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Product Description
The Express
‘Witty and insightful novel’
Book Description
ONE LITTLE GIRL, ONE LARGE IMAGINATION...
Inside This Book
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
24 of 24 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I loved this book!
As the story begins, we are in 1964, and Caroline, known as `Tatty' to her family, is 4 years old. Her nickname is a play on the words tell-tale-tattler - she earns it because she's unable to keep secrets. She lives near Dublin with her Mam and Dad and her sisters - Jeannie who is two years older than her and Deirdre who has learning difficulties - and her two younger brothers.
Tatty's parents are drunks who have a volatile relationship. Tatty is particularly close to her Dad, and at times her Mam is very jealous of this closeness. As her parents' relationship breaks down, her mother's drinking becomes steadily worse, and she becomes more aggressive towards her children as they witness their parents' unhappiness.
The story moves through the years to the early 70s and Tatty goes away to boarding school, but life continues to be difficult for the family and the reader follows the emotional rollercoaster, wondering if there ever be a happy ending for this optimistic, vulnerable child and her siblings.
The story is narrated by Tatty. There are no speech marks - it's told in first person, which occasionally, but intentionally, slips into third person. This style of writing really helps to capture Tatty's personality and adds to the overall feeling of her fierce independence mixed with childhood innocence.
If you like books that tie up all the loose ends then this book might not be the one for you, but personally I like to have a bit of something to think about and I really enjoyed it.
As the story begins, we are in 1964, and Caroline, known as `Tatty' to her family, is 4 years old. Her nickname is a play on the words tell-tale-tattler - she earns it because she's unable to keep secrets. She lives near Dublin with her Mam and Dad and her sisters - Jeannie who is two years older than her and Deirdre who has learning difficulties - and her two younger brothers.
Tatty's parents are drunks who have a volatile relationship. Tatty is particularly close to her Dad, and at times her Mam is very jealous of this closeness. As her parents' relationship breaks down, her mother's drinking becomes steadily worse, and she becomes more aggressive towards her children as they witness their parents' unhappiness.
The story moves through the years to the early 70s and Tatty goes away to boarding school, but life continues to be difficult for the family and the reader follows the emotional rollercoaster, wondering if there ever be a happy ending for this optimistic, vulnerable child and her siblings.
The story is narrated by Tatty. There are no speech marks - it's told in first person, which occasionally, but intentionally, slips into third person. This style of writing really helps to capture Tatty's personality and adds to the overall feeling of her fierce independence mixed with childhood innocence.
If you like books that tie up all the loose ends then this book might not be the one for you, but personally I like to have a bit of something to think about and I really enjoyed it.
55 of 57 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This book made me laugh out loud on the bus. It made me cry into my pillow.
I felt obliged to read this book because I'm from an alcoholic family, I'm from Dublin and I'm about the same age as the author.
I was expecting something along the lines of Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt - dark, gritty and miserable. What I got was more along the lines of "Vernon Godlittle" by DBC Pierre and "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the night-time" by Mark Haddon - funny, sweet and moving.
I loved the author's way of observing and describing little details such as the ringlets "squirting" out of the head of one of Tatty's classmates. I had to laugh at some of the language that is so particularly Irish - like the word "ecker" for homework. I wonder if a glossary of terms might have been useful for those unfamiliar with such slang words.
Tatty is, inevitably, a sad book as it deals with a child lost in the tragedy of a dysfunctional family but it's not depressing or sentimental, judgemental or didactic. It's warm, real, hilarious at parts and speaks from a child's heart.
Finally, I have to pay tribute to the book's cover - it's a beautiful, quiet photograph of a girl, head bowed, hair akimbo - lovely.
16 of 17 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
A heart breaking tale of a childhood ruined by alcoholism. This book clutches at the heart strings throughout as it depicts how alcoholics try and fool not only themselves but their children. It is written very matter of a factly in the childs own words and not a bit sentimental. This charts the year in the life of a very dysfunctional family.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
okay
tatty was an easy read. it wasnt anything special but it was enjoyable. i liked it . probably deserves a 3.5 stars out of 5
Published 2 months ago by noelle o riordan
Wonderfully written
Truly wonderfully written, from the perspective of a young girl, telling the story of her family in such a brutally honest way - the way of small children I suppose. Read more
Published 16 months ago by Lincs Reader
Charming, funny and sad
Tatty describes her life and her place in it so perfectly that everything feels authentic.
The book spans ten years of Tatty's life, and during that time, she grows up... Read more
The book spans ten years of Tatty's life, and during that time, she grows up... Read more
Published 19 months ago by Sonali Hindmarch
Extraordinary - Never Seen It Done So Well
Observed from child's-eye view, it includes all the stuff that adults forget about being a child.
I was excited to get to the end, and really sad that it is just a small... Read more
I was excited to get to the end, and really sad that it is just a small... Read more
Published 20 months ago by D. R. Armour
Beautifully written, beautifully observed
'Tatty' starts gently, but masterfully reels you in until you can't put it down. The child's voice is completely compelling and never falters. A super piece of writing.
Published on 5 Sep 2009 by M. Gibson
Through the eyes of a child
This is the description of a dysfunctional Irish family ruined by a number of difficult and emotional situations, seen through the eyes of one of their children, Tatty. Read more
Published on 9 Jun 2007 by I LOVE BOOKS
both heartwarming and heart breaking
I randomly picked this up from a display of Orange Prize Nominees in the library. I'd seen it mentioned elsewhere earlier this week, though I have no recollection of where. Read more
Published on 14 April 2007 by Ms. K. Thomas
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