Murphysongs

Murphysongs: A Memoir of My Mother is a collection of poems by Steve Cranfield, exploring the life of his late mother, Mary (May) Ann Cranfield (nee Murphy). Born into a large family on the lake islands of Fermanagh, Ireland, and later moving to London during the turbulent years of World War II, May's story is one of resilience, transformation, and adaptation. The collection captures both the personal and the universal - the struggles and triumphs of a working-class woman navigating new worlds, from rural Ireland to the industrial heart of postwar London. The poems offer glimpses into family history, migration, and the bonds that tie generations together, weaving the threads of personal memory with the broader social and historical currents of the time. Through the eyes of her son, we see the quiet strength and enduring legacy of a woman whose hands shaped the survival of her family. Murphysongs is not just a tribute to one life, but a reflection on the rich, often unspoken, experiences of working-class families, steeped in both loss and gain, courage and hardship.

This beautifully crafted memoir speaks to anyone who values the resilience of women, the power of family, and the complexities of heritage in the face of modernity.