Twelve-year-old Mary and her mother are both dealing with the impending death of Mary’s Granny when Mary encounters an unusual woman on the street near her home. She soon discovers that woman is the ghost of her great-grandmother, Tansey, who wants to get a message to her daughter, Mary’s Granny, to ease her passage out of life. All four generations of women and girls-–Mary, her mother Scarlett, her Granny Elmer, and Tansey—are the subject of Roddy Doyle’s unusual and immensely comforting ghost story. The narrative moves back and forth among their lives, with an emphasis on each one’s childhood experiences and mother/daughter bonds. Each is a lively, funny, distinctive character, with the shared moments of humor when they are together full of warmth and delight. Doyle’s story, with its wonderful dialogue, culminates in a road trip as the quartet heads out of Dublin into the Irish countryside in the middle of the night, toward the homestead they haven’t seen in years. They are a ghost, a dying woman, a middle-aged woman, and a girl. They are mothers and daughters. They are family. And in the end, that is what Mary and her mother have when Granny dies—knowledge of family, and the love that binds them all. (Age 11 and older)

A Greyhound of a Girl by Roddy Doyle is a touching story about love, family, and the power of memories. This book is a celebration of life, legacy, and the unbreakable ties that bind us to those we cherish.

Named a Best Book of the 21st Century (So Far) by Kirkus

This heartwarming and poignant tale spans four generations of women in an Irish family. Twelve-year-old Mary O'Hara is a spirited Dublin schoolgirl who is bravely facing the impending loss of her beloved Granny. As Granny clings to life, a mysterious young woman appears with a message that pulls Mary into an extraordinary adventure.

This beautiful book, with its blend of humor and sorrow, explores the deep connections between mothers and daughters. As Mary, her mother Scarlett, her grandmother Emer, and her great-grandmother Tansey embark on a journey through memories and time, they discover the enduring bonds that unite them.

Praise for A Greyhound of a Girl
“A warm, witty, exquisitely nuanced multigenerational story.”
–Kirkus, starred review

“This elegantly constructed yet beautifully simple story, set in Ireland and spun with affection by Booker Prize–winner Doyle, will be something different for YA readers. These four lilting voices will linger long after the book is closed.”
–Booklist, starred review

"Written mostly in dialogue, at which Doyle excels, and populated with a charming foursome of Irish women, this lovely tale is as much about overcoming the fear of death as it is about death itself."
–Publishers Weekly, starred review