I’ve never read Roddy Doyle before but I’m sure I couldn’t have encountered a better introduction. This is the story of Mary and four generations of feisty Irish women ‘heading off on a car journey. One of them dead, one of them dying, one of them driving, one of them just beginning’. Mary’s Granny is dying, and although this story wouldn’t be told if this wasn’t the case, I feel this book is about something else. It’s about family bonds, friendship and relationships never forgotten. It’s about the things in life that make us incredibly happy, and some of the things that make us terribly sad. I followed Mary along on her journey with these women. One of whom was her great grandmother, Tansey. She died when Mary’s grandmother was only a baby and has stuck around ever since to make sure her little one managed through life, with an aim, when the time was right, to guide her on to the next. It’s difficult to explain really. Perhaps this book isn’t Mary’s story at all, instead it’s like Doyle has produced snapshots of a family over 100 years. I got to know these individual characters and the people in their lives. I liked them all immensely, mainly because they were so real. This story can be enjoyed by any age, we can all relate to it.
