Trevor is known for his skill in describing the lives of unhappy, unloved, selfdelusional characters, and evoking sympathy and humor rather than pity or ridicule for his misfits.

1. Find out more about the role of the Anglo-Irish in Ireland during the famine years. Do you think the Pulvertafts reflect a typical Anglo-Irish family? Why or why not?

2. Read "The News from Ireland" as if it were your introduction to the cataclysmic famine that devastated the Irish population in the 1840s, then compare it to a history of that time. How does the story portray the famine? Do you think it is an accurate portrayal?

3. Imagine that a portion of the story is told through another character's diary entries. Whom would you choose to best convey the story, and why?

4. Find out what caused the devastation of Ireland's potato crop in the 1840s, and how scientists managed...