Me and Mine is a memoir about an extended Irish family in the 1950s who, one by one, leave to seek a new life in London.
Funny, bittersweet and sad, the story follows their daily lives, their ups and downs, births, weddings and deaths. All these events are beautifully recalled in minute detail. There is a large cast of colourful characters, each one lovingly brought to life, and the relationships between the author and her aunts are especially well observed.
Mangan's writing is often anecdotal in nature, going from one character to another, and the trials of family life are related without being sentimental or self indulgent. Warm and funny, this is a book to delight all readers interested in post-war social history.
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