Borstal Girl

by Eileen MacKenney

Born into a fog-ridden south London slum in 1931, Eileen Killick quickly learned to look after herself. Her brothers were wayward, her mum had TB and her dad was working all hours on the railways. By the time she was fourteen she had survived the Blitz, a spell in a care home and her mother's death, but she craved excitement, embarking on shoplifting sprees, liberating fur coats and rolling toffs up west with notorious 'queen of thieves' Shirley Pitts. Eileen soon found herself in borstal, put to work building roads like a navvy. Known as 'Kill', she had a reputation as one of the hardest woman behind bars. Then, in the 1950s she met and married career criminal Harry 'Big H' MacKenney, and she was soon fraternising with the toughest, most colourful characters in the London underworld. She went on to have four children, whom she loved and protected, but life was extremely tough and Eileen fell back into her old ways, thieving and fighting to make ends meet. The 1970s brought police corruption and brutality to Eileen's doorstep. When Harry was banged up, Eileen carried on the 'family business' alone and found herself on the wrong side of the law - again. Yet throughout a catalogue of trouble this defiant London bad girl of the old school always kept her defiant sense of humour. Borstal Girlis a true story of shocking violence and survival that pulls no punches, but it is also a secret criminal history of a London long past. There is no other female memoir like it.

Genres: Nonfiction

229 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 1, 2011

About the author

Born into a fog-ridden south London slum in 1931, Eileen Killick quickly learned to look after herself. Her brothers were wayward, her mum had TB and her dad was working all hours on the railways. By the time she was fourteen she had survived the Blitz, a spell in a care home and her mother's death, but she craved excitement, embarking on shoplifting sprees, liberating fur coats and rolling toffs up west with notorious 'queen of thieves' Shirley Pitts. Eileen soon found herself in borstal, put to work building roads like a navvy. Known as 'Kill', she had a reputation as one of the hardest woman behind bars. Then, in the 1950s she met and married career criminal Harry 'Big H' MacKenney, and she was soon fraternising with the toughest, most colourful characters in the London underworld. She went on to have four children, whom she loved and protected, but life was extremely tough and Eileen fell back into her old ways, thieving and fighting to make ends meet. The 1970s brought police corruption and brutality to Eileen's doorstep. When Harry was banged up, Eileen carried on the 'family business' alone and found herself on the wrong side of the law - again. Yet throughout a catalogue of trouble this defiant London bad girl of the old school always kept her defiant sense of humour. Borstal Girl is a true story of shocking violence and survival that pulls no punches, but it is also a secret criminal history of a London long past. There is no other female memoir like it.

Reviews

[Julie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Definitely not for me! 😲
I thought it would be gritty with nothing being held back, but not too keen on every other word being an expletive.

[Gloria · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a true story of my aunt and our family her brother Tommy was my dad what Eileen has written in this book is as true as you will get it as if talking to her face to face. My father told me a lot about our family in London, just as Eileen has described it in her book.
This book is a brilliant read, to be honest I have never been a very big reader but I can certainly say I am now and I just cannot wait until either another book is printed or maybe a film, or even short stories as I know there has been so much more which has happened in Eileen,s life that she can write about.
All I can say is WELL DONE EILEEN please don,t let us readers out here have to wait to long for more stories you have to tell as you have lead such an interesting life, its been very hard at times and very emotional.
I will recommend this book to readers out there and I will give it ***** stars.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really interesting to read the side of a London gangsters wife and what a life she has had. Quite a lot of swearing to get used to! But really very good.

[Clare Smith · Rating 1 out of 5]

Just couldn't force myself past page 120. I flicked to the last pages to see if it improved and was astounded that the writer who must have been near eighty by then was still a angry, self involved brat. What a shame to live so long and learn so little. Initially I found the accounts of London in the war interesting and developed sympathy for the writer but as the account moved on to the fifties it became boring and repetitive. I would liken it to being stuck in the corner of a room at a party with the idiot who lurches from one anecdote to the next chronicling their own life with a healthy dose of bravado. The language in itself didn't bother me as I believe the author truely speaks this way, what is tiresome is that she thinks it makes for good prose. I'm a great one for profanity myself but once again how many times do you need to read of a person being described as a "fucking cunt" before deciding this book is boring? From the blurb I was expecting a possibly harsh and disturbing personal account and hoping to get an insight to this writers very different and difficult life. All I got was a memoir from an immature and self-aggrandising braggart.

[Shelley MacKenney · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG OMG..........I have just finished reading Borstal Girl by Eileen Mackenney, and let me tell
you i just couldnt put it down, it was full or atmospher and detail and the
story of eileens life is so riveting that i just couldnt put it down.......i
mean literally I finished it in about 2 days! It is funny, sad, exciting and
surprisingly emotional considering it is a story about a cockney bad girl who
after losing her mother when she is a child goes off the rails and ends up in
borstal. Not for the faint hearted and not always polite..........but brutally
honest.
Her charachter screams off every page, full of personality - and even though she
makes many mistake you cant help but love her.
I dare anyone to read it and not enjoy every single word!

I absolutley loved it.

[Sam Wildng · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book in 4 hours! only moved to turn the light on when it got too dark to read.

Reading this book is like having the Author sat in your room telling you her tales of life, love, brutality and injustice.
Eileen and family although no Angels are so likeable, you feel like you know these people personally.. or you want to..
Its very honest, heartbreaking and at times very funny.
This lady lets you in and certainly does not hide anything or paint a pretty picture and that's what makes it refreshing and very readable.

So many pages make you mad as hell while others make you laugh and smile. Absolutely worth a read, whatever genre of book you like you can't fail to be drawn into this mad, mad world!
I loved it!

[Richard · Rating 1 out of 5]

Whopper.

Another delusional story from a wannabe, who is convinced the whole world is against her, can't or won't do proper work to earn a living and who decided she will "take" whatever wants rather than earn it.
Convinced everyone else is wrong, resorts to violence to sort out her problems.
Like all the other crooks in society, she believes in the so called "criminal code" to look after your own and stuff the rest, that it is ok to steal as long as it's from shops, institutions rtf in the mistaken belief it does not affect people.

[Kazimiera pendrey · Rating 1 out of 5]

this book was just awful and the language just vile

[Kerri · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book is absolutely amazing. Her life story is mind blowing, how somebody could go through so much and her outlook on life is incredible. The fact that she's now nearly 80 and she'll still get up and have a fight with someone if they do something to her family. Amazing.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

A really captivating read. I could feel the frustration at the end of the book with all the court cases. Some bits seem un-believable and the only negative i have on this is there was WAY to much swearing.

[Amanda Reynolds · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing life story of hard knocks and corruption, a great read.

[Yasmin Green · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing

This book is not for someone who doesn't like the F word! But believe me you won't be disappointed in this. It's a a truly amazing story. You couldn't make up Eileen's life if you tried. A woman with so much spirit. For all her faults. The police system let her down. She gave her all for the people she loved. What an pure act of love and survival. One of the best books I have read for a long time!!!!!!!!

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book after reading her Grandaughter, 'Shelley's' book. I love the way both stories actually tie in! Eileen's life was hard, growing up in war and having to find means to survive through the decades. I love her words as an 80 year old, giving opinion on today's society, and she has it spot on! A brilliant read! She would be 95 now as I read this...

[Donna Souster · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tough as old boots

Not the worst book that I've read but it definitely comes close. It's a story of a woman's life and her struggles with her family, the police and the court system.

[Sylvia Fawcett · Rating 5 out of 5]

A woman after my own heart

I couldn't put this book down. She told the story brilliantly and I believe every word she said. Good on her for being real bad language and all. The story wouldn't have been the same without it. Peace and happiness got this wonderful wife and mother.

[Marc Clegg · Rating 5 out of 5]

wow what a book!! loved every page i read. eilleens brilliant what a life she has had.

[maria a dagless · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good read

I found it to be a bit long drawn out . The story on the other hand was really interesting

[Jean Clare · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good read

Good story keeps you interested all the way through .
Can relate to this as it was in my era

[Gillian Ketchemi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read

Good read , what a life for one woman to go through. I admire her for doing what she had to for her kids

[Joan Waller · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was absolutely brilliant well done eileen

You said it as it was you didn't cut corners it was fantastic reading like I said well done eileen

[David Perrett · Rating 2 out of 5]

There was no depth to the book. It was just a hard person telling a hard story. No inner emotion or any insight into another side to their character. The bad language was also unnecessarily excessive .

[susan stanley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read

Hi read this book after I read about her Grandaughter Shelly really good read she’s a fighter .Very interesting read

[Linda Hobson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was a ok read

[Justin Bedford · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found Eileen's life story quite compelling. The whole book is written as if she's sitting there talking to you and she certainly doesn't mince her words. If you're familiar with the Catherine Tate character 'Nan', you'll have some idea of how Eileen comes across. It would also help if you're familiar with the London Cockney accent because she uses a lot of terms and rhyming slang which might otherwise cause confusion. I thoroughly enjoyed this book although the title is slightly misleading as borstal is only mentioned quite briefly.

[Michal H · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book and read it in only two days! The author had a very hard and tough life and you can tell she is the type of person who is like what you see is what you get, excellent book and really has ups and downs how she sorted herself out and the down of her ex-husband going down for over twenty years when he was innocent and her whole family getting targeted by the police! Brilliant altogether, you will find yourself laughing in many parts of reading it.

[Vin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think a better ghostwriter would have been a good investment. This one is just technically competent at the English language. I really would have liked to read this story told from someone who had the artistry to tell it well. Still, it was an interesting story to read.

Don't read it if you're offended by petty criminal behavior because, spoiler alert, she breaks the law. A lot. But if you can get past that, it's an interesting life, fully lived.

[Sharleen Cochrane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I luved this book reminded me so of when I grow up tho it was in the early 70s I grow up in glasgows tough east end seen a lot that would make most ppls hair stand on end like eileen that was the way it was bk then I luved her honesty n her patter she told it like it is best book I've read in long time than you eileen :-)

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was an excellent read and once started hard to put down, hope they turn into a film - Shirley from Eastenders would pay her well.

[Kelly Walsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely brilliant book. What a life this woman has led. Gutted iv come to the end. One woman id love to meet

[Steph Butterfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. The author was very honest about her life and it makes a gripping read. However if you don't like swearing this is not the book for you.