Ma, He Sold Me for a Few Cigarettes
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Product Description
Book Description
A heart-rending memoir of a deprived childhood in 1950s and '60s Dublin that will both horrify and inspire
Product Description
Born a bastard to a teenage mother in the slums of 1950s Dublin, Martha has to be a fighter from the very start.
As her mother moves from man to man, and more children follow, they live hand-to-mouth in squalid, freezing tenements, clothed in rags and forced to beg for food. But just when it seems things can't get any worse, her mother meets Jackser.
Despite her trials, Martha is a child with an irrepressible spirit and a wit beyond her years. She tells the story of her early life without an ounce of self-pity and manages to recreate a lost era in which the shadow of the Catholic Church loomed large and if you didn't work, you didn't eat.
Martha never stops believing she is worth more than the hand she has been dealt, and her remarkable voice will remain with you long after you've finished the last line.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
19 of 20 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Bought this book at Cork Airport, have taken it with me to the Maldives to read, what a bizarre contrast. That poor child, having to endure, along with her siblings, the evilist of all creatures, her stepfather, and her mother, how could she, treat her ownflesh and blood like this. There must be a follow up to this, please Martha, don't leave us all in suspense, what happens to Charlie, Harry, Teddie, Dinah, and Sally do they eventually get away from the awful Jackser, does he get his just deserts, and does your Mother live to say she is sorry. I laughed in trying to read the story in her native tongue, her sense of humour was wonderful and descriptive and cried at the atrocities that fell upon her in this sometimes wicked world we live in.In the Acknowledgement notes, she mentions her first born Tina and her lovely two grandchildren, but then goes on to thankn her two children Fabian and Marie-Claire? surely she means three children?
I will try and contact the publishers and ask if there is a follow up, and if i get some conclusion i will post a note here. I am sure, as others are, this story has a beautiful ending, i truly hope it does.
I will try and contact the publishers and ask if there is a follow up, and if i get some conclusion i will post a note here. I am sure, as others are, this story has a beautiful ending, i truly hope it does.
17 of 18 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
i have read hundreds of books over the years and this is certainly one of the best.
the way its written is amazing,i cant believe this little girl lived to tell the tale after what she went through.
hope there is a second book from martha long as i want to read it NOW!
excellent!
the way its written is amazing,i cant believe this little girl lived to tell the tale after what she went through.
hope there is a second book from martha long as i want to read it NOW!
excellent!
15 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Absolutely the best book I have read in a long long time, couldn't put it down. Desperate to know what Martha did next and how she came to be the women she is today. I hope for a follow up as soon as possible cos I can't wait. She's amazing!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
The books you are looking for at the best price!!
Quality of the book was excellent and the price two thirds cheaper than the shops..... delivered in great condition. I never thought you would get so much for so little!! Read more
Published 9 months ago by K. Girvan
Disgusted at the reality of this sort of childhood
I was disgusted and applalled by what went on in this woman's childhood and that of her siblings. She not only had a horrible monster of a stepfather who should have been reported... Read more
Published 10 months ago by Rocknrollmommy
Horrifed
I felt so sorry for Martha and her siblings. Rage at Jacser and all the men who abused her and then disgust at her mother who took Jacser back and knew what was going on. Read more
Published 15 months ago by Mac
Forget the rest
Just as you think this poor girl can take no more, she rallies her spirit and fights back in the only way Martha Long knows how. Read more
Published on 9 Mar 2010 by Jane Austin Fan
A surprisingly good reed
Not really one for books about child abuse of any sort, for the simple reason I find it hard to stop myself thinking of any child going through such harrowing times. Read more
Published on 5 Dec 2009 by Mrs. A. M. Carroll
A tragic but gripping read
This is an amazing book. I laughed and sobbed all the way through and couldn't wait to get the second installment to see how things progressed. Read more
Published on 25 Oct 2009 by Kashla
A Stunning Narrative: Uplifing, Triumphant, Heroic.
Martha Long's tale of her abusive childhood is an uplifting tale of triumph and humour. It's a lesson in the everlasting determination of a shining spirit, who is determined not... Read more
Published on 10 Sep 2009 by Heart of Gold
An absolute inspiration to women
You can never really enjoy a book like this, however it is a truly inspirational read. It was heartbreaking to read of all the horrendous things Martha and her brothers and sisters... Read more
Published on 5 July 2009 by Mrs. J. L. Beal
Brilliant Book!
Shocking yet in some places funny and very well written! You can really feel for Martha! Buying the next two installments!
Published on 15 May 2009 by Ms. S. Clarke
brilliant 1950s ireland
what a brilliant book. couldnt put it down. wasnt sure abouth the native tongue at first but then got into it. the cruelty that Martha endured is beyond belief. Brilliant
Published on 15 April 2009 by ladyred1
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