A Greyhound of a Girl

Roddy Doyle

May 2012 · Abrams

About this ebook

Mary O’Hara is a sharp and cheeky 12-year-old Dublin schoolgirl who is bravely facing the fact that her beloved Granny is dying. But Granny can’t let go of life, and when a mysterious young woman turns up in Mary’s street with a message for her Granny, Mary gets pulled into an unlikely adventure. The woman is the ghost of Granny’s own mother, who has come to help her daughter say good-bye to her loved ones and guide her safely out of this world. She needs the help of Mary and her mother, Scarlett, who embark on a road trip to the past. Four generations of women travel on a midnight car journey. One of them is dead, one of them is dying, one of them is driving, and one of them is just starting out.

Praise for A Greyhound of a Girl
STARRED REVIEW “A warm, witty, exquisitely nuanced multigenerational story.”
–Kirkus Reviews, starred review

STARRED REVIEW “This elegantly constructed yet beautifully simple story, set in Ireland and spun with affection by Booker Prize–winner Doyle, will be something different for YA readers. These four lilting voices will linger long after the book is closed.”
–Booklist, starred review

STARRED REVIEW
"Written mostly in dialogue, at which Doyle excels, and populated with a charming foursome of Irish women, this lovely tale is as much about overcoming the fear of death as it is about death itself."
–Publishers Weekly, starred review
"In this moving and artfully structured ghost tale, four generations of Irish women come together. A big part of the pleasure here is the rhythm of the language and the contrasting voices of the generations. Any opportunity to read it aloud would be a treat."
–Horn Book

"For children grieving the death of a parent or grandparent, this book provides comfort."
–Library Media Connection

Award:
Capitol Choices 2013 - Noteworthy Titles for Children and Teens
Cooperative Children’s Book Center (CCBC) Choices 2013 list - Young Adult Fiction
USBBY Outstanding International Books List 2013

 

About the author

Roddy Doyle is an internationally acclaimed novelist, screenwriter, and playwright. In 1993 he won the Man Booker Prize for Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha. Doyle has also published many books for children, the most recent of which, A Greyhound of a Girl, was short-listed for the CILIP Carnegie Medal. He lives in Dublin.