This is an endearing and lovely book. Its author is the 9th of 11 children, who lost his mother to cancer when he was just 5. Séamus O’Reilly clearly relates his lack of understanding of death at that young age- and more importantly- lack of ability to fully process the loss without it. Furthermore, the family resides on the border of Ulster and the Commonwealth before/during demilitarization.

Though the subject matter is sad, the love and fondness his father and village have for himself and his siblings is a tender joy. There are far more laughs than tears throughout. The writing itself is stellar, and left me hoping that the author chooses to write more novels in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for access to this ARC.

This book is really tender. It is about the author's loss of his mother at a young age (amidst the Irish Troubles alongside his ten other siblings). But it's also a testament to his father, who in a culture of masculinity and alcoholism, made sure his kids felt safe and loved.

I did listen to the audiobook and enjoyed the narrator's voice. However, his pitch was really low so it made hearing difficult.

Very much enjoying this - a funny take on grief and family and growing up, a la David Sedaris, Bill Bryson, or Elizabeth McCracken..

A memoir of being one of 11 children "half-orphaned" at age 5 by his mother's death. The title comes from the story that he went around the wake cheerfully asking everyone if they knew his mammy had died. This read like a novel more than a memoir, recounting the story of his childhood, but even more than being about the loss of his mother, it is the story of his wonderfully endearing, eccentric father. This man raised 11 kids on his own and doesn't see it as an accomplishment of any kind, in addition to knowing everything there is to know about the priests of Northern Ireland and possibly having the most extensive collection of recorded-from-TV movies on VHS tape in the universe. All in all, a great book, very well written, surprisingly funny despite the book centering around the mother's death, everything I would hope for in a good memoir. I would really love to see more from this author. 5 stars

A heartfelt tribute to his mother and an incisive look at his own life during the troubles, this book is a must read. Equal parts funny and heartbreaking, this book will have you reaching for the tissues constantly.

A warm evocative story of a group of eleven siblings being raised by their father in Northern Ireland. Funny and yet heartbreaking as the family struggles to remain a healthy cohesive unit. Loved it.

This book is a delightful debut for the author as he tells the heartbreaking tale of his mothers death when he was only the age of 5. It’s an inside look into how he and his 10 siblings, yes 10!, coped or didn’t cope with her death with witty tales and heartwarming anecdotes. I enjoyed the nostalgic renderings of the times within the late 80s and 90s for the pop references but also learned a lot about the IRA and the bombings that plagued the Derry, Ireland area and how it affected so many families like the author’s. It was an easy read and one that made me laugh out loud in a few places as well. The only negative I could find was that the book was wonderfully written but the ending felt very abrupt. Overall a good and interesting read!

Did Ye Hear Mammy Died? is an undoubtedly hilarious memoir about how, when he was only five years old, O'Reilly's mother died of cancer. However paradoxical that sounds, it's true: Séamas storytelling, bright with his dry humour, manages to weave a tale of loss, political stress and adoration for his father in one tight, neat package that made me laugh at one page and cry at the next. Each chapters talks of different things: the one time his dad lifted a car to save one his kid's foot from being squished, the dynamics of living with twelve people in a house in the middle of nowhere, to his dad's fascination with Irish priests and the constant bomb threats that he took as simple routine, the same as talking about the weather.
While I was mostly charmed by the writing style and Séamas quick wit, the long sentences he strung along started to bore me, along with a habit of breaking off into long rants about something, only to come back to the original topic and end the conversation sharply, as if nothing had happened. And the ending, while emotional, was abrupt.
Overrall, I thought this was a great memoir and a brilliant debut.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.
This is such a funny, heart-warming book! I hadn't heard of this author before but the book blurb sounded interesting. I can't even imagine how his dad could lose his wife to cancer and somehow raise his 11 children on his own.
Each chapter tells of some funny and often sad, stories of his childhood and life went on after his mother died. He's a great storyteller.