Ma, He Sold Me for a Few Cigarettes
by Martha Long
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"Not for the faint of heart, Long's story is a gritty, grueling, and heartbreaking testament to one girl's unbreakable spirit."--Publishers Weekly, starred review When Martha Long's feckless mother hooks up with the Jackser ("that bandy aul bastard"), and starts having more babies, the abuse and poverty in the house grow more acute. Martha is regularly sent out to beg and more often steal, and her wiles (as a child of 7, 8) are often the only thing keeping food on the table. Jackser is a show more master of paranoid anger and outburst, keeping the children in an unheated tenement, unable to go to school, at the ready for his unpredictable rages. Then Martha is sent by Jackser to a man he knows in exchange for the price of a few cigarettes. She is nine. She is filthy, lice-ridden, outcast. Martha and Ma escape to England, but for an itinerant Irishwoman finding work in late 1950s England is a near impossibility. Martha treasures the time alone with her mother, but amazingly Ma pines for Jackser and they eventually return to Dublin and the other children. And yet there are prized cartoon magazines, the occasional hidden penny to buy the children sweets, the glimpse of loving family life in other houses, and Martha's hope that she will soon be old enough to make her own way. Virtually uneducated, Martha Long is natural-born storyteller. Written in the vernacular of the day, the reader is tempted to speak like Martha for the rest of a day (and don't let me hear yer woman roarin' bout it neither). One can't help but cheer on this mischievous, quick-witted, and persistent little girl who has captured hearts across Europe. show lessTags
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Member Reviews
Wow, one of the most harrowing books I have ever read. Little Martha is a champion, my heart was breaking for her on every page as she dealt with her witless Ma, and lousy rotten stepfather Jackser.
How she survived I can't imagine, but she did. I can't wait to read the next book in the Ma series
How she survived I can't imagine, but she did. I can't wait to read the next book in the Ma series
Language took a bit of getting used to but was a tragic illustration of this poor kids start in life
Harrowing account of abusive childhood yet heartening because of the child's determination to do well. An inspiration. A humbling read.
Was a great read! My heart bleeds for what this woman had to endure as a child.
This is a very harrowing book to read, I found it hard to comes to terms with the violence this girl had to put up with. I am pleased in a way that she 'escaped' the way she did. I'd also like to know what happened from when the book finished and where she is now.
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Author Information
10 Works 331 Members
Common Knowledge
- Important places
- Dublin, Ireland
Classifications
- Genres
- Biography & Memoir, Nonfiction, History, General Nonfiction
- DDC/MDS
- 941.835082 — History & geography History of Europe British Isles Leinster Dublin County Dublin
- LCC
- DA995 .D8 .L66 — History of Europe, Asia, Africa and Oceania Great Britain History of Great Britain Ireland Local history and description
- BISAC
Statistics
- Members
- 163
- Popularity
- 200,249
- Reviews
- 5
- Rating
- (4.22)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 9
- ASINs
- 4
