Minerva's Stepchild

by Helen Forrester

Relates a teenage girl's struggle to survive while helping her once wealthy family recover from the depression that has made their life in Liverpool almost unbearable.

Genres: Classics

300 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1979

About the author

Helen Forrester (real name June Bhatia) (born 1919, Hoylake, Cheshire (now in Merseyside)) is an English-born author famous for her books about her early childhood in Liverpool during the Great Depression as well as several works of fiction.

In 1953 Forrester moved to Edmonton, Canada.

Reviews

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second of three books Helen Forrester wrote about her childhood during the Great Depression (in England). Helen was the oldest of seven children (I believe she is 12 at the beginning of this book; she is younger in "Twopence to Cross the Mersey, the first book - which is just as good), and it seems she often suffers more than her parents while trying to take care of her younger siblings. I like Helen's writing style: the horrors and atrocities she endures (honestly, a bad situation made worse by a thieving mother who Helen believes cannot forgive her for being born) aren't all that make up the story; Helen really does try to make the best despite her hunger, illness, and her desperate, aching desire to better herself with an education (can't imagine having to fight - and be denied - to go to school!). So although her story is mind-numbingly sad, Helen never really seems to be without hope and spunk. Even on the rare times one of her siblings or her father may do something very small to help her or defend her, Helen notices and relays it as a valuable part of her story. Makes one reflect on how wonderful it is to have a blanket, soap, and (hopefully) enough to eat. Also, the details about her job, the scarcity of work for many around her, too (and the differences between work - and education - for girls versus that for boys, and the ages of children with jobs and why jobs are lost at a certain age), and about the small kindnesses of those working to help the poor, are really very interesting. The answer/s to how people manage to survive such a time are not always easy ones.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely book, I look forward to reading the next one by Helen Forrester.

[Rita Mahan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a huge fan of Helen Forrester, came upon one of her books at a yard sale and have been searching for others. They are not easy to come upon in the states. This is a horrifying tale of growing up with totally irresponsible parents who are more interested in buying cigarettes than making sure their malnourished children are fed. These are not ignorant people, just another case of folks who should never have had children but had seven. They were once quite affluent until circumstances brought them down and used to nannies, servants, never having to lift a finger for themselves so just could not deal with poverty. I have no sympathy for the parents and wish those poor children had been taken away from them.