In the spirited atmosphere of 1960s Glasgow, Frankie and his mates are living it up—or as they’d say, Gein It Laldy. Frankie, effortlessly attractive and brimming with swagger, considers women little more than diversions. But a spontaneous decision one night at the Locarno dance hall leads to consequences he never anticipated. Further rash choices haunt him, culminating in the arrival of Phil, a spectre from his past he can’t shake off.Tam, Frankie’s friend, grapples with the repercussions of a single, life-altering mistake that has become his daily nightmare. Despite Frankie urging him to get help, salvation comes from the most unexpected of places. But is it already too late?Gein It Laldy is a compelling exploration of the ripples caused by the choices we make, set against the backdrop of a youthful and bustling Glasgow. It delves into the intricate psychology of its characters while encapsulating the spirit of an era. Navigate the labyrinth of decisions, consequences, and unexpected twists in this gripping novel.

Anne was born and raised in Glasgow. When she married, she moved to Durban, South Africa, along with her husband and daughter, where they lived for 5 years. Her son was born there and shortly afterwards, they returned to Scotland. She also has three grandchildren.

Working mainly in office administration, Anne retired in 2018, leaving her free to write this story, which had been in her thoughts for the previous 10 years.

Customer Reviews

5.0

5 reviews

Jean luc

A highly entertaining book with an interesting story line. Details of Glasgow at that time, including the language, struck a chord and brought back a lot of happy memories. Thought it was well written as I didn’t want to put it down as keen to find out what happened next. Looking forward to the next one!
linda eddington

Enjoyed the storyline & references to venues in Glasgow during the 60s. Will transport you back in time with many memories.
Gina Quinn

Readers familiar with Glasgow in the Swinging Sixties will enjoy a Corporation bus trip down memory lane with ‘Gien it Laldy’. Anne Irvine’s debut has handsome young working class lad Frankie Turner at the epicentre. Ladies can’t resist Frankie’s dashing good looks. His friends poke fun at his joy in his own reflection. Within a short space of time Frankie becomes almost unrecognisable as another human becomes the apple of his eye. Poor choices lead to devastating consequences for some of the characters. Some manage to learn from their mistakes, others repeat the cycle. ‘Gien it Laldy’ has some dark moments and a surprisingly touching end. Readers will enjoy some Glaswegian patter from the author as the title suggests. Anne Irvine has waited until retirement to gift us this page turner, I am hopeful she has another book to share! In the meantime this book would make the perfect gift for Glaswegians, folk who enjoyed the swinging sixties or anyone who likes a good read. Well done Anne!
David Semple

‘Gien it Laldy’ tells the tale of Mr Frankie Turner, a man who could have his pick of any woman on the planet…but he only has eyes for his own gorgeous reflection in a full-length mirror. Set in Glasgow in the late 1960s, it’s a time of almost full employment, when women are on the pill (and on the pull)…and Frankie and his pals are determined to seize every opportunity (and bit of skirt) they can get their hands on. But it’s also a place where violence erupts unexpectedly, and people make extremely bad choices when they’ve had a bit too much beer or vodka. Across the course of several years, we see the dark consequences of some of these choices…and we also see Frankie gradually learning it is possible to love someone even more than he loves himself. Anne Irvine perfectly captures the sights and sounds of Glasgow in the late 60s / early 70s (and you could make a wonderful soundtrack album of the songs playing in the clubs where the action takes place). The story hurtles along at a rate of knots: it’s 272 pages long, but I rattled through it in a couple of days. Frankie is a brilliant literary creation – flawed but fascinating – he’s a Glaswegian version of Michael Caine’s ‘Alfie’, but unlike Alfie, there is someone who gets through to him and finally pulls his heartstrings (though I won’t spoil it by revealing who!). The story does take some very dark turns, but it’s also shot through with warmth and humour and it’s just wonderful to spend time with these people. I read an interview with the author in the Largs and Millport News, where she revealed that it took years to pluck up the courage to write the book as she didn’t feel educated enough. I’m awfully glad she did, as no-one could have captured this world so perfectly or evocatively. A breathless, brilliant, thrilling debut novel.
elaine quigley

I would highly recommend this book,the sense of humour that it has reflects the authours sense of humour,and what it was like growing up in the 60’s/70’s in Glasgow ,many people will relate to places and memories it was a great read and I couldn’t put it down,finished it in 2 days ,I can’t wait for Anne’s next book It does have some dark moments ,but had a very touching end I bought this book last year ,when it came out and just got around to doing a review Well done Anne