Big Girl, Small Town: Propulsive and touching, get ready to meet your new best friend
Michelle Gallen
Feb 2020 · John Murray · Narrated by Nicola Coughlan
headphones
Audiobook
9 hr 41 min
Unabridged
family_home
Eligible
info
Want a free 58 min sample? Listen anytime, even offline.
Add
About this audiobook
'Milkman meets Derry Girls. A cracking read' Sinead Moriarty
'A thrillingly fresh, provocative and touching voice' Marian Keyes
'Bawdy yet beautiful, full of everyday tragedy, absurdity and truth. I grew extraordinarily attached to Majella' Sara Baume
**Shortlisted for the Costa First Novel Award**
Routine makes Majella's world small but change is about to make it a whole lot bigger.
*Stuff Majella knows*
-God doesn't punish men with baldness for wearing ladies' knickers
-Banana-flavoured condoms taste the same as nutrition shakes
-Not everyone gets a volley of gunshots over their grave as they are being lowered into the ground
*Stuff Majella doesn't know*
-That she is autistic
-Why her ma drinks
-Where her da is
Other people find Majella odd. She keeps herself to herself, she doesn't like gossip and she isn't interested in knowing her neighbours' business. But suddenly everyone in the small town in Northern Ireland where she grew up wants to know all about hers.
Since her da disappeared during the Troubles, Majella has tried to live a quiet life with her alcoholic mother. She works in the local chip shop (Monday-Saturday, Sunday off), wears the same clothes every day (overalls, too small), has the same dinner each night (fish and chips, nuked in the microwave) and binge watches Dallas (the best show ever aired on TV) from the safety of her single bed. She has no friends and no boyfriend and Majella thinks things are better that way.
But Majella's safe and predictable existence is shattered when her grandmother dies and as much as she wants things to go back to normal, Majella comes to realise that maybe there is more to life. And it might just be that from tragedy comes Majella's one chance at escape.
(p) 2020 Hodder & Stoughton Ltd
'A thrillingly fresh, provocative and touching voice' Marian Keyes
'Bawdy yet beautiful, full of everyday tragedy, absurdity and truth. I grew extraordinarily attached to Majella' Sara Baume
**Shortlisted for the Costa First Novel Award**
Routine makes Majella's world small but change is about to make it a whole lot bigger.
*Stuff Majella knows*
-God doesn't punish men with baldness for wearing ladies' knickers
-Banana-flavoured condoms taste the same as nutrition shakes
-Not everyone gets a volley of gunshots over their grave as they are being lowered into the ground
*Stuff Majella doesn't know*
-That she is autistic
-Why her ma drinks
-Where her da is
Other people find Majella odd. She keeps herself to herself, she doesn't like gossip and she isn't interested in knowing her neighbours' business. But suddenly everyone in the small town in Northern Ireland where she grew up wants to know all about hers.
Since her da disappeared during the Troubles, Majella has tried to live a quiet life with her alcoholic mother. She works in the local chip shop (Monday-Saturday, Sunday off), wears the same clothes every day (overalls, too small), has the same dinner each night (fish and chips, nuked in the microwave) and binge watches Dallas (the best show ever aired on TV) from the safety of her single bed. She has no friends and no boyfriend and Majella thinks things are better that way.
But Majella's safe and predictable existence is shattered when her grandmother dies and as much as she wants things to go back to normal, Majella comes to realise that maybe there is more to life. And it might just be that from tragedy comes Majella's one chance at escape.
(p) 2020 Hodder & Stoughton Ltd
'Milkman meets Derry Girls. A cracking read' Sinead Moriarty
'A thrillingly fresh, provocative and touching voice' Marian Keyes
'Bawdy yet beautiful, full of everyday tragedy, absurdity and truth. I grew extraordinarily attached to Majella' Sara Baume
**Shortlisted for the Costa First Novel A...
Discover more
About the author
Michelle Gallen is the author of Big Girl, Small Town (shortlisted for the Costa First Novel Award) and Factory Girls (shortlisted for the RSL Encore Award and winner of the Comedy Women in Print Award). She grew up in Northern Ireland and now lives in Dublin with her husband and kids.
Nicola Coughlan is an Irish actress known for her roles as Clare Devlin in the TV show 'Derry Girls' and Penelope Featherington in Netflix's 'Bridgerton'. On Big Girl, Small Town, Coughlan said: "I was so pleased to be asked to narrate the audiobook of Big Girl, Small Town. Michelle's writing gripped me from the moment I started reading the book and I've really enjoyed bringing it to life in the studio."
Michelle Gallen is the author of Big Girl, Small Town (shortlisted for the Costa First Novel Award) and Factory Girls (shortlisted for the RSL Encore Award and winner of the Comedy Women in Print Award). She grew up in Northern Ireland and now lives in Dublin with her husband and kids.
Nicola Cou...
Rate this audiobook
Tell us what you think.
Listening information
Smartphones and tablets
Install the Google Play Books app for Android and iPad/iPhone. It syncs automatically with your account and allows you to read online or offline wherever you are.
Laptops and computers
You can read books purchased on Google Play using your computer's web browser.
