Grand

Reviews

Already acclaimed in New Zealand, it doesn't hold back any punches in describing a difficult relationship with her alcoholic mother (and is insightful about the restraints imposed on an intelligent woman of her mother's generation living in conservative, Catholic Ireland.) I loved it! The writing is stunning. Noelle McCarthy has an incredible knack for sharing the darkest of memories with a lightness of touch. You won't want to put this book down, but once you do, every gorgeous word will haunt you. Beautiful and compelling A fierce and sometimes hilarious reflection on the maddening endurance of love between mother and daughter. McCarthy's prose sparkles in the darkness of addiction, shame, and inherited trauma. I devoured this book Grand is a love story and occasionally a hate story too. A vital, unexpected love letter to family, flaws, and the fact that none of us is perfect. McCarthy writes to remind us that sometimes you have to pull at the threads, perhaps unravel completely, to find your way back to a life a little less undone An eloquent exploration of generational trauma told with immense wit and candour. Compellingly readable A rich, unsettling read - a bit like jumping on a moving train as it speeds through shifting landscapes. Enthralling, unnerving and above all, honest I really loved this book . . . beautifully endearing and candid A really vivacious account of frayed family relationships across decades and around the world Desperately funny, hysterically sad, so beautiful and so humane. All of life is in it. I utterly adored it Humane and wryly funny . . . so readable, relatable and ultimately uplifting A searingly honest memoir, as close to the bone as it is to the heart A natural storyteller with a Sedaris-like eye for black humour. There are sharp splinters of comic relief . . . compelling and nuanced Grand hooked me like a fish . . . a tale of recovery and growth [and] deep, deep love Exquisitely written . . . profoundly moving. And like all great memoirs it is hilarious in parts. If, like me, you love the personal essays of Sinéad Gleeson and Emilie Pine, you'll adore this Remarkably funny, honest and often sad . . . there's a whole pile of un-maudlin heart and a whole lot of love here Deeply moving and surprisingly funny Savagely brilliant Terrific energy . . . sparkling and evocative Expand reviews