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Poor

By: Katriona O'Sullivan
Narrated by: Katriona O'Sullivan
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

'We love a rags-to-riches story, and we love to see someone triumph through sheer determination. But the story is rarely that simple. My story isn't, anyway.'

As the middle of five kids growing up in dire poverty, the odds were low on Katriona O'Sullivan making anything of her life. When she became a mother at 15 and ended up homeless, what followed were five years of barely coping.

This is the extraordinary story - moving, funny, brave, and sometimes startling - of how Katriona turned her life around. How the seeds of self-belief planted by teachers in childhood stayed with her. How she found mentors whose encouragement revived those seeds in adulthood.

Now an award-winning lecturer whose work challenges barriers to education, Poor stands as a stirring argument for the importance of looking out for our kids' futures. Of giving them hope, practical support and meaningful opportunities.

©2023 Katriona O'Sullivan (P)2023 Penguin Audio Educators Personal Development Personal Success Poverty & Homelessness Professionals & Academics Social Sciences Inspiring Funny Heartfelt Thought-Provoking

Critic Reviews

'A book of empowerment and hope.' (Patricia Scanlan)

'[A] story for the unheard and unseen that is fearless, funny and searingly honest.' (Adil Ray OBE)

'Katriona has taken her life and turned it into a call for action. She has given us all of her in her radically honest memoir and all who read it must meet that honesty with action. Poor is a book that can society, and we must all level up to change it with her.' (Lynn Ruane)
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This book is such a raw honest journey. The sharing of a life with really unfortunate circumstances one after another. These events would crush the spirit out of most but this Girl / Women pushes through even thought it’s a long road. She still has love in her heart for her parents and can empathise with all their struggles . What a brilliant human.

Raw honesty

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I loved this book, a great perspective on poverty, addiction, socioeconomic layers and the importance of education and kindness.

Real, heartbreaking and insightful

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With all the talk about identity and inclusion these days we often brush over one of the most powerful factors that continues to seperate us, class. This book is an exploration of poverty and childhood trauma through the eyes of a survivor. I was moved me to tears on many occasions both by the hope and the pain in these pages. Katriona O’Sullivan speaks with so much courage about her childhood and early adulthood. About her experiences of poverty, sexual assault, exposure to drugs and alcohol and chronic instability in her family home. She is so real in a way you don’t often see in a memoir. The love, empathy and loyalty she expresses towards her parents is balanced with anger and resentment for the things they put her and her siblings through.
I feel so grateful to have stumbled upon this book.

Beautiful, heart breaking, inspiring

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The generosity of the author sharing this important & precious story… A review is never really going to it justice.
Katriona’s story both broke my heart and opened it. Thank you.

Heartbreaking, beautiful and intelligent.

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So nice to have the author read her own story. Heartbreaking and joyful to hear her story of family, pain, injustice and finding some peace at the end of it all.

Beautifully written and spoken story

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Katriona's story is both harrowing and heartwarming and it was special hearing her share it with such real emotion. I've never left a review here before but I felt compelled to encourage everyone, educators in particular, to listen to it. Loved it!

Amazing

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Wonderful! Brilliantly read and very thought provoking.... incredible... everyone should read it! What an achievement.

Fabulous book!

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Katriona's story has left me in awe, she's an inspiration for anyone in harrowing circumstances, and for others in our community to encourage and support young people

A story of tenacity and triumph

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What an incredible story of survival, resilience, determination and triumph. I was moved to tears several times and quite literally could not stop listening. I have been recommending the book to everyone / anyone I speak to. I was so inspired by Katriona’s story and I’m so grateful that she was able to share it with others. I can’t imagine that it won’t strike a chord with everyone who reads it.

Incredible

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I absolutely loved this book, the rawness takes hold and I cried, I cheered, I felt the disappointment, could see the power of kindness - education matters, people who educate kids can make incredible positive impact, life is complicated spend less time judging others more being compassionate and keep our kids safe.

Kindness matters

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