44: Dublin Made Me

Lovely reading! It's the 1960's Peter is 10 years old, and he's his Da's right hand man. Television has just come into the household, the Sgt.Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band L.P. is being listened to, and Peter is on the roller coaster of life. I laughed along with him, and then felt his pain as he discovers that growing up isn't all it's cracked up to be. As the new decade of the 1970's rolls in, we find Peter in love with the theater, his best friend married with one kid and another on the way, and his relationship with his Da changed forever.

Peter Sheridan gives a brave and honest account of his formative years growing up in a working class Dublin family, somewhat reminiscent of Roddy Doyle's "Paddy Clark: Ha Ha Ha." It is a deeply felt book, full of the frustrations and joys of everyday family life. At times, I found the choppiness of Sheridan's style a little jarring, and the final chapters seemed a little rushed. However, on balance, I enjoyed the book.