Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
From the author of the acclaimed Big Girl, Small Town, a darkly comic coming-of-age story about a young woman working a summer job in a shirt factory in Northern Ireland, while tensions rise both inside and outside the factory walls. It's the summer of 1994 and all Maeve Murray wants are good final exam results so she can earn her ticket out of the wee Northern Irish town she has grown up in during the Troubles--away from her crowded home, the silence and sadness surrounding her sister's death, and most of all away from the simmering violence and religious tensions of her divided community. And as a first step, Maeve's taken a summer job in an integrated local shirt factory working alongside Protestants with her bff, cuddly kind Caroline Jackson, and her oblivious frenemy, privileged and clever Aoife O'Neill. But getting the right exam results are only part of Maeve's problem - she's got to survive a tit-for-tat paramilitary campaign as brutal as her relationship with her mam, iron 100 shirts an hour all day every day in the local factory, put up with the Proddies, and escape the attentions of Andy Strawbridge--her slick and untrustworthy English boss.
What seems to be a great opportunity to earn money before starting university turns out to be a crucible in which Maeve - and the other vulnerable workers in the factory - are tested in ways they're not equipped to handle. And seeking justice for herself and her fellow workers may just be Maeve's one-way ticket out of town.
Biting, perceptive, and steeped in the vernacular of its time and place, Factory Girls brings readers an unforgettable heroine willing to sacrifice everything to reach for her dreams.
Synopsis
A funny, fierce, and unforgettable read about a young woman working a summer job in a shirt factory in Northern Ireland, while tensions rise both inside and outside the factory walls. It's the summer of 1994, and all Maeve Murray wants are good final exam results so she can earn her ticket out of the wee Northern Irish town she has grown up in during the Troubles--away from her crowded home, the silence and sadness surrounding her sister's death, and most of all, away from the simmering violence of her divided community. And as a first step, Maeve's taken a summer job in a local shirt factory working alongside Protestants with her best friends, kind, innocent Caroline Jackson and privileged and clever Aoife O'Neill. But getting the right exam results is only part of Maeve's problem--she's got to survive a tit-for-tat paramilitary campaign, iron 100 shirts an hour all day every day, and deal with the attentions of Andy Strawbridge, her slick and untrustworthy English boss. What seems to be a great opportunity to earn money before starting university turns out to be a crucible in which Maeve is tested in ways she may not be equipped to handle. Seeking justice for herself and her fellow workers may just be Maeve's one-way ticket out of town.
Bitingly hilarious, perceptive, and steeped in the vernacular of its time and place, Factory Girls is perfect for fans of voice-driven stories with bite, humor, and realism, such as the Netflix series Derry Girls and novels by Douglas Stuart, Roddy Doyle, and Anna Burns.
Synopsis
A funny, fierce, and unforgettable read about a young woman working a summer job in a shirt factory in Northern Ireland, while tensions rise both inside and outside the factory walls. Winner of the Comedy Women in Print 2022-23 Published Novel Award
It's the summer of 1994, and all smart-mouthed Maeve Murray wants are good final exam results so she can earn her ticket out of the wee Northern Irish town she has grown up in during the Troubles. She hopes she will soon be in London studying journalism--away from her crowded home, the silence and sadness surrounding her sister's death, and most of all, away from the violence of her divided community.
As a first step, Maeve's taken a job in a shirt factory working alongside Protestants with her best friends. But getting the right exam results is only part of Maeve's problem--she's got to survive a tit-for-tat paramilitary campaign, iron 100 shirts an hour all day every day, and deal with the attentions of Handy Andy Strawbridge, her slick and untrustworthy English boss. Then, as the British loyalist marching season raises tensions among the Catholic and Protestant workforce, Maeve realizes something is going on behind the scenes at the factory. What seems to be a great opportunity to earn money turns out to be a crucible in which Maeve faces the test of a lifetime. Seeking justice for herself and her fellow workers may just be Maeve's one-way ticket out of town.
Bitingly hilarious, clear-eyed, and steeped in the vernacular of its time and place, Factory Girls tackles questions of wealth and power, religion and nationalism, and how young women maintain hope for themselves and the future during divided, violent times.
Shortlisted for the 2023 Royal Society of Literature Encore Award (for second novels) and the Christopher Ewart-Biggs Memorial Prize