Dear Luna,

Hello, Luna. It’s me, Samuel, writing to you

safe in my home in Quebec! I made it here alive,

although the ships were terrible and many people

died on the way. I managed to, ah, persuade the

captain to let me rest in his quarters, on his couch.

I must admit, I am a little disappointed that

you didn’t wish to leave to Canada from Kilkenny,

but I understand that you didn’t wish to leave your

family. The Potato Famine is getting worse every

day, and you have always been the kind of person to

stay behind and help even when presented the

choice to escape.

So, how are things back in Ireland? I haven’t

heard any news from the others, so I don’t know

what’s going on. Things here are going swell. I

have a comfortable bed, and a great stand in family.

I live with a widowed farmer, who has a 7 year old

daughter. They have been helping me grow

accustomed to the cold of canada, and I help out on

the farm.

Life isn’t the same without you. I had grown

accustomed to you, my best friend, helping me

when I was down. Sarah is becoming happier with

me here, and Emily, her daughter, is very interested

in our Irish ways of life, but neither of them could

replace you. Not after all we have been through,

after all of our cold nights together, (which, from in

Canada seem like a vacation), starving nights, and

hard work resulting in very little reward caused by

the blight.

I decided to come to canada because of all

these hardships, and it was worth the terrible

conditions of the ship. In Quebec, I am able to lead

a new life, here with my new family, who work just

as hard as we do, with more reward, and Emily,

who looks at me like I am her father, and Sarah,

who reminds me of you. Emily really wants to meet

you, and is watching me write this over my

shoulder. I encourage you and your family to come

to Canada too, because I believe that we have a

better chance of living here than in Ireland.

Canada is definitely a cold place, and

winters sometimes last through the first bits of

spring, according to Em, but it is full of happy

people. I feel at home on a farm, because I grew up

farming, and the others like it when I cook them

unique Irish dishes. Though they aren’t the same as

Irish potatoes, the potatoes here are quite good. You

would like it here, Luna. This place suits you.

Canada is very cold, however. The snow we

get is ridiculous, and the temperatures drop low, but

they have the best blankets, and there is always

something exciting happening on the farm, because

of the wider variety of crops we grow here. I enjoy

simply walking through the fields, looking at all the

wheat and corn, wondering what we will cook them

with.
 Well, Luna, as much as I have enjoyed

writing this letter, I am afraid I have to go and assist

Sarah with dinner. Tell little Jack that I miss him.

Sincerely, Sam