Conclusion

I preferred “The Scarlet Pimpernel” over “A Tale of Two Cities”.  Dickens wrote a good book, I will not deny that, but I am biased towards books with action and fast development of the story.  I did not feel like there was much action in “A Tale of Two Cities.”  There were also quite a few chapters about Lucie’s love life; I was not a big fan of that.  Baroness Orczy kept the story moving and it was packed with information and action, and the idea of a secret organization saving royalty from death is very exciting to read about.

Both Charles Dickens and Baroness Orczy are great authors, and I highly suggest that you read both of these books.  I will say that my opinion is quite biased, so do not let this discourage you from either of these books.  If you enjoy action and secret organizations, “The Scarlet Pimpernel” is the book for you.  But if you prefer love and details, “A Tale of Two Cities” is a good book to read.

Thanks for reading!

For the past week I have been developing my characters and plot for my historical fiction.  In this essay I am going to put all of my work together into an outline.

If you have not read my past essays, I am writing a historical fiction for my English class.  The story is about an Irish girl named Fiona Murphy, and her little brother, Connor, escaping the Irish Potato Famine of 1845.

Now to the outline:

Fiona Murphy is an average 15 year old girl. She cares for her younger brother, Connor, and helps around her parent’s farm.  When the Irish Potato Famine hits her town her parents sends Fiona and Connor to America to start anew.

Despite having no relatives or connections, Fiona befriends a young boy named Finn quickly.  Finn introduces Fiona and Connor to his adoptive mother, Mrs. Moorcock, who takes her and Connor in.   Mrs. Moorcock helps Fiona get a job at a cotton mill and takes care of Connor. 

Months pass, Fiona lives a happy and busy life.  She meets another boy, Sean, who was also born in Ireland and was sent to America to escape from the Irish Famine.  Despite always being busy, Fiona still finds time to send letters to her parents.

One day, the letters stop coming.  After three weeks of no letters, Fiona makes the hard call and leaves her brother and Mrs. Moorcock behind and uses the last of her wages to go back to Ireland to find her parents.

The journey is long and tiring, and all for nothing.  When she reached her old home, it was deserted.  The only proof that someone had lived their recently was the eviction notice on the door.  Fiona stayed a couple more days until she realized it was hopeless.

She heads back to America fearing the worst.  Life continues on and usual, until one day…

Chapters

My book is going to have 15 chapters.  Here are the names of each:

Chapter One – Happily Ever After

Chapter Two – Famine

Chapter Three – A New Beginning

Chapter Four – Work

Chapter Five – Life

Chapter Six – Connor’s Point of View

Chapter Seven – Stop

Chapter Eight – Back Home

Chapter Nine – Home Sweet Home

Chapter Ten – The Farm

Chapter Eleven – Searching

Chapter Twelve – Leaving

Chapter Thirteen – Life Again

Chapter Fourteen – Safe

Chapter Fifteen – Happily Ever After

That is the outline of my story.  Chapter One will be coming soon…

Thanks for reading!

During this week I have learned about static and dynamic characters and I have posted a couple of essays about my story and its characters.  In this essay I am going to talk about each of my dynamic characters in detail.

For those who have not read my past essays, here are the links:

https://sophiaelahirpc.home.blog/2020/12/08/english-8-lesson-92-book-summary/

https://sophiaelahirpc.home.blog/2020/12/10/english-8-lesson-93-my-character-sheet/

https://sophiaelahirpc.home.blog/2020/12/10/english-8-lesson-94-my-static-and-dynamic-characters/

In my story I have three dynamic characters: Fiona Murphy, Connor Murphy, and Finn.

Fiona Murphy is a 15 year old girl who took the responsibility of being a mother far too early.  In 1845 when the Irish Famine hits her home, her parents send her and her brother, Connor, to America.  Fiona is very responsible, but does struggle with the thought of raising her brother without her parents.  She has straight red hair which is always in a neat braid.  Throughout the story Fiona will mature.  The reader will see how she has matured from a young farm girl to a mature young lady raising money for her family.

Connor Murphy is a 9 year old boy.  He is Fiona’s little brother.  Connor is very shy and never talks to anyone except Fiona and his parents.  Connor is yearns for friends and company, but he can never seem to get enough courage to talk to other people.  Like Fiona, he has bright red hair, but it is curly and untamed (no one can fix his hair).  Being young, Connor struggles with the idea of living without his parents and the possibility of never seeing them again.  While reading the story the reader will see how Connor slowly starts coming out of his shell and how he becomes less dependent on others.

Finn is a 14 year old boy who was taken in by Mrs. Moorcock like Fiona and Connor.  Finn is a lot like Connor.  He is quiet and does not talk to anyone besides Mrs. Moorcock.  Finn has bright blue eyes and slick blond hair.  Finn never seemed to fit in with others because of his height and personality, like Connor, which results in a strong friendship between the two.  By the end of the story, Finn, like Connor, will be more outgoing.  But unlike Connor, Finn will find his place in the bustling world of America.

Those are all of my dynamic characters.  Finn and Connor do have similar character developments, but the way the characters act will be very different.

Thanks for reading!

In this essay I am going to list all of my characters for my historical fiction I am writing for English class and if they are static or dynamic.  If you have not read my past two essays, I suggest you go find those.  Or if you do not want to, let me catch you up.

My historical fiction is about an Irish, 15 year old girl named Fiona Murphy.  She was sent to America in 1845 to escape the Irish Potato Famine.  Other characters in my story is Fiona’s little brother, Connor Murphy, Mrs. Moorcock (a kind, old lady who takes in Fiona and Connor), Sean (a 15 year old boy who befriends Fiona), and Finn (a homeless boy who was abandoned as a child and was taken in by Mrs. Moorcock).

Before I start, I also want to state what static and dynamic characters are.  Static characters are like background characters.  They do not develop very much and are only there to move the story along.  Dynamic characters are the main characters that develop.  The story is focused on them.

Now back to the essay.

Fiona Murphy – dynamic.  Throughout the story Fiona will mature from a scared child into a young lady.

Connor Murphy – dynamic.  Like Fiona, Connor will mature from a young, shy boy into a brave young man.

Finn – dynamic.  Finn will not be in the story for very long, but we will see his character develop.  He will start as a young boy trying to find his place in the world and will end as a boy who knows what he wants to do and who he wants to be.

Mrs. Moorcock – static.  Mrs. Moorcock will not develop at all.  She is an old woman leave her alone!

Sean – static. Sean is another static character.  He does not develop in the story.

Fiona’s mother – static.  Fiona’s mother is not in the story very much, though her name will appear quite often.  Despite being a static character, her character existing is very important to the story.

That is all of the characters in my story and their roles.  Thanks for reading!

If you have not read my last post, I am writing a historical fiction for English class.  The following pages contain the information about my characters for my story.

Before I continue, here is some background for those who have not read my last post.  My book is going to be about a young Irish girl named Fiona Murphy.  It is set in 1845, during the Irish Potato Famine.  Fiona and her younger brother, Connor, are sent to America to start a new life.  Fiona writes letters to her mother, but when the letters stop she is determined to find her mother.

Now back to my characters.

Fiona Murphy:

Age: 15

Background: born and raised in Ireland, was sent to America with her brother to start a new life.

Occupation: works at her family’s farm.  When she moves to America she works at a cotton mill spinning cotton spools.

Looks: a skinny and tall girl.  Her straight, red hair is always kept in a neat braid.  She has emerald green eyes, some say that they glitter in the sunlight.

Personality: Fiona is very extroverted and energetic.  She is an optimist, and can always find the good in a person or situation.  She is hardworking and is devoted to her job and brother.  Fiona always pushes herself to do the best she can, which results in times where she gets burnt-out.

Connor Murphy:

Age: 9

Background: born and raised in Ireland, was sent to America with his sister to start a new life.

Occupation: stays at home with Mrs. Moorcock and studies reading, writing, and math.

Looks: short and skinny like his sister.  His red hair is curly and impossible to tame.  His green-blueish eyes “glisten with curiosity.”

Personality: Connor is the exact opposite of his sister.  He is very introverted and quiet and barely talks to anyone besides his sister.  Unlike his optimistic sister, Connor can find the bad in every person or situation.  He is very observant, and shares all of his discoveries with his sister, and no one else.

Mrs. Moorcock:

Age: 60

Background: an English widow who inherited her husband’s wealth and lives in New York in a private apartment.

Occupation: stays at home with Connor and Finn and teaching them reading, writing, and math.

Looks: a short, plump old woman.  She has brown eyes stick out compared to her grey, silver hair which is always put into a tight bun.

Personality: Mrs. Moorcock is very kind and calm.  She has a lot of patience for young children, no matter how loud or noisy they are.  She has a certain soft spot for shy, quiet children.  She always tries hard to help the children that live in her area.

Sean:

Age: 15

Background: like Fiona, was born and raised in Ireland and was sent to America to escape the famine.

Occupation: was taken in by a goldsmith and is working as his apprentice.

Looks: a tall and lanky boy.  All of his clothes seem to be too big for him.  He has dark brown hair and eyes.  His pale, almost ghostly skin is always coated in a thick layer of dirt and dust.

Personality: Sean is very outgoing.  He always has something to talk about.  He always has energy and never stops talking.

Finn:

Age: 14

Background: was abandoned as a baby and was taken in by Mrs. Moorcock.

Occupation: when he is not at home studying with Connor and Mrs. Moorcock, he sells newspapers and hangs around the telegraph office.

Looks: short (maybe too short for a 14 year old boy) and skinny.  His bright blond hair is always slicked back, which brings out his bright blue eyes.

Personality: like Connor, is very shy.  He does not talk very much, but when he does everyone listens.  He is a smart boy and can read better than most boys.  Despite his shyness, he has made friends with many of the local boys.

These are all of the characters I will be adding into the story.  Please tell me what you think of them in the comments.  Thanks for reading!

The following summary is the plot of my historical fiction I am writing for English class.

Fiona Murphy is another average 15 year old girl.  She helps around the farm and cares for her five year old brother, Connor.  Since young she had always wanted to farm and sell potatoes like her parents.  But all of her dreams come to a sudden halt when the Irish Potato Famine started.

Fiona’s parents, desperate for their children to survive, send Fiona and Connor to America.  Fiona soon meets Mrs. Moorcock, a kind, old lady who takes in Fiona and Connor and helps Fiona land a job at the local cotton mill spinning cotton spools.  While Fiona is at work she makes many new friends like Sean and Finn who also escaped the Irish famine. 

Despite having a full-time job Fiona still finds time to send letters to her parents.  But when her parent’s letters stop abruptly Fiona has to make the hard call, and leaves her brother with Mrs. Moorcock to go back to Ireland and find her parents.

When Fiona finally reaches her home she finds that her parents are missing.  The only sign of human existent was the sign on her door, an eviction notice.  Fearing the worse, Fiona heads back to America.

Once back with her brother and Mrs. Moorcock, Fiona receives a letter from her mother.

I will stop here because I do not want to give away any spoilers.  But do not worry.  The story has a happy ending.  Thanks for reading!