
Paperboy: An Enchanting True Story of a Belfast Paperboy Coming to Terms with the Troubles
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Narrated by:
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Tony Macaulay
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By:
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Tony Macaulay
About this listen
It's Belfast, 1975. The city lies under the dark cloud of the Troubles, and hatred fills the air like smoke. But Tony Macaulay has just turned 12 and he's got a new job. He's going to be a paperboy. And come rain or shine - or bombs and mortar - he will deliver....
Paperboy lives in Upper Shankill, Belfast, in the heart of the conflict between Loyalists and Republicans. Bombings are on the evening news, rubble lies where buildings once stood, and rumours spread like wildfire about the IRA and the UDA.
But Paperboy lives in a world of Doctor Who, Top of the Pops and fish suppers. His battles are fought with all the passion of Ireland's opposing sides - but against acne, the dentist, and the "wee hoods" who rob his paper money. On his rounds he hums songs by the Bay City Rollers, dreams about outer space, and dreams even more about the beautiful Sharon Burgess.
In this touching, funny, and nostalgic memoir, Tony Macaulay recounts his days growing up in Belfast during the Troubles, the harrowing years which saw neighbour fighting neighbour and brother fighting brother. But in the midst of all this turmoil, Paperboy, a scrappy upstart with a wicked sense of humour and sky-high dreams, dutifully goes about his paper round. He is a good paperboy, so he is.
Paperboy proves that happiness can be found even in the darkest of times; it is a story that will charm your socks off, make you laugh out loud and brings to life the culture, stories, and colourful characters of a very different - but very familiar - time.
©2013 Tony Macaulay (P)2016 Tony MacaulayListeners also enjoyed...
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brilliant and funny
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Great memories
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Brilliant!
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Falling Down Funny and Achingly Sad
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An important point of view for Americans
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Note: N Ireland dialect and phraseology glossary is in the final chapter. There were things I looked up along the way for clarity; this glossary is quite helpful.
A personal window into N Ireland 1970s
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Recommend this for anyone. For people who grew up in Northern Ireland its particularly relevant but also for readers interested modern political history and that of the conflict in Ulster. This book is told with characteristically dry and dark Northern Irish sense of humour. Great read!
This book is wrote with the characteristically dry and dark Northern Irish sense of humour. Great read!
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Definitely a re-read because I liked it so much.
Surprisingly Funny
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Very Entertaining.
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Hilarious-would give even more stars if possible
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