Tony Hogan Bought Me an Ice-Cream Float Before He Stole My Ma - by Kerry Hudson (Paperback)

About the Book

Originally published: Great Britain: Chatto & Windus, 2012.

Book Synopsis

"A witty and lively novel set somewhere between the worlds of Roddy Doyle and Irvine Welsh." --William Dalyrymple, The Guardian

Reminiscent of early Roddy Doyle, Tony Hogan Bought Me an Ice-Cream Float Before He Stole My Ma begins with our singular heroine's less than idyllic birth and quickly moves to a spectacular fight that lands Janie and her mother in a local women's shelter. From there it's on to a dodgy council flat and a succession of unsuitable men, including the hard-drinking, drug-dealing, ice-cream-buying Tony Hogan. Kerry Hudson's arrestingly original debut will enthrall readers with Janie's tragicomic and moving story about coming of age in a non-traditional family amid the absurdities of the 1980s and Thatcherite Britain.

Review Quotes

"Wickedly, brilliantly, inescapably funny in spite of its often-horrific scenarios, Hudson's debut is, by equal turns, startling, devastating, and exhilarating." - The Boston Globe

"Sharp and insightful, Hudson's tender and courageous coming of age tale is impossible to put down. A gutsy debut that will engage and enthrall from page one." - Lisa O'Donnell, author of The Death of Bees

"This bittersweet novel is warm and humorous, too." -Booklist

"Funny and dark" - Kirkus Reviews

"[Told] with hope and a biting sense of humor." - ShelfAwareness

"...A witty and lively novel set somewhere between the worlds of Roddy Doyle and Irvine Welsh." - William Dalrymple in The Guardian

"Colorful, funny, joyful and compelling" - The Observer

"Full of warmth and bittersweet humour" - The Financial Times

"Concurrently very funny and incredibly sad. The writing sizzles" - The Bookseller

"More than the best debut of 2012; it's one of the best books of the year." ." - Louise Welsh in The Herald (Scotland)

"A sympathetic coming-of-age tale and a valuable counterpoint to widespread social attitudes to women in poverty" - Metro (UK)

"Real and heartfelt, carried along by stunning, earthy dialogue that captures the rough poetry of daily speech...Hudson avoids the usual sentimental clichés and gives us, without a shred of hipster cynicism, the hope and tough warmth for which she has such a sharp eye." - The Guardian

About the Author

Kerry Hudson was born in Aberdeen, Scotland. Growing up in a succession of council estates provided her with a keen eye for idiosyncratic behaviors, and plenty of material for this, her first novel. She lives and writes in London.