With My Lazy Eye

This beautifully written novel/memoir is amazingly evocative of a middle-class childhood in the 70s in Dublin. I could practically feel the wide-wale brown corduroy and fake-leather elbow patches of my youth - and the author's - as I read it. Her use of language is mesmerising, especially in the early chapters; later on things become cringe-inducingly hilarious or bring a lump to the throat. It's not so much a see-what-happens-next narrative as a moment-to-moment journey through a girl's life, almost too clearly drawn for comfort.

I read this book a year or two ago when it first came out and really enjoyed it. Having also grown up in Dublin in the 70s and 80s I thought it perfectly captured the time. I loved the way the author described Lucy's feeling of always being different to everyone else and of being one of a relatively big family all of whom she perceived as being better, brighter or more loved than herself. I thought her use of language was lovely and I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a satisfying and nostalgic read.