Lullabies for Little Criminals

A Novel

By: Heather O'Neill

Narrated by: Miriam McDonald, Heather O'Neill

“A beautiful book. . . . There are phrases in here that will make you laugh out loud, and others that will stop your heart. A definite triumph.” — David Rakoff, author of Love, Dishonor, Marry, Die, Cherish, Perish

From Heather O'Neill, the Giller-shortlisted author of Daydreams of Angels and The Girl Who Was Saturday Night, a heartbreaking and wholly original novel about a young girl fighting to preserve a bruised innocence on the feral streets of a big city

Baby, all of thirteen years old, is lost in the gangly, coltish moment between childhood and the strange pulls and temptations of the adult world. Her mother is dead; her father Jules is always on the lookout for his next score. Baby knows that “chocolate milk” is Jules’ slang for heroin and sees a lot more of that in her house than the real article. But she takes vivid delight in the scrappy bits of happiness and beauty that find their way to her, and moves through the threat of the streets as if she’s been choreographed in a dance.

Soon, though, a hazard emerges that is bigger than even her hard-won survival skills can handle. Alphonse, the local pimp, has his eye on her for his new girl; he wants her body and soul—and what the johns don’t take he covets for himself. At the same time, a tender and naively passionate friendship unfolds with a boy from her class at school, who has no notion of the dark claims on her—which even her father, lost on the nod, cannot totally ignore. Jules consigns her to a stint in juvie hall, and for the moment this perceived betrayal preserves Baby from terrible harm—but after that, her salvation has to be her own invention.

Channeling the artlessly affecting voice of her thirteen-year-old heroine with extraordinary accuracy and power, O’Neill’s dazzles with a novel of extraordinary prescience and power, a subtly understated yet searingly effective story of a young life on the streets—and the strength, wits, and luck necessary for survival.

Still my favourite book.

I'll read it over and over. It's devastating and beautiful and fascinating. The resilience of the human spirit is unparalleled. This book takes you on a journey most of us could never imagine. Loved it.

Great character development

Although the story is sad, it didn’t feel overly heartbreaking. Told from a child’s perspective, I appreciated the truth behind it all and the way the story was written.

Completely overwhelmed, rare mix of roughness and gentleness

Could happen in dozen places. Actually happening in dozen places right now. Heart wrenching. Well written, you are led but you are not manipulated. Kitch-free.

Baby is my new favorite character!

Lullabies for Little Criminals is a heartbreaking and beautifully written novel about Baby, a 12-year-old girl growing up in poverty with her drug-addicted, mentally ill father. Despite the instability and exploitation she faces, Baby’s voice remains full of innocence, wit, and surprising hope. I felt deep empathy for Baby and even for the flawed adults around her. O’Neill’s writing is raw, poetic, and unforgettable. This book broke my heart and still left me hopeful for Baby’s future. An unforgettable read.

unique and absorbing

I listen to books while cleaning up at work so I heard it in fragments but each time I'd quickly get sucked back into the story.