It's a Long Way from Penny Apples

It's a Long Way from Penny Apples

by Bill Cullen (Author)

Synopsis

Born and bred in the tough inner city slums of Summerhill in Dublin, Bill Cullen was one of fourteen children. A street seller from the age of six, Bill left school at thirteen to make a living. Dublin in the '40s and '50s was a harsh place, rife with unemployment and poverty, but the Cullens were blessed with the qualities of determination, good humour and an abundance of love. The lessons Bill learnt from his grandmother stood him in good stead as he progressed from selling dolls and cinema tickets on street corners to a job in a Ford card dealership and eventually to head a company with a turnover of more than GBP250 million. The Bill Cullen story is an account of incredible poverty and deprivation in the Dublin slums. It highlights the frustration of a father and mother feeling their relationship crumble as they fight to give their children a better life. It's a story of courage, joy and happiness.

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More Information

Format: Hardcover
Pages: 480
Edition: First Edition
Publisher: Hodder Lir - Hodder
Published: 07 Nov 2002

ISBN 10: 0340826517
ISBN 13: 9780340826515

Media Reviews
'The story of a Dubliner reflecting with stunning honesty on his city and his past. With characters that leap off the page, it combines blunt realism with the everyday humour of Northside Dublin life. An incredible book that will soon rank as a best-seller.' -- An Taoiseach Bertie Ahern TD 'A rattling good yarn from Bill Cullen. It is a story of inner-city Dublin long since gone -- which will provoke a heartfelt Thank God from those who experienced it. It is a story of happiness and sadness, of triumph and disappointment, and of inventiveness and ingenuity in a never-ending quest to earn a living to keep a large family in the basic necessities of life.' -- Gay Byrne 'Unashamedly feel-good ... Cullen's story is an impressive one.' -- Publishing News 20020823 'A fascinating read, an absorbing and compelling human story. I felt I was part of the Cullen family as they struggled in the inner city slums of Dublin, yet one is left with an abiding sense of the human spirit's ability to survive and to triumph. As Molly Darcy said, Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, so make the most of today . This book is an inspiration.' -- Paidi A Se. 20020823 '... the perfect antidote to ANGELA'S ASHES ... He captures the spirit of the place with a sharp eye for detail and a quick ear for dialogue' -- Home & Country 20020823 'Refreshing, unsentimental, honest, optimistic and wise; and funny, too. This voice out of Ireland is the best one for years.' -- Libby Purves 20020823 'Uplifting' -- Dorset Evening Echo 20020823 'This is a racy portrait of Catholic community solidarity and a family that refused to be ground down by poverty.' -- Sunday Times 20021117
Author Bio
Bill Cullen is chairman and owner of Renault Distributors in Ireland. He lives in Naas, Co. Kildare.