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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Very interesting characters with an informative look at the poor side of Ireland.
A great read. Focused on a very poor urban neighborhood in Dublin and some of the characters living there. If Ivy Rose were alive today, I would be honored and delighted to have her as a friend or neighbor. Wonderful main characters of good character and heart, meeting challenging life situations quite creatively through creative collaboration, perseverance, love, kindness and general good heartedness in a world that shows little of these qualities.
This the first in the quartet of the H’apenny series by Gemma Jackson about low income life in Dublin around 1930′, The characters are amazing, interesting, colorful and caring. I completed the set in 3 days [I am retired so it was easy to do] and was sad to reach the end. The characters were like family to me.
Gemma Jackson loved your books and Ivy and Jem were fantastic people.
I enjoyed reading this 3 book series. It kept moving along with an informative story that made me want to know “what happens next”. I felt like I got to know the characters and I was interested in their lives.
Easy read. It was interesting to think of the two worlds, rich and poor, living so closely. It was maybe a little shallow in the development of some of the characters, but am willing to read the next book in the series! I enjoyed where the books seem to be heading.
Ending could be stronger but such a realistic, well written piece…teaching about history alongside an enjoyable story!
The reader can’t help but cheer for plucky Ivy Murphy, who against so many odds, slowly begins to pull herself out of deep poverty thru hard work. An interesting cast of characters populate the tenement where Ivy lives. After finishing the first book in the series, this reader eagerly anticipates the next book in hopes of finding out if Ivy and her neighbor Jem fall in love and will Ivy get to know her deceased mother’s wealthy family who have no idea of her existence and will Ivy’s hopes and dreams of earning a decent living ever happen.
Loved it
Different and kept my interest.
Great heroine…she fights to emerge from the life she’s been given in the slums of Ireland. This story stayed with me. I would highly recommend it
Really good read
Enjoyable read!!
Follow Oct as she grows from uncertain and confused to a confident leader.
Loved this book. I felt like I was part of the story. I highly recommend you read this. The author did a great job.
This was an up all night to finish it….bought the rest of the series and need to sAve for weekends!
wonderful period piece
This book shows the struggles of a young woman alone in Ireland. Some parts are sad and some are funny. But you see the day to day struggle.
I really enjoyed this book and its colorful characters. It’s the best story I’ve read in a while. Despite not being great literature, it’s highly entertaining. There’s never a dull moment in this novel.
Reminds me of books written by Catherine Cookson and Maeve Binchey. Good old-fashioned storytelling.
Loved the story line of this book! Takes you back to old Ireland and the way the classes were separated and how they lived their lives. Very interesting read and the heroine was awesome!