Annie (Picador Books) - Softcover

A compelling and poignant novel which tells the story of twelve-year-old Annie Murphy, scrabbling in the rank, swarming streets of the Dublin slums for a means of livelihood and independence.
Annie's story, narrated by her awed and inseparable sidekick young Tucker, takes place over a period of a few days, the time she needs to raise the money to buy Ellen the peddler's cart. The pair's adventures - from quick thievery to public relations for a brothel - are played out among an assortment of extraordinary characters, such as Bessie the Pig, the garrulous policer of the street-code pecking order, and Miz Robey, the brothel keeper, who pays Annie for odd jobs by letting her hold the urn containing her late husband's ashes. By turns comic and profoundly movmg, Annie is an unforgettable reading experience.