Poor
Published on 18. April 2024
Book
Paperback/Softback
304 pages
978-0-241-99676-8 (ISBN)
Description
From an impoverished childhood shaped by her parents' addictions to becoming a prize-winning academic, this is the incredible memoir from an inspiring voice, told with devastating candour, humour and warmth.
THE NUMBER 1 BESTSELLER
WINNER OF BIOGRAPHY OF THE YEAR, IRISH BOOK AWARDS
'One of the best [books] I have read about the complexities of poverty . . . one of the most remarkable people you will ever meet' Guardian
----
Like young girls everywhere Katriona O'Sullivan grew up bright, enthusiastic, curious. But she was also surrounded by abject poverty and chaos.
After becoming pregnant and homeless at 15, what followed was five years of barely surviving. Yet today Katriona is an award-winning academic whose work explores barriers to education for girls like her.
What set Katriona on this unexpected path were the mentors and supporters who truly saw her. The teachers who showed her how to wash in the school toilets or turned up at her door to convince her to sit at least one GCSE. The community worker who encouraged her to apply for training schemes. The friend who introduced Katriona to Trinity College's access program while she was a cleaner. Simple acts that would help her turn her life around.
Told with warmth, clarity and compassion - compassion for her parents, for her younger self, for others - Poor is both an astonishing personal testimony and an impassioned plea for the future of our children.
Praise for POOR:
'Powerful - Katriona is a legend' Barry Keoghan
'Raw, passionate and resolutely honest - I'll never forget it' Annie Mac
'Full of insight . . . so important' Fi Glover, Times Radio
'I read poor in one sitting I found it so compelling . . . moving, uplifting, brave, heroic' Nuala McGovern, Woman's Hour, BBC Radio Four
'Moving, funny, brave and original - just like the author . . . absolutely incredible' Roisin Ingle, Irish Times Women's Podcast
'One of the books of the year' Patrick Kielty, Late Late Show, RTE One
'One of the most important books I have ever read ... a beautiful telling of determination despite the odds' Lynn Ruane, Irish Times
'Fearless, funny and searingly honest' Adil Ray OBE
'Raw and remarkable' Irish Independent
'A book of empowerment and hope' Patricia Scanlan
THE NUMBER 1 BESTSELLER
WINNER OF BIOGRAPHY OF THE YEAR, IRISH BOOK AWARDS
'One of the best [books] I have read about the complexities of poverty . . . one of the most remarkable people you will ever meet' Guardian
----
Like young girls everywhere Katriona O'Sullivan grew up bright, enthusiastic, curious. But she was also surrounded by abject poverty and chaos.
After becoming pregnant and homeless at 15, what followed was five years of barely surviving. Yet today Katriona is an award-winning academic whose work explores barriers to education for girls like her.
What set Katriona on this unexpected path were the mentors and supporters who truly saw her. The teachers who showed her how to wash in the school toilets or turned up at her door to convince her to sit at least one GCSE. The community worker who encouraged her to apply for training schemes. The friend who introduced Katriona to Trinity College's access program while she was a cleaner. Simple acts that would help her turn her life around.
Told with warmth, clarity and compassion - compassion for her parents, for her younger self, for others - Poor is both an astonishing personal testimony and an impassioned plea for the future of our children.
Praise for POOR:
'Powerful - Katriona is a legend' Barry Keoghan
'Raw, passionate and resolutely honest - I'll never forget it' Annie Mac
'Full of insight . . . so important' Fi Glover, Times Radio
'I read poor in one sitting I found it so compelling . . . moving, uplifting, brave, heroic' Nuala McGovern, Woman's Hour, BBC Radio Four
'Moving, funny, brave and original - just like the author . . . absolutely incredible' Roisin Ingle, Irish Times Women's Podcast
'One of the books of the year' Patrick Kielty, Late Late Show, RTE One
'One of the most important books I have ever read ... a beautiful telling of determination despite the odds' Lynn Ruane, Irish Times
'Fearless, funny and searingly honest' Adil Ray OBE
'Raw and remarkable' Irish Independent
'A book of empowerment and hope' Patricia Scanlan
Reviews / Votes
Full of insight into a life lived right up against the boundaries placed on it by poverty . . . so important . . . we'd highly recommend -- Fi Glover * Off Air with Jane and Fi, Times Radio * I read [Poor] in one sitting I found it so compelling. An amazing story . . . moving, uplifting, brave, heroic -- Nuala McGovern * Woman's Hour, BBC * Moving, funny, brave and original - just like the author . . . absolutely incredible -- Roisin Ingle * Irish Times Women's Podcast * One of the best books I have ever read about the complexities of poverty . . . one of the most remarkable people you will ever meet * Guardian * One of the most important books I have ever read . . . a beautiful telling of determination despite the odds -- Lynn Ruane * Irish Times * [A] story for the unheard and unseen that is fearless, funny and searingly honest -- Adil Ray OBE Raw and remarkable * Irish Independent * A book of empowerment and hope -- Patricia Scanlan An important contribution to our understanding of poverty and its impact * Business Post * An incredible read * Business Post *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Target group
Professional and scholarly
College/higher education
Product notice
Paperback (UK-B)
Dimensions
Height: 195 mm
Width: 125 mm
Thickness: 23 mm
Weight
214 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-241-99676-8 (9780241996768)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Person
Dr Katriona O'Sullivan was born in Coventry to Irish parents. In 1998, at 20, she moved from Birmingham to Dublin and subsequently enrolled in the Trinity College access programme. After being awarded a PhD in psychology from Trinity she joined its staff. She now lectures in psychology at Maynooth University and lives with her family in Dublin. Poor is her first book.