TONY HOGAN BOUGHT ME AN ICE CREAM FLOAT BEFORE HE STOLE MY MA

Jane MacFarlane's polished Scottish accents and knowledge of Aberdeen slang and expressions give this coming-of-age debut a sound of authenticity. Born to a teenage mother, Janie Ryan recounts the first 16 years of her life, beginning with her less-than-idyllic birth. MacFarlane gives Janie's very unchildlike observations an air of innocence as she interprets the world around her. Her ma, Iris, is desperate to find a man who'll rescue the two of them from a life of poverty, hostels, and council estates. MacFarlane portrays Iris's raw emotional intensity as she drags her daughter through countless abusive father figures, drugs, alcohol, and violence until Tony Hogan comes between them. MacFarlane's expertise gives the dialogue a natural flow, whether it's a cursing, screaming row or a rare good moment. M.F.T. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine [Published: AUGUST 2014]