Tatty

Synopsis: Hailed by the critics as a masterpiece, Tatty is a devastating, yet hilarious, depiction of a troubled Dublin family told through the lively, charismatic voice of a little girl. With brutal honesty, Tatty tells the story of her life with her beloved, feckless Dad, her tormented Mam, her five siblings and the booze that brings them down. This not just an entertaining tale, but also a heartbreaking account of a disturbed childhood that makes for compulsive reading.

Review: I loved this book from the start. The book is narrated by Tatty, a young Irish girl growing up in the 1960's. Tatty's 'voice' is absolutely convincing, she narrates the whole story so the reader is always with her, we know her innermost thoughts, her observations and all her little worries (which get larger). She has a lively, chatty, humorous style but for all that Tatty is incredibly lonely and fearful.

I grew so fond of her that it was painful to read about how isolated and sad she becomes. Tatty's real name is Caroline, her nickname comes from the phrase 'tell-tale-tattler' because she is always putting her foot in it and blurting out truths when the people around her would rather keep secrets. She's not malicious she just doesn't always know when to keep quiet.

'You get funny dinners in other people's kitchens. Dinners that don't taste the same as Mam's. It might be the same stuff, but they match it a different way on the plate. The woman who makes you your dinner might ask you your business. And even though Mam always warns her, "Don't be telling those noisy oulones all your business", sometimes she gets mixed up and forgets. And it's hard to know what you're allowed to tell or not, because one minute it's "tell the truth and shame the devil". The next minute it's: "Ah what did you have to go and tell them that for? I could kill you stone dead"

Her Aunties are the stuff of Bertie Woosters nightmares, Auntie Winnie is too handy with the sloppy slipper, Auntie Betty has a cane hanging behind the kitchen door that she's itching to use and Aunt June threatens to put mustard on her tongue.

Tatty has two older sisters, Jeannie and Deirdre, and three younger brothers, Luke, Brian and Michael. Jeannie is clever, domesticated and has lots of friends, Deirdre is mentally handicapped and suffers frequent fits, she's the 'special child' that 'Holy God sent to us because he loves us so much'. Her little brothers are all typical rough and tumble boys.

When she's put into a new school Tatty finds it hard to make friends, in fact she doesn't make any and is unhappy. Her Dad keeps asking her if she has any new pals, she doesn't like to tell him the truth. She needs to make up some names, she can't use the girls name's in her class incase her Dad gets to talking to their Dads, the only thing she can think of is to use the names of the girls in her favourite books ...

"Well" she says, "there's Dinah and Lucy-Ann, Georgina .. we call her George. And Daisy, Carlotta, Bobby .. her real name's Roberta. Then there's Hilary, Belinda and let's see Marjorie and, and ... that's all". "My God", dad goes, "they're fancy names, I must say". "Oh", well the twins have plain names". "Twins as well, TWINS! Didn't I tell you you'd make pals' didn't I tell you? And twins, if you don't mind". "Yes, Pat and Isobel O'Sullivan". "Oh, that's very good indeed"

She's the apple of her Dad's eye and they're the best of friends, but even he is neglectful of her. Their close relationship is just another source of irritation to her Mam. Mam and Dad are always fighting, he spends most of his time in the pub or at the races and Mam is slowly drowning in booze and becoming swipey. The fights and arguments increase until there is no end or beginning to them, they're just continuous. Tatty lies on her bunk bed listening to them screeching insults and recriminations at one another, her head aching. Her desperation to have a friend leads Tatty to do something deceitful and as a consequence she is sent away from home to boarding school, but things take a turn for the better there, she likes the teachers, she progresses with her schoolwork and she makes some friends at last.

The book reminded me a lot of Roddy Doyle's writing, comedy and tragedy all skilfully blended. The story has such an authentic feel that you really could be reading someone's memoirs.

click here to continue review - possible spoilers

I was so saddened by the ending, there looked to be light at the end of the tunnel for Tatty but it really only highlighted her desperate situation. Any chance of happiness was snatched away from her and wrapped up as a blessing. I don't like happy ever after endings if they seem too convenient, but I hated to leave Tatty in that blank space to be perpetually lonely, scared and downtrodden. I wanted to know she had a bright future. All the same I loved it, I felt emotional about her, she got under my skin.