Theres no feeling sorry for herself, as she recalls the blessings. And at the centre of her world was her fearsome but loving Grannie, whose tough, independent spirit taught Molly to rise above her pitiful surroundings and achieve her dreams. Its beautifully written, comical, thoughtful and picturesquely memorable of a bygone era. Molly never let it get her down as she and the other urchins knew how to make do with nothing. Whether Molly was brushing the hair of her wizened neighbour Mrs MacKay, running to Jimmy's chip shop for a ha'penny of crimps or dancing at the annual fair, there wasn't a moment to spare for self-pity.

Despite the crippling poverty, there was a vivacity to the tenements that kept spirits high. Hunger, cold and sickness was an everyday reality and complaining was not an option. From sharing a pull-out bed in her mother's tiny kitchen to running in terror from the fever van, it was an upbringing that was cemented in hardship. Shoes Were for Sunday by Molly Weir, 1973, Pan edition, Paperback. 'Poverty is a very exacting teacher and I had been taught well' The post-war urban jungle of the Glasgow tenements was the setting for Molly Weir's childhood.

From sharing a pull-out bed in her mother's tiny kitchen to running in terror from the fever van, it was an upbringing that was cemented in hardship. Buy Shoes Were For Sunday by Molly Weir from Waterstones today Click and Collect from your local Waterstones or get FREE UK delivery on orders over £25.

Shoes were for Sunday by Molly Weir