If you liked Bridget Jones' Diary, and you are either Irish, or from Irish descent, chances are you are going to LOVE this book!!!
Both my parents were Irish but lived in London for longer than they have ever lived in Ireland, but the Emerald Isle was always referred to as "Home". As children, the Hillman car would be packed to the rafters(imagine cars have rafters for the sake of my writing!) and the roof rack would be perilously attached to the top of the car with some bungee cords to secure it and all the cases would be wrapped in an old flannelette sheet which obviously had miracle waterproof qualities that I didn't (and still don't) know about!!! Armed with an never ending supply of Parma Violets (which I still hate to this day but my mum swore where a motion sickness remedy) w would then endure the long drive to Fishguard with mum shouting "don't make too much noise, you'll distract your father", "No! We're not nearly there yet" and "If you hit your sister one more time, I'll smack the back of your legs so hard you won't be able to sit down for a week!!!" Once we were in Ireland, we would then be paraded around to visit the "rellies" in our Sunday Best, where our cheeks would be squeezed, we would be told how much we'd grown, how much we look like our mother/father/sister/cousin/aunt* and then as we left, a secret handshake would reveal either a 50p coin, or if you were really lucky, a folded up Irish pound note.
If any of this sounds familiar then you will love hearing about Aisling and her ways. I laughed a lot, which I rarely do with books, I sometimes smile or smirk, but only very occasionally do I laugh.
If I'm honest, a few of the Irish-ism's I didn't understand, but it was a nostalgia trip for me, so I was prepared to overlook them.
If you're in between books, and fancy something light, or if you just want a giggle then this is certainly the book for you.
*delete as appropriate
Both my parents were Irish but lived in London for longer than they have ever lived in Ireland, but the Emerald Isle was always referred to as "Home". As children, the Hillman car would be packed to the rafters(imagine cars have rafters for the sake of my writing!) and the roof rack would be perilously attached to the top of the car with some bungee cords to secure it and all the cases would be wrapped in an old flannelette sheet which obviously had miracle waterproof qualities that I didn't (and still don't) know about!!! Armed with an never ending supply of Parma Violets (which I still hate to this day but my mum swore where a motion sickness remedy) w would then endure the long drive to Fishguard with mum shouting "don't make too much noise, you'll distract your father", "No! We're not nearly there yet" and "If you hit your sister one more time, I'll smack the back of your legs so hard you won't be able to sit down for a week!!!" Once we were in Ireland, we would then be paraded around to visit the "rellies" in our Sunday Best, where our cheeks would be squeezed, we would be told how much we'd grown, how much we look like our mother/father/sister/cousin/aunt* and then as we left, a secret handshake would reveal either a 50p coin, or if you were really lucky, a folded up Irish pound note.
If any of this sounds familiar then you will love hearing about Aisling and her ways. I laughed a lot, which I rarely do with books, I sometimes smile or smirk, but only very occasionally do I laugh.
If I'm honest, a few of the Irish-ism's I didn't understand, but it was a nostalgia trip for me, so I was prepared to overlook them.
If you're in between books, and fancy something light, or if you just want a giggle then this is certainly the book for you.
*delete as appropriate
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