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ClareR (6129 KP) rated Something Dark in Books

Nov 12, 2017

Something Dark

Lemn Sissay | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry

10.0

(1 Ratings)

Book Rating

An unflinching look at the Social Care system in the UK

I went to see Lemn Sissay read poems from his last book 'Gold From The Stone' last year at the Chester Literature Festival, and I've been hooked ever since. His poetry is very personal, and so I was interested to see what this would be like.

This is his story of being taken in to care and the resultant damage. It's a one man show, there's no one else on stage with him, and I think this is indicative of how his life has been lived. He has always had to be self sufficient, from the day that his Foster parents (who had parented him from birth) told him at the age of 11 that 'he' didn't love them anymore (it would be more accurate to say that they didn't love him). They didn't even say goodbye to him: his brothers and sisters didn't get to say goodbye, and he was ushered into a car with his social worker and taken to a children's home.

This illustrates how children in care are 'emancipated' at 18 and expected to cope on their own. Most of them have no family or many friends, and are left to fend for themselves. Lemn was given the information to start the search for his birth mother, which is a very interesting part of the story (which I won't divulge!)

I'm actually going to see this performed by Lemn next week (14/11/17), and I'm very much looking forward to it.

Kudos

The Classical Tradition: Greek and Roman Influences on Western Literature

Gilbert Highet and Harold Bloom

(0 Ratings) Rate It

Book

Originally published in 1949, Gilbert Highet's seminal The Classical Tradition is a herculean feat...

Hamilelik ve Gebelik Takibi

Health & Fitness and Medical

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App

Pregnancy and Maternity Follow-up; day by day and week by week, the story of mother and infant...

ClareR (6129 KP) rated All My Mothers in Books

Feb 8, 2022

All My Mothers

Joanna Glen | 2021 | Contemporary, Fiction & Poetry

10.0

(1 Ratings)

Book Rating

After reading ‘The Other Half of Augusta Hope’, I was so excited to read ‘All My Mothers’. And I was not disappointed. Joanna Glen is rapidly becoming an auto-buy author for me - and this book is full of the same heart as Augusta Hope.
Eva Martinez-Green has two pivotal , life changing moments when she starts school: meeting Bridget Blume, and her teacher reading a book called ‘The Rainbow Rained Us’. Bridget becomes a lifelong friend, Bridget’s mother helps Eva to learn just what a mother can be like: loving and interested in her, unlike Eva’s own mother who has some serious mental health issues. In fact, Mrs Blume steps in to a mothering role for Eva, when Eva moves in due to her own mother having a prolonged stay in a clinic. Mrs Blume is Eva’s benchmark for being a mother for the rest of her life. For that short time she shows Eva affection, treats her like one of her own. Mrs Blume, along with her childhood book, leads Eva to realise that her mother isn’t her birth mother. And so begins the quest to find her.

Eva’s life in London helps the reader to learn about the characters, and when she starts to study in Cordoba, the real task of finding her birth mother begins.

I don’t want to give anything away, because I want you to read it!! It’s beautiful. I pretty much sobbed through the last couple of chapters, so have your tissues handy. But DO read it!!

Kudos

MoMoBookDiary (20 KP) rated Adoption Stories: Real Life Experiences in Books

Oct 1, 2018

MoMo’s Book Diary recommends Ann Morris’ “Adopting – The Real Story” as a fascinating 5 star read for anyone with an interest in adoption.

Ann Morris has updated her earlier book The Adoption Experience which was published in 1999. I found this an emotional and highly insightful book which shares a wide range of voices and experiences, good and bad, but anyone considering adoption would find this a very useful tool.

Adoption touches so many people on a daily basis, be it as birth parent, adoptee or adopter. Processes may have changed over the years but human feelings are still as raw and scary as ever - on all fronts.

I would like to thank NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book ahead of publication.