written with a light touch and shot through with fascinating details about the period ... this warm, touching book about friendship across the class divide truly shines
* Irish Independent *
Judi Curtin can do no wrong ... a perfect tale
* Mummypages *
Lily at Lissadell by Judi Curtin is a very good book which I really enjoyed reading. It has a very interesting storyline and some amazing characters ... Lily at Lissadell is such a good book that it is nearly impossible to put down once you start reading it. This book is my favourite book by Judi Curtin. (Sarah Hurley, 5th class)
* Limerick Leader *
Like Jacqueline Wilson, to whom she is frequently compared, Judi Curtin is increasingly drawn to setting her stories in the past, and that is the case in this her latest novel. It's 1913, and young Lily must leave school - and her dreams of becoming a teacher herself - to go and work as under housemaid at Lissadell House ... Lily is a long way from home and misses her mother, and little sisters and brothers very much. But, like many Curtin heroines, she's bright, caring, optimistic and, above all, resilient ... For all its Upstairs, Downstairs setting, the accent is mostly on how much the people in the house have in common, and while Curtin skilfully creates a real sense of history - the arrival of the motorcar, talk of what is happening beyond Lissadell and Lily's two room cottage home - we care most about Lily; the drama, such as it is, comes not from historic events but the sense of her development, and of what she might go on to do. It's clear that Lily is living in an age on the brink of huge change, but the overall atmosphere is one of optimism and hope. The three main characters - Lily, Maeve and Nellie - are as lively a trio as you could hope to meet, characters that readers will believe in and care about. As we've come to expect from Judi Curtin, the story is full of charm and humour and this is a genuinely heart-warming read
* Books for Keeps *
warm and engaging story about friendship
* Primary Times *
warm hearted and a wonderful read
* Woman's Way *
an imaginative picture of life in the great house
* Irish Examiner *
a beautifully written book for children aged nine and over ... this fiction book would lend itself well to use in the classroom both for literacy and history lessons alike ... instantly appealing ... another delightful page-turner from this well-loved children's author
* InTouch Magazine *
Lily at Lissadell is Curtin's most consummate children's novel to date and surely worthy of a sequel or two
-- Pet O'Connell * Evening Echo *
I think it is a lovely book that is both happy and sad in equal measure... I would recommend this book to everyone
-- Aoibhe, 5th class * Seomra Ranga *