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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historical sagas that are set in the 1920s? Irish poverty, Irish industry and community building. All four in the series are wonderful. Follet is not any better.
Loved them all.
Holds your interest right from the start. Great characters and descriptions. I was disappointed when I finished the series.
Incredible book. Had to buy the sequels immediately. I read a lot, and this is one of the best authors I’ve ever read.
Wonderful historical book. Fantastic characters. I liked this so much that I went on to buy all in the series and I will read them all again.
The four book Ivy Rose series that begins with “Through Streets Broad and Narrow” is simply splendid reading. Gemma Jackson makes 1920’s Ireland come alive. I hope she continues to develop this series with additional publications!
Hard to read at times when covering terrible famine and suffering caused by potato famine, but also well researched and written
THIS IS ABOUT THE BEST BOOK EVER! I BOUGHT ALL THE IVY ROSE SERIES I COULD FIND. LOVED LOVED LOVED IT. HER CREATIVITY ABOVE ALL ODDS MAKE HER SUCCESSFUL AND SHE REACHES OUT TO HELP OTHERS. SHE FINDS LOVE AND THE BOOK IS ABSOLUTELY SPELLBINDING.
I enjoyed the many characters and the story line very much. Very entertaining!
I loved this book, and actually the entire series. Couldn’t put them down and wish there was more!
Also enjoyed the sequels
Read all in this series! Would like to see more 🙂
Love any book that takes place in Ireland
At first I didn’t think I would like this book, but it only took the first page and I was hooked. Loved the historical setting, the differences of classes portrayed and the overall story line. Hard to put this book down, a definite page turner.
Decent plot, but especially interesting for the depiction of the lives of the Irish underclass. A good read!
i enjoyed this book so much I read the another two books which followed. They were all good. I highly recommend them.
A slice of life of so many interesting people, not all nice, but an intriguing bunch of good, bad, and ugly. Loved the heroine…this book would make a great movie.
I no sooner got done with this wonderful book than I bought the next three. I read them all within about two weeks, and enjoyed every minute. I just wish there were more in the series!
I loved all of these books in the series. The characters were very realistic. I felt a connection to Ivy Rose. I felt for her. I cheered for her. I was sorry the series ended. It seemed abrupt….
I really enjoyed this book. It shows what creative tenacity, along with a little luck, can do!
First book in the series and is an enchanting story about “between the wars” period in Ireland after the separation of Northern Ireland and pullout of the British. Fact checked the background and its very realistic. Great fictionalized historical novels — the whole set.