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.
I was born in County Tyrone in the mid 70s and grew up during the Troubles a few miles from the border between the ‘Free State’ and the ‘United Kingdom’. The border between these territories dominated all our lives. In the late 1960s, 19 roads criss-crossed Donegal and Tyrone in our local area. By the 1970s, just one ‘official’ road was left usable after the British Army blew up and barricaded the ‘unapproved’ roads and bridges. This campaign dramatically impacted communities on both sides of the border throughout my childhood and teens.
My Thoughts
Factory Girls by Michelle Gallen is a story of an 18-year-old girl, Maeve Murray who lives in a Northern Ireland town. She is waiting for her grades, GCSEs to arrive that will enable her to move to London to study journalism.
The story takes place in 1994 during the "troubles" of the time where the Catholics and the 'prods', Protestants, are at odds. There are bombings going on that the people of NI take as a given. It has been going on so long that it has become the norm. This conflict went on for 30 years so this time frame for the novel fits right in.
Maeve and her best friends, Caroline and Aoife get a job at a shirt factory and move in together in an apartment. Maeve wants to make enough money so she can go to London. This factory employees both the Catholics and Protestants which at times can be a challenge for both sides.
The boss, Andy Strawbridge is a good-looking guy, and he knows it and uses it to his advantage. To get the girls he wants and further his future prospects. He has his eyes on Maeve for sure. She is not sure if she wants the attention or not. After watching Andy, the girls determine that he is not on the up and up. His treatment of the women he employs is disrespectful to say the least.
This book reflects the troubles between the Irish, British, the Catholics and the Protestants and the IRA. There is mention of the conflicts between these factions, told straightforward but with a bit of humor. This summer has the girls partying a lot after work hours. There is sadness in the story also because Maeve's sister had committed suicide and Maeve is trying to understand the reasons which can make her bitter at times.
I found that I liked Maeve, even though she was pretty brash, and her colorful language added to the humor in the story even though the 'troubles' was anything but humorous. This was an extremely dangerous time for the people of Northern Ireland.
The author's writing definitely reflected this conflict and how the people lived during this time. Written with knowledge and humor made the story flow, otherwise I think it would have been difficult to read. I love reading books by Irish authors and this one is one of the best I have read in a while. I give it 5 stars!
I received a copy of the book for review purposes only.
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