On New Year’s Day 1925 Ivy Rose Murphy awakes to find her world changed forever. Her irresponsible Da is dead. She is grief-stricken and alone – but for the first time in her life free to please herself. After her mother deserted the family, Ivy became the sole provider for her da and three brothers. Pushing a pram around the well-to-do areas of Dublin every day, she begged for the discards of … discards of the wealthy which she then turned into items she could sell around Dublin’s markets.
As she visits the morgue to pay her respects to her Da, a chance meeting introduces Ivy to a new world of money and privilege, her mother’s world. Ivy is suddenly a woman on a mission to improve herself and her lot in life.
Jem Ryan is the owner of a livery near Ivy’s tenement. When an accident occurs in one of his carriages, leaving a young girl homeless, it is Ivy he turns to. With Jem and the people she meets in her travels around Dublin, Ivy begins to break out of the poverty-ridden world that is all she has ever known.
Through Streets Broad and Narrow is a story of strength and determination in the unrelenting world that was Dublin tenement life.
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Ivy Rose Murphy lives in Dublin in 1925, working as a rag picker to support her father. But her father drowns on New Years day, leaving Ivy who is now 21 years old. Ivy Rose faces all sorts of prejudice and persecution for living alone in the luxury of two rooms. Yet because she meets a lady, Ann Marie, at the morgue, Ivy Rose’s life changes dramatically. Ivy Rose is a hard worker, creative, and inventive. Without her father (and previously her three brothers)taking and wasting every cent she made, Ivy Rose fiinds herself with spare cash. Still living frugally, she enlists the help of Jem, a young man who owns a livery near her. Together they build a better life not only for themselves but also for many others who live in the slum called “The Lane.” This story is awesome! I went back and bought the additional three books in the series. I strongly recommend this series.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and fell in love with the heroine Ivy Rose. I am reading the series and currently reading Book 4. A wonderful read.
Set in Ireland after they finally won independence. The lower class still find there is little change in conditions or status. The interaction between neighbors, the Catholic Church and the changing more innovative world, make this an interesting read.
I really liked this book. Some of the conversation seemed more modern than the time the story portrayed, but it didn’t bother me that much. The characters drive the story for me.
The characters and story line compelled me to read late into the night. Without rancor, the author educates and informs the reader of the early 20th Century’s disparate class system, while bringing to life those valiant individuals who dared defy the status quo.
This book kept my interest all the way through. The story and times remind me of Catherine Cookson, whose novels I loved, but without the angst. Definitely a keeper, and I will definitely buy the sequels.
The first in the Ivy Rose series this book begins with new doors opening for Ivy. Finally free from a neglectful and abusive father and the other family members that abandoned her Ivy begans to make a mark for herself with the help of friends who become her true family.
This isn’t my usual type reading but I am so glad I did. It took me to a world I’ve never been – but have thought of often. The characters were beautifully written and the story line was not ‘far-fetched’ but appropriate for the time. It’s a feel good book without being gooey.
The strength and imagination of the main character, Ivy, made this book the most memorable one I have read in years. I read all four of the series and hated to see them end.
Brought you to a world you never knew and helped you to understand the plight of the people. Characters entertaining
I absolutely am in love with this series…I can’t put them down. The story takes place in the 1920’s In Dublin. The characters are so real you feel like you are actually going back to that time period. The author does such a great job of describing the life style for the very poor back in the 1920’s. I do not usually get hung up on a series, however this is one I highly recommend.
4 Stars for Through Streets Broad and Narrow by Gemma Jackson
This is the first in what I believe is a 3 book saga. This book introduces Ivy Rose Murphy, a remarkable young woman growing up in the slums of 1925 Dublin, Ireland. It’s an entertaining and engrossing novel.
In this past year I’ve picked up a couple of books with characters and locations in Ireland. My mom was 100% Irish, although she was born in New Jersey.
Because of my family heritage, I was looking for, and found here, a satisfying bit of Irish Historical Fiction. A terrific story with engaging characters.
Interestingly, it seems like some research for the book could have come from watching a couple seasons of Downton Abbey. Parts of the story deal with the wealthy, and their household servants.
In the end most things fell a little too neatly into place, still, the story is a dramatic and inspiring bit of fun getting there. I’m looking forward to reading the sequels.
Had me hooked…..always a surprise and interesting.
Gemma Jackson is a wonderful author. This series is worth rereading, which I am currently doing.
I enjoyed this book that I didn’t want to put it down. The characters were very well developed and believable. It showed the best and worst of society and in some ways the church at that time. Human interest with some humor and inspirational.
I enjoyed this book. It gives you a peek into a world that is basically unknown to the general public. It follows a young girl through many adventures – holding your attention!
I loved the story, the characters, the setting. I felt as though I were there; the story stayed with me for days.
I enjoyed the book! A good read!
Having been to Ireland several times, I could picture Ivy hawking her wares on the streets of Dublin or other parts of Ireland. She’s a very likeable, but at times stubborn girl, although this should surprise no one who’s even partly Irish! If you are a fan of historical fiction, you will like this book and want to know more about the characters and how their story unfolds.
This is one of the best books I have read in a long time. No detailed sex, not much vulgar language. It portrays the families as realistic, likeable and you find yourself rooting for them. All of the characters are true to life. I immediately got book 2 and 3 to read. I would recommend this book to anyone. I look forward to more books by this author.