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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This is one of my favorite books, filled with determination and strength of character. I found myself admiring the lead character, Ivy Rose Murphy. She is tenacious and will not accept living life as society thinks she must but struggles for each advancement she makes. She is a true heroine.
Set in the slums of Dublin in 1925. The extreme poverty is familiar (particularly if you’ve read non-fiction like Angela’s Ashes), but in almost fairy-tale fashion, the good people get the good that’s coming to them in this novel. We all need that kind of reassurance occasionally, especially in 2020. Our plucky young protagonist has been the sole support of her lazy, drunken father and brothers since she was 9 years old. Now the brothers are all gone and the father dead, so she gets a chance to blossom. She is aided by a wealthy do-gooder who sees the promise in her. Not everybody has such an angel investor to give them advice, introduce them to the right people, and loan them business start-up money, but you’re glad to see it happen to somebody who deserves it. Ivy isn’t a church-goer, but she displays more Christianity than the parish priest, and teaches life lessons to her wealthy benefactor as well. This is the first in a series. Worth following.
I love all of gemma Jackson’s books
Great book. Would like to read more like this. Ivy is very inspiring.
It was light reading which is what I want sometimes.
I enjoyed the entire series. Recommended to friends and they all loved these books.
I could not put this book down. I simply had to know what was going to happen to Ivy. I felt like I was there in the streets of Dublin with her and was pulling every for her with every fiber of my being. From a worthless father letting her support him to being on her own and having to watch out for scared, selfish parish priest not wanting anyone to improve their lot in this life. Ivy is just someone you wish you could be like. I can’t wait for the next book.
Just an okay read. Writing was a little stilted and found the plot unrealistic.
Set in Ireland, this was a different book. It had an abrupt ending but the love and loyalty shown by the poor people depicted here was worth the read.
I had to read the whole series.
Historically interesting.
Good mystery
I couldn’t put this book down and then bought the series—highly recommend!
Gemma Jackson books are wonderful!
Looking forward to reading the rest of this series.
Really enjoyed this book. The lead character Ivy is a great female role model who has triumphed over a difficult life. this is the first of a series of 4 books. I am currently reading book 2.
Life is what you make it.
A great rags to riches novel about the poor Irish people of the early 20th century is penned by Gemma Jackson. I love reading historical fiction where the heroine rises up through resilience and back-breaking perseverance to overcome and succeed. I really had a difficult time putting it down until the very end.
Good 4 book series
What’s not to like about a three volume romance set in Dublin right after independence? The story is a feel good easy read. However, it is a bit unrealistic. Ivy Rose, her mother and her brothers shoehorn themselves from the lowest of the low Street people straight into wealth and status. Ivy, by her own pluck and cleaverness (with generous assistance from a kind hearted daughter of the of the elite class and a mysterious Auntie who went to America in shame years ago and returned incognito, well off). Ivy’s mother and brothers “made it” by avariciously moving to England and “selling” themselves.
The story sparkles with Ivy’s kindness and big heart. The author is clearly an American, who believes that given the right breaks, anybody can become anything they want. The right breaks line themselves up conveniently for a continuous upward trajectory for dear Ivy. There are the obligatory villains, unhappy to see her improving herself who try to push her back into the muck, but they are easily defeated by our heroine and her growing coterie of supporters.
Even though the entire three volume story is full of improbabilities, I found myself cheering for Ivy and feeling good at the ultimate happy happy ending.