A glorious, grotty version of Call the Midwife set in the backstreets of nineteenth-century New York and starring a rambunctious heroine called Axie Muldoon, My Notorious Life is an angry, colourful page-turner * Metro *
Not just a splendidly page-turning story of an angry orphan clawing her way up in the world, but a gripping docu-drama about women's business (in several senses) in nineteenth-century America ... Unflinchingly memorable * Emma Donoghue, author of Room *
Manning's sophisticated, intelligent novel is brought to life by the vivid voice in which her central character tells her own story * Sunday Times *
Both riveting and morally intriguing * Stylist *
A gripping tale told in a fiery, compelling voice * Elle Magazine *
This captivating novel draws you into one woman's desperate struggle to make her mark in a man's world * Psychologies *
An evocative, riveting read * Good Housekeeping *
My Notorious Life is wonderful fun. The wit and verve of its unsinkable heroine make this novel a delight to read, even in its most harrowing passages. Beyond that, it's a book that matters-now more than ever. Faithfully true to the time of its setting, it is also extremely relevant to ours * Madison Smartt Bell, author of All Souls' Rising *
The lively, compelling, irreverent voice of Axie springs off the page and keeps the book readable to the end * The List *
Evocative ... An epic tale, much like Barbara Taylor Bradford tome, where fortune truly favours the brave girl. A remarkable page turner * Yorkshire Post *
