We Were Rich and We Didn't Know It

A Memoir of My Irish Boyhood

By: Tom Phelan

Narrated by: Gerard Doyle

In the tradition of Frank McCourt’s Angela’s Ashes and Alice Taylor’s To School Through the Fields, Tom Phelan’s We Were Rich and We Didn't Know It is a heartfelt and masterfully written memoir of growing up in Ireland in the 1940s.

Tom Phelan, who was born and raised in County Laois in the Irish Midlands, spent his formative years working with his wise and demanding father as he sought to wrest a livelihood from a farm that was often wet, muddy, and backbreaking.

It was a time before rural electrification, the telephone, and indoor plumbing; a time when the main modes of travel were bicycle and animal cart; a time when small farmers struggled to survive and turkey eggs were hatched in the kitchen cupboard; a time when the Church exerted enormous control over Ireland.

We Were Rich and We Didn't Know It recounts Tom’s upbringing in an isolated, rural community from the day he was delivered by the local midwife. With tears and laughter, it speaks to the strength of the human spirit in the face of life's adversities.

©2019 Tom Phelan (P)2019 Simon & Schuster

Warning: you'll laugh and cry

Excellent writing. Beautiful story. Lovely reading. We laughed until the last chapter and epilogue, when we cried.
Worth every penny.

Thoroughly enjoyable, quintessentially Irish

A wonderful memoir narrated perfectly. A retelling of the life of an Irish farmer's son dotted with great humor, at times uproariously hilarious, and other times deeply moving. One is able to visualize each story in vivid detail while listening to this most talented narrator, whose various voices depict each character with perfect aplomb. I only wish I could listen again for the first time.

Great book and narration

I love the narrators voice, he makes it feel like your in the book too.

Very enjoyable

Lovely story. Glimpse into a time passed and soon to be forgotten as people die off. It was a totally different world. Record stories of your grandparents.

LOVED IT !!

I've Listened to this book Over and over again !! its a Very Good !! a great story

Very cute, fun to hear.

Really neat book, loved hearing it. Not overly exciting but great stories worth hearing. Nice to know about times in the past and hear how people lived.

funny

i found myself laughing much. and brought back memories of my dad and gma. excellant funny stories.

I love this book

I thoroughly enjoyed the book and the voice performance. The farm and people came to life! Can't recommend it enough!

Wonderful

The innocence and raw truth through the memories of one’s childhood was catching. Beautifully written book and the audible version really brought the story to life with the Irish accent.

Great story

Loved this book. Thoroughly enjoyed the Irish vocabulary. Definitely reminds you of how easy we have it these days and the harder issues that people had to face back then on rural farms. Characters were well developed- moments of hilarity and sadness, truly enjoyed listening to this bit of history!