The Chisellers

By Brendan O'Carroll

A continuation of the story of Agnes Browne and her family, begun in The Mammy. 
The two oldest children are more of a focus in this story than in the first. The oldest son, Mark, is doing quite well in his job at the furniture factory. But his younger brother, Frankie, has fallen in with a gang of skinheads and eventually steals his mother's money she won playing bingo and runs away to London.
Agnes and the kids have a new home, as the place where they were living is slated to be torn down. So even though problems still have to be dealt with, overall, things seem to be getting better for Agnes and her brood.

This was a pretty good read, a lovely story of a son who stands by his mother and of a son who does the exact opposite and comes to his just desserts.

Review by Publishers Weekly.

The Mammy

By Brendan O'Carroll

Agnes Browne is a street vendor, recently widowed, with seven kids. Her dead husband was no prize and his absence makes life both harder and easier for Agnes. Harder because of less money coming in and easier because he was abusive.
They married young when Agnes became pregnant. Neither of them had much in the way of education. The husband worked as a laborer. If it weren't for charity and the church, life would be nearly impossible for such a large, young family. The oldest child is 14 and the youngest 3.
Now that her husband is out of the picture, Agnes is determined her children don't end up as ignorant and unskilled as she and the husband were. She is especially determined that the oldest child continue his education and learn a trade. But the boy is equally determined to quit school and get a job to help out his mother.
Somehow, they all work together and create a happy and loving home, just getting by, but sometimes just getting by is good enough.

Agnes Browne's situation is difficult, but this is not a sad story. This is a rollicking and happy look at an Irish family loving each other and working together to help each other. And getting into scrapes and dealing with sorrows and setbacks and discovering new possibilities and new hopes.

Check out the review from Publishers Weekly