Big Girl, Small Town

Majella O’Neill is happiest out of the spotlight, away from her neighbors’ stares and the gossips of the small town in Northern Ireland where she grew up just after the Troubles. She lives a quiet life caring for her alcoholic mother, working in the local chip shop, watching the regular customers come and go. She wears the same clothes each day (overalls, too small), has the same dinner each night (fish and chips, microwaved at home after her shift ends), and binge-watches old DVDs of the same show (Dallas, best show on TV) from the comfort of her bed.

But underneath Majella’s seemingly ordinary life are the facts that she doesn’t know where her father is and that every person in her town has been changed by the lingering divide between Protestants and Catholics. When Majella’s predictable existence is upended by the death of her granny, she comes to realize there may be more to life than the gossips of Aghybogey, the pub, and the chip shop. In fact, there just may be a whole big world outside her small town.

Told in a highly original voice, with a captivating heroine readers will love and root for, Big Girl, Small Town will appeal to fans of Sally Rooney, Ottessa Moshfegh, and accessible literary fiction with an edge. Don’t miss this unforgettable debut from the author of the hot new novel Factory Girls.

Book club questions for Big Girl, Small Town by Michelle Gallen

Use these discussion questions to guide your next book club meeting.

Did you identify with any of the items on Majella’s lists? Why is her list of things she hates much longer than the list of things she loves?

Majella lives a very frugal, circumscribed life. How do you think money could change things for her?

Majella could be described as “low maintenance.” Despite her relaxed approach to beauty, fashion, and hygiene, she has a healthy sex life. What do you think are the factors at play here?

Majella repeatedly watches a boxed set of the ’80s soap opera Dallas, and fondly remembers watching the series as a child with her father. Why do you think Majella is obsessed with Dallas? If you could introduce Majella to a new TV series, what would you recommend for her?

Majella is a “big girl.” She likes how she looks; she likes being strong. In some ways, her size makes her invisible to certain people. What are the advantages of being a big girl in a small town? What are the disadvantages?

Majella spends most of her waking hours with Marty, her married co-worker. She has had sex with him on the premises of A Salt & Battered for almost a decade, yet never sees him socially. Majella seems to view Marty as just a colleague. How do you think Marty feels about Majella?

How do you think Majella’s undiagnosed autism affects her life and her interactions with other people? Do you think a diagnosis of autism and professional support might benefit her? How might her relationship with her mother change with a diagnosis?

Imagine you live in Aghybogey and have befriended Majella. What advice would you give her on changing her life for the better? Do you think Majella would be open to your advice?

“The Disappeared” is a term that describes people who are believed to have been abducted, murdered, and secretly buried in Ireland, mostly during the Troubles. Majella’s father is described as having “disappeared.” What do you think happened to him? What do you think the impact of his disappearance has been on his family?

How do you think Brexit would affect the characters in this novel? What about the reintroduction of a “hard” border, with checkpoints, watchtowers, and the forced closure of local roads?

The Catholic church plays a prominent role in the novel. It’s unclear if Majella believes in God or not. Do you think the Catholic church helps the novel’s characters, or hinders them?

Aghybogey is a town starkly divided between Catholics and Protestants—schools, churches, housing developments, and even shops are segregated. Majella notes that she has never tasted a “Protestant chip.” Such deep segregation has come about by official policy and local will. What do you think is the impact of such divisions? Do they reduce the risk of violence or entrench opinions? Do you think divisions should be addressed? How would you change things for the better?

Who do you think assaulted Majella’s grandmother? What do you think was the motive for the assault?

If you could hear the story from the perspective of another character, whom would you choose?

Big Girl, Small Town Book Club Questions PDF

Click here for a printable PDF of the Big Girl, Small Town discussion questions

Praise and reviews

“[A] sensational debut . . . Gallen’s effortless immersion into a gritty, endlessly bittersweet world packs a dizzying punch.”
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“An irreverent portrait of small-town Northern Ireland . . . Uproariously funny.”
—Kirkus Reviews

"I loved Majella from the first page. Our relatable heroine jumps off the page like an old friend. Utterly brilliant and deliciously hilarious! With humor, wit and beauty, Gallen subtly unveils a violence and conflict that lies beneath, exploring the legacy of the Troubles and the deeply felt effects through generations."
—Christy Lefteri, author of The Beekeeper of Aleppo

"Fans of Milkman rejoice! Through its keen, immersive focus on the seemingly mundane routines of a Northern Irish town just after the Troubles, Big Girl, Small Town illuminates an enigmatic, violent social ecosystem. When have I read a tougher, more tender protagonist for the ages than Majella? She is an apt, heartbreaking guide through this fierce, raw, unignorable debut."
—Marie-Helene Bertino, author of Parakeet

"Big Girl, Small Town is a darkly funny, big-hearted novel about feeling ordinary in a tumultuous world. Set in Northern Ireland just after the Troubles, this novel is wildly charming, relatable, and downright addicting. Despite a life full of political and personal ruin, heroine Majella O’Neill is an extraordinary force of light fighting to figure it all out. Perfectly delightful and incredibly moving, you won't be able to put this book down."
—Crissy Van Meter, author of Creatures

“A darkly hilarious novel about small-town life . . . Wildly entertaining.”
—The Guardian

“Sinead Moriarty's endorsement 'Milkman meets Derry Girls' is as accurate as you'll get. But Big Girl, Small Town is even funnier than Derry Girls, while being just as fraught as Anna Burns's Booker Prize winner.”
—The Irish Independent

“A confident debut with a very memorable protagonist.”
—The Irish Times

“Engrossing.”
—Image magazine (One of 8 “Must Reads” of 2020)

“Bawdy yet beautiful . . . I grew extraordinarily attached to Majella.”
—Sara Baume, author of A Line Made by Walking

“A thrillingly fresh, provocative and touching voice.”
—Marian Keyes, bestselling author of Grown Ups

“It's the humour, dry and gritty, that sets Big Girl, Small Town apart . . . to think that this is Michelle Gallen's debut is astonishing, as Majella's narration is bold and assured . . . evocative, caustic and compelling.”
—Sunday Business Post

“A winning evocation of a small Irish community whose people burst from its pages. Engaging and satisfying.”
—Daily Mail

“Superb.”
—Irish Examiner

“Darkly funny.”
—Mail on Sunday

“Gallen's debut deserves comparisons with Anna Burns' Milkman for its depiction of the impact of the Troubles on a vulnerable young woman, but this terrifically imagined tender black comedy is very much its own book."
—Metro

“Charming . . . there is an easy warmth to Big Girl, Small Town.”
—Sunday Times

“Milkman meets Derry Girls. A cracking read.”
—Sinead Moriarty, bestselling author of Seven Letters

This Hear Our Voices feature and dicussion guide are shared and sponsored in partnership with Algonquin.