Smarty Girl: Dublin Savage

Simon & Schuster

Industry	Publishing
Products	Books, audiobooks

Smarty Girl: Dublin Savage marks the first novel by Irish writer Honor Molloy, released by Simon & Schuster and Gemma on 17 March 2012. Set against the backdrop of 1960s Dublin, it centers on Noleen O’Feeney, a sharp-witted girl belonging to a distinguished theatrical lineage. The narrative delves into the family's deterioration, influenced heavily by their captivating yet troubled patriarch, Seamus, whose struggles with alcoholism and mental health cast a long shadow over their existence.

Plot

Noleen O’Feeney is the youngest child in a working-class family of Irish-American descent. Her father, Seamus O’Feeney, known as an actor and radio host, descends into alcoholism and emotional turmoil. Once celebrated and respected, Seamus’s behavior becomes unpredictable and unreliable. Noleen’s mother, an American facing cultural displacement and burdened with keeping the family intact, endeavors to shield her children and preserve a sense of stability.

Presented through a series of vignettes, the novel portrays the family's dysfunction intertwined with moments of devotion and happiness. Known as the “smarty girl,” Noleen draws resilience from her imagination. As Seamus’s condition deteriorates and the family begins to fall apart, she faces adult realities and losses, gaining insight into her father’s afflictions and her mother’s endurance.

Background

Originally envisioned as a memoir, Molloy developed Smarty Girl: Dublin Savage with assistance from a New York Foundation for the Arts Nonfiction Fellowship. While participating in residencies at Yaddo and MacDowell, she transitioned from non-fiction to autofiction.

Publication

The novel Smarty Girl: Dublin Savage was released by Simon & Schuster and GemmaMedia on 20 March 2012. Its audiobook edition features performances by Molloy, Kevin Holohan, Aedin Moloney, and Susan McKeown, available globally via Audible. The total listening time is 7 hours and 57 minutes.

Throughout her promotional tour, Molloy delivered readings at prominent locations including Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, the New York Public Library, the Boston Public Library, the Dublin City Library & Archive, the Upper East Side's Barnes & Noble, and The Irish Arts Center.

Reception

Before publication, New York Daily News columnist Stanley Crouch offered praise for the novel,

Upon its release, Smarty Girl: Dublin Savage garnered widespread acclaim from Irish press. In The Irish Voice, Cahir O'Doherty described it as "a beacon of intelligence that misses no detail... The depth of storytelling and insights resonate in every sentence. Numerous Irish books will emerge this year, yet few will match this one’s honesty or completeness."

The Irish Echo characterized it as "a documentary-style exploration, a fictionalized portrayal of childhood, and an authentic depiction of 1960s Dublin," commending Molloy's adept fusion of personal narrative with cultural history. Sheila Langan in Irish America similarly remarked

Caitriona Devery March from Writing.ie referred to Smarty Girl as “an intriguing and masterfully fictionalized recounting of Honor’s turbulent upbringing in Dublin... Alternating between humor and poignancy, it presents a lively tale with wit and finesse, appealing to readers interested in Dublin’s past or gripping stories.”

In Brown Alumni Magazine, Clare Dunsford lauded its genuine voice: “Both enchanting like a fairy tale and starkly realistic, Honor Molloy’s Smarty Girl strikes deeply with its authentic Irish cadence. The narrative voice stands out: Molloy’s use of Dublin dialect forms a vibrant mosaic of fragmented expressions and malapropisms.”