Micka
Synopsis
Sometimes, you only know you’ve crossed the line when it’s too late . . .
Micka loves drawing and wants a pup, but with older brothers into violence and petty crime, and a mother who can’t read the notes his teacher sends home from school, neither he nor the pup stand much of a chance. Then a new boy, Laurie, starts at Micka's school.
Micka is an astonishingly assured debut -- and an unforgettable story.
Author's Biography
Frances Kay is a children’s playwright who was born in London and now lives in Ireland. She has worked with travellers, prisoners and children in the U.K. and Ireland. She is married to musician Nico Brown. They have two daughters
Reviews
'Micka feels like a book that wrote itself . . . Frances Kay is an accomplished story teller who has found her darkest tale' Anne Enright
'I read this at a single sitting. Once started it was impossible to put aside . . . Atomising and searing, MICKA is a remarkable first novel' Carlo Gébler £7.99 Paperback
Size in mm: Height of book 197mm Width of book 130mm Pages: 218
Publication date 02 / 07 / 10
Reader Comments
A gripping read and beautifully written - and hard to bear. Gets deeply into the hearts and minds of the children
Powerful. Beautifully written.
I read "Micka" last September and couldn't put the book down for a moment. It is utterly compelling. With the sharpest of insight and understanding, Frances Kay gets inside the mind of two young boys, one of whom has the most heartbreaking upbringing, the other who makes the wrong choices. It brings the reader very close to the real experience of what it's like to grow up in an unloved, tragic, uncared for home. For this reason, it's a must-read for any adult who works with or cares for children in any capacity......ie everyone! A gripping read. Colette
A devastatingly true read, a clear image of childhood photographed in words.
very powerful read.
MICKA is a compelling and deeply affecting first novel. The young hero, Micka, is a remarkable kid whose vitality and creativity are under constant assault from the brutish nature of his life. It's impossible to read this book without wishing you could step into the pages and yank him out of there to a place of safety.
Martyn Bedford, novelist.
I think this book is amazing. it is deeply moving to gain insights into the lives of two children experiencing disadvantage in such different ways - yet strangely for such dark subject matter it is uplifting and leaves you with hope for the resilience of children. Compelling reading.
Micka is an exceptional and brave book; a hard story to swallow but once you start reading it's impossible to put down. Helen Corner, Cornerstones Literary Consultancy.
A devastating and visceral read. One that I found hard to put down. Supremely written.
This book should be read in schools, by everyone working with children, and by everyone else as well. It is an easy book to read, in the literary sense, and gives great insights into the world of children living in difficult conditions.
This territory is not easily traveled.The writer lead me on a journey that was necessary .Dark .yes.Thoughtprovoking.yes.Forgetable.no.
Micka is a great effortless read. The voices of the two boys are so authentic, you feel like you are right inside their heads. I read it in one sitting and then read it again.
This is not an easy read, but it is true to say that I did laugh and I did cry. The voices of the two boys are very convincing (especially Micka). Through the boys' reactions to each other and to the others in their worlds, the reader is shown just how appalling things come to be done to and by children. People need to read this.
Grim, realistic and an indictment of how we relate to and treat children. Glad I read it.
such a thought-provoking and imaginative story, I look forward to reading more from this sensitive and honest writer.
'Micka' flows as inexorably as an underground river.