Thread: Book

petal

I've just finished reading a fascinating book. It's called Kate's Story by Billy Hopkins and tells the true story (as related by Kate) of her life from the turn of the century to around 1928. It covers her days as a child in a poor area of Manchester, the workhouse, time at an Industrial School, factory work, WW1 and the poverty afterwards. Not only was it a good story (one of those books you can't put down) but it was full of information on how life was lived all those years ago,
It's well worth a read. I got it from a charity shop (where else?......lol)
publisher Headline Publishing.

mollie

Sounds fascinating Mary. Will have a look for that......love those kind of books

My cousin told me about a book a few months ago Called Voices In The Street by Maureen Reynolds. This one is similar to your book as it tells the story of a young girl growing up in Dundee. Maureen Reynolds was born in 1938 so lived through the war and the shortages it brought. Not to mention the poverty that was already rife in Dundee at that time. The smokey Jute mill chimneys the trams and wash houses etc. Was a really good book. It was only published in June this year so when i was in Dundee in May I ordered a copy from Waterstones. Read it in 2 nights......but really of special interest to me as I was born and bred in Bonnie Dundee.

Anyone else read any interesting books lately

lozzie

Yes I have lol

The best one was by Dave Peltzer...A Child called It, Lost Boy. and a MAn called Dave....its a really poignant story...but not for the feinthearted.... David was abused by his mother....and NOOO mother, I think, could relate to why she did wot she did...but he rose above it all and after serving many years in the US forces..he is now a worldwide success with the books he has wrote....

The others on similar lines are: Handstands in the Dark by Janey Godley; Behind Closed Doors by Jenny Tomlin and the other was about The Magdalena Laundries...cant remember who it by (lol cos i lent the book out!) but it was also good. All were shocking at the way children been treat...but at the same time...brilliant!


Loz

mollie

Yeah I read that series of books as well by Dave Peltzer which reminded me of another book I read some time ago.
The book was called From Cradle to Grave.? (correct me if i'm wrong cos not exactly sure) I can't remember the name of the author but it was a true story about a mother who had a lot of children and they kept dying. Apparent cot deaths but she adopted 1 or 2 children and they suffered the same fate. It was quite a harrowing read. Seems she suffered from Munchausen by Proxy syndrome. Same as Beverley Allitt. If you haven't read it I recommend it

petal

Read all the David Pelzer books...............painful story but interesting to see how he coped and got through it, particularly in view of what I do. Also good ones along that line are 'The Kid' and 'Moving on' by Kevin Lewis.
Have now got the two follow ups to 'Kates Story' (found them at a boot fair this morning). Looking forward to reading them.
There's also a book around -think it's called 'Empty cradles' written by a social worker from Nottingham and all about the children that were shipped off to Canada.

petal

If anyone had read a book they;ve found interesting for their family history research (fiction or reference) please put it on this thread for others to see.
(see Recommended Reading thread)

mattygirl

I read A child called it, Lost boy and A man called Dave by Dave Pellzer a few years ago and found them at first quite disturbing that any one could be treated like that and then at the end come throught it all. Three books that I will not forget.

Mattygirl

gillian

A non-fiction book - not sure if it is in print 'Round about a Pound a Week' by Maud Pember Reeves. It reports on a piece of research into the conditions of a group of families in Lambeth at the turn of the last century - it has detailed budgets etc and gives a very clear picture of how 'respectable poor' families lived. It made me vow never to complain about anything ever again!
Gillian

petal

It can still be bought Gillian on Amazon along with a couple of others that look good reading. (Can be bought new or used)

'The Classic Slum: Salford Likfe in the first quarter of the century' and
' A Ragged Schooling - growing up in the classic slum'
Both by Robert Roberts.

(Starting to make my Christmas Wish list here..............lol)

petal

You can get "Fever: A Story from a Devon Churchyard" from www.lizshakespeare.co.uk

Looks like a good book on the life of Devonshire people.
(Originally posted by Thistle)