Brendan O'Carroll (1) (1955–)

The Mammy is a charmer, set in working class Dublin in the 1960s. Agnes Browne is the Mammy. She sells fruits and vegetables in a local outdoor market with her friend Marion; the two of them can exchange snark with the best of them. Agnes is recently widowed, raising seven kids. The oldest, Mark, just entering puberty, is doing all he can to help her, and he's a real mensch. Agnes is a beauty but not ready for any new love. Instead she dreams of dancing with singer Cliff Richard, whose show more records are always on her stereo. Marion gets a worrisome medical diagnosis, and the two of them try to pursue their dreams - learning to drive for Marion, and getting to a Cliff Richards concert for Agnes.

Their day-to-day is believable and funny, and it's impossible not to pull for Agnes and Marion and Mark and the others. This is the start of a planned trilogy, and I'll be reading the others. The author apparently acted in the films based on the Roddy Doyle books like The Commitments, and is slated to be in a film version of The Mammy with Angelica Huston. Laughs, charm, and a look inside working class Dublin - this one was another excellent recommendation from CrazyMamie. show less

When we meet her, Agnes Browne has been recently widowed, and she and her best friend Marion are in line to register her family for social services. Suspicious of the forms, Agnes does her best to answer the clerk's questions:

"'Now, what was the cause of death?'

'A hunter,' Agnes said.

'Was he shot?' the girl asked incredulously. 'Was your husband shot?'

'By who?' Agnes asked this question as if the girl had found out something about her husband's death that she didn't know herself.

'The hunter, show more was your husband shot by a hunter?'

Agnes was puzzled now. She thought it out for a moment and then a look of realisation spread over her face.
'No, love! A Hillman Hunter, he was knocked down by a Hillman Hunter - a car!'

The girl stared at the two women again, then dismissed the thought that this was Candid Camera. These were just two gobshites, she told herself. 'A motor accident...I see.' She scribbled again. The two women could see that she was writing on the bottom line. They were pleased. But then she turned the form over to a new list of questions. The disappointment of the women was audible. The young girl felt it and in an effort to ease the tension of the two said, 'That must have been a shock.'

Agnes thought for a moment. 'Yeh, it must have been, sure he couldn't have been expecting it.'"

I was hooked from the very beginning. And charmed. Agnes is witty and irreverent and fun. This book had me laughing out loud as Agnes is left to take on the challenge of raising seven children alone in 1960s Ireland. At times heart-breaking and poignant, always there is humor and snark to pull you through and Agnes never disappoints. Just what I needed, and the book ends with the Christmas season, so it is also the perfect time of year to read this. I cannot wait to get my hands on the second book. Thanks, Nancy! show less

Such a sweet, down-to-earth story. Agnes Browne is newly widowed, a working class Irish mom of 7, just trying to get through her days in the 1960s Dublin, with dignity, and hope and humour. She is best friend to Marion, supportive mom to her eldest teenage son, and Number One Defender to her young daughter in a bullying incident at school that had me laughing out loud. She is at once an innocent but also life-savvy. This deceivingly short novel encompasses the gritty but poignant and tender show more moments of life. It is the first of a trilogy of books about the Browne family. I look forward to the next 2! show less

This is the second book in the Agnes Browne trilogy, recounting the continued story of the Dublin widow and her seven children.
It is wise for the Dubliner (and everyone else, too) to remember: “If you take on one of Agnes Browne’s children, you take on all of them.”

Agnes is notified that her tenement building will be torn down in an urban renewal project, and she will be relocated to a modern, 3-bedroom, townhome in the suburbs, with electricity, a modern kitchen, indoor plumbing, and show more room for a garden. But she doesn’t want to leave the Jarro and all her friends; besides there’s no early morning bus from Finglas to central Dublin, so how will she get to the market before 5:00a to bargain for the best produce for her stand?

Her brood is growing up, leaving school (with or without graduating), and finding their way in the world. Mark is the steadfast oldest son, Frankie the wild one who will break her heart, Rory a gentle man with a secret, Dermot a charming rapscallion, Simon a studious and religious boy with a stutter, Cathy the lone girl and blossoming into a young woman, and Trevor the “baby” brother with a genuine gift. Agnes and her children have gone through some very tough times, but they are making their way and a little success goes a long way to lifting one’s spirits.

O’Carroll doesn’t ignore the difficulties and heartbreak, but he doesn’t dwell on them either. And he softens the blows with a generous dose of Irish humor. The Browne’s are an engaging lot, and I’m happy to spend some time with them. show less