Published: 10 March 1981
Format: Paperback
Pages: 224
Read: 1 February 2014
Goodreads Description
When Helen Forrster's father went bankrupt in 1930 she and her six siblings were forced from comfortable middle-class life in southern England to utmost poverty in the Depression-ridden North.
Her parents more or less collapsed under the strain, father spending hours in search of non-existent work, or in the dole queue, mother on the verge of a breakdown and striving to find and keep part-time jobs. The running of the household, in slum surroundings and with little food, the care of the younger children, all fell on twelve-year-old Helen.
Unable to attend school, Helen's fear that she was to be trapped forever as drudge and housekeeper caused her to despair at times. But she was determined to have a chance and struggled, despite her parents, to gain an education.
Review
I'd borrowed this book (and it's sequel) from one of my colleagues at work, and I've finally managed to get down and read it.
I don't know much about Liverpool in the 1930s, but both my parents were born there, and my mother spent all her childhood in a similar situation as the characters in this book, although during the 60s rather than the 30s.
So I read this book to get a glimpse, not just of what the Depression was like back then in the 30s, but maybe to see what my mother experienced too, and I have to admit it was more than just eye-opening.
The story begins with Helen, twelve-years-old, thrust into a world of poverty, despair and potential starvation. Her parents have become bankrupt, and seeking work, her father transports his whole family (there's seven children) to the place of his birth - Liverpool.
But of course, the whole family has been used to living comfortably, going to private schooling, not having to worry over food, clothing, or even a roof over their heads. With all that taken away, Helen's parents are panicked and struggling to provide for the family.
The book is written in first person, in Helen's twelve year old eyes, and the childish despair and fears really come to light here. Helen, as the eldest, is more-or-less forced to stay at home and look after her youngest siblings, to babysit and look after the 'house' while her parents look for work, or in her mother's case, get better.
The story made me more than a little furious at this. Here was a girl actually wanting to go to school, to learn, to 'get out' of the situation her parents had put her in, and she was stuck at home instead. It was shocking, and I kept reading to see what would happen next. Would she escape her fate? There's three more books in the series, so I'm thinking yes, but the story is more than just a biography of the author. It's showing how utterly devastating the Depression was back in the 30s, and I can't help but wonder how our modern-day 'Recession' compares.
I really enjoyed this book, reading it in only a few hours. I'm definitely reading the next in the series...
I give this five out of five.
Check it out on Goodreads
