Hope against Hope

"Ideal for thoughtful teenage readers and adults alike."

-- Sarah Webb * The Irish Independent *

"Wilkinson effortlessly weaves an emotive tale set in a tumultuous time, a skill which makes her latest novel for teens stand out from the crowd."

-- Denise O'Donoghue * Irish Examiner *

"The school story appreciation also enables an historically accurate framework for contemplating alternative sexual orientations...It’s an incredibly satisfying treatment of the topic, one of many “issues” touched upon in a moving, clever novel that expertly depicts how the big political concerns of the day impact on individual lives."

-- Claire Hennessy * The Irish Times *

"Set in a women's hostel in a newly-partitioned island, Wilkinson again presents motivated believable female characters in entirely convincing historical conditions, taking control of their own lives and impacting on others'. The writer is an Arts Council Major Artist and has a formidable narrative gift and an acute sense of historical justice."

 

  * Belfast Telegraph *

"Stands out for its empathetic exploration of living through a watershed historical moment."

* Publishers Weekly *

"Give to readers who love historical fiction and are eager for an engaging story." 

 

* School Library Journal *

"Entertaining, vivid, and sympathetic." 

* Kirkus Reviews *

"Exceptionally well written with a thoroughly young reader friendly treatment of such sensitive issues as war, discrimination, hatred, survival and reconciliation, "Hope Against Hope" by Irish author Sheena Wilkinson is especially and unreservedly recommended as an addition to elementary school, middle school, and community library historical fiction collections for children ages 10-14."

* Midwest Book Review-Children's Bookwat