First published 1997
From the schoolyard to the streets, this collection captures the joys and pains of growing up in Ireland. Seamus Heaney's young poet navigates the taunts of bullies, while Roddy Doyle's scrappy siblings defend their turf. Flann O'Brien's daydreaming student escapes into fantasy, and Edna O'Brien's girl faces the harsh realities of adolescence. Through it all, these Irish voices weave a tapestry of resilience, vulnerability, and the transformative magic of memory.
Genres: irish-literature, 20th-century, coming-of-age, adolescence, 21st-century
Vibes: emotional, intimate, lyrical
Tropes: found-family, resilience
271 pages · Paperback · Souvenir