Description

Book Synopsis

''Poverty is a very exacting teacher and I had been taught well''

The post-war urban jungle of the Glasgow tenements was the setting for Molly Weir''s childhood. From sharing a pull-out bed in her mother''s tiny kitchen to running in terror from the fever van, it was an upbringing that was cemented in hardship. Hunger, cold and sickness was an everyday reality and complaining was not an option.

Despite the crippling poverty, there was a vivacity to the tenements that kept spirits high. Whether Molly was brushing the hair of her wizened neighbour Mrs MacKay, running to Jimmy''s chip shop for a ha''penny of crimps or dancing at the annual fair, there wasn''t a moment to spare for self-pity. Molly never let it get her down as she and the other urchins knew how to make do with nothing.

And at the centre of her world was her fearsome but loving Grannie, whose tough, independent spirit taught Molly to rise above her pitiful surroundings and achieve her dreams.

Shoes Were For Sunday

    Product form

    A Paperback / softback by Molly Weir

    £10.44

    Includes FREE delivery

    RRP £10.99 – you save £0.55 (5%)

    Order before 4pm today for delivery by Fri 11 Sep 2026.

    1 in stock

      Trusted by thousands of customers. See 2,385+ Customer Reviews

      View other formats and editions of Shoes Were For Sunday by Molly Weir

      Book details

      Publisher Penguin Random House Group
      Imprint Penguin Books Ltd
      Published 29 March 2012
      ISBN-13 9780241957929
      978-0241957929
      ISBN-10 0241957923
      Also in:
      Biography Memoirs Poverty and precarity Urban communities / city life

      Description

      Book Synopsis

      ''Poverty is a very exacting teacher and I had been taught well''

      The post-war urban jungle of the Glasgow tenements was the setting for Molly Weir''s childhood. From sharing a pull-out bed in her mother''s tiny kitchen to running in terror from the fever van, it was an upbringing that was cemented in hardship. Hunger, cold and sickness was an everyday reality and complaining was not an option.

      Despite the crippling poverty, there was a vivacity to the tenements that kept spirits high. Whether Molly was brushing the hair of her wizened neighbour Mrs MacKay, running to Jimmy''s chip shop for a ha''penny of crimps or dancing at the annual fair, there wasn''t a moment to spare for self-pity. Molly never let it get her down as she and the other urchins knew how to make do with nothing.

      And at the centre of her world was her fearsome but loving Grannie, whose tough, independent spirit taught Molly to rise above her pitiful surroundings and achieve her dreams.

      Recently viewed products

      © 2026 Book Curl

        • American Express
        • Apple Pay
        • Diners Club
        • Discover
        • Google Pay
        • Maestro
        • Mastercard
        • PayPal
        • Shop Pay
        • Union Pay
        • Visa

        Login

        Forgot your password?

        Don't have an account yet?
        Create account