'A journey of love, laughter and loss . . . A superb memoir' Sunday Express 5*
As soon as they'd saved up for the three 'S's' - shoes, suitcase and a suit - they left rural Ireland. It might have been the London of the 1950s where 'No Blacks, No Irish No Dogs' was the welcome put out for immigrants, but for the big family that was Anna May Mangan's, it was still better than the poverty they'd hailed from; 'Don't waste today worrying because tomorrow will be even worse' was their motto. But Ireland came with them in the dance halls, holy water and gossip and there was always the warmth of the Irish crowd, in and out of one another's houses 'as if there was no front door'.
'Captivating . . . The joys and sorrows of a large working-class Irish emigrant family are amply and honestly covered . . . Me and Mine is warm-hearted with many memorable characters' Guardian
'Mangan is a terrific writer . . . it is so beautifully and delicately described that every word rings true . . . very funny too' Irish Independent