'A true, tough, tender memoir – written with such clarity and compassion. A beautiful testimony to the power of love and the devastation of loss.’ - Frank McGuinness
'A heartfelt and vibrant memoir of an ordinary child growing up in extraordinary circumstances in 1970s Derry. Narrated with a child-like honesty, this tragicomedy describes the transformative effect a father’s murder on Bloody Sunday would have on a bewildered nine-year-old, turning him into an IRA bomber and imprisoning him in a prison cell.' - Gordon O'Sullivan
In this sequel to the This Man’s Wee Boy, young Tony Doherty struggles to come to terms with the murder of his father, Paddy, on Bloody Sunday and the impact it has on his mother, Eileen, and his brothers and sisters. At nine years old, he knows a terrible wrong has been committed against his family but lacks the understanding or the means to do anything about it – yet. For his fractured family, life goes on, with Tony determined to preserve the memory of his father and the bond they shared, even as he becomes increasingly immersed in the violent conflict raging on Derry’s streets. As the 1970s unfold his father’s absence remains the backdrop to the teenage Tony’s newfound friendships and relationships, an ever-present ache amidst the craic and excitement of Sunday dances, first kisses and a trip to Butlins. Then, at seventeen, Tony decides it’s time to join the fight.
