7 Miles Out

by Carol Morley

In 1977, Carol Morley (fictionalized as "Ann") was 11 years old and living in Stockport when her dad drove her to school one morning, then drove home and killed himself. Trapped in a house with her emotionally distant mother, Ann starts drinking at 12, drops out of school at 16, and spends her teens trying to explore her emerging sexuality as well as coming to terms with her father's death. In a Manchester of the hedonistic 1980s, Ann finds the perfect playground for her self-destruction and promiscuity, hiding behind heavy drinking and drugs, ambitionless and empty, trying to come to terms with why her father wanted to end his life. Told mainly from Ann's (Carol's) perspective, this story reveals the often devastating consequences of family secrets, the lies we tell each other and ourselves, and a young woman's struggle to find a place she belongs, finally finding a place at Central St Martins in London to study fine art and film and achieving international acclaim. Though names and some events have been changed, this is Carol's compelling and inspirational true story. Fabulous writing combining depth and poignancy with wide appeal.

Genres: Nonfiction

256 pages, Paperback

First published September 10, 2015

Reviews

[Simone Frost · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ann is 11 when her father commits suicide and the story follows her over the next 7 years of her life.

I think Ann is a fictionalised version of the author so I imagine the story is very similar to her own life.

What happened to Ann’s dad and how it affects his widow and the rest of the family is very sad.
Unfortunately, I found it so difficult to get into this book. It was really bleak, dreary and slow.

I wasn’t really interested in Ann’s character and there were so many new friends that came and went with none of the characters being very well developed.

This book wasn’t for me at all.

[Raz · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading so many dud books lately, it feels good to come across one that I couldn't put down!

When Ann's dad kills himself, he leaves his family behind to pick up the pieces in 1970s England. It sounds like this should be a maudlin book but it's actually not at all; it is a really human story about a young girl coming of age where the tragedy of her father's suicide defines so much about her life. I found Ann's story relatable and as a protagonist she herself is very likeable as well. She's got just the right amount of teenage narcissism to come across as realistic without being annoying.

One thing I loved in this book is that it's also peppered with little entries from her mum's perspective, it really gives you a sense of how hard she's struggling to be there for her family herself.

Excellent read all round!

[Mancman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’d read Nothing by Paul Morley, which was this story from a different angle. So when I came across this I thought it would be interesting to compare.
I related more to the Paul Morley story, probably because I’m a man, but this tale was also fascinating.
Uncomfortable reading at times, but that only adds to the vitality of the writing.

[Jennifer Antulov · Rating 1 out of 5]

I tried to enjoy this bleak tale but found it to be unrelenting and emotionally exhausting. It is told from the point of view of a teenager who is attempting to find what father is like after her own father dies. Her emotionally absent mother can't cope and her experiences are often unpleasant and/or demeaning.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn’t put this book down. The voice and the way the voice matures is so very clever. A sensitive look at a difficult subject. Beautiful.

[Uswa Khan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to marry this book

[Laura]

Did not enjoy this.

[Jeanine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a fast read, but interest enough to keep going. It kind of grew on me as I read.

[Maddy Costello · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sad and hopeful. Loved that the author was able to create a character based on her life experiences

[Hajerah Umar · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF.
Will not bother to give a rating anyways, it's below 0 too.

[Donna Bradshaw]

Enjoyed this book, but maybe the personal connection to the time and place made this so.