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Diamonds at the Lost and Found: A Voyage Around My Mother
For readers of Hideous Kinky, Dadland and Bad Blood; the astonishing, beguiling story of Sarah Aspinall's harum scarum childhood, and a love letter to a woman who defied convention to live a life less ordinary.
My Mother attracted unusual people and events to her, and she made things happen....
Sarah Aspinall grew up in the glittering wake of her irrepressible mother Audrey. Born into poverty in 1930s Liverpool, Audrey had always known that she was destined for better things and was determined to shape that destiny for herself. From the fading seaside glamour of Southport, to New York and Hollywood, to post-war London and the stately homes of the English aristocracy, Audrey stylishly kicked down every door that opened to her, on a ceaseless quest for excitement - and for love.
Once Sarah was born, she became Audrey's companion on her adventures, travelling the world, scraping together an education for herself from the books found in hotels or given to her by strangers, and living on Audrey's charm as they veered from luxury to poverty - an accessory to her mother's desperate search for 'the one'.
As Sarah grew older, she realised that theirs was a life hung about with mysteries. Why, for instance, had they spent ages living in a godforsaken motel in the Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina? Who was the charming Sabet Sabescue, and what was his hold over Audrey during several months in Cairo? And what on earth happened to the heirlooms that an ancient heiress, Miss Gillette, gave Sarah when they visited her in Palm Springs?
And why, when they returned to Southport was Audrey ostracised by the society she so longed to be part of?
Diamonds at the Lost and Found is the story of how Sarah eventually pulled free of her mother's gravitational pull to carve out a destiny of her own. It's a memoir about defying convention, and a love letter to an England that has all but disappeared.
My Mother attracted unusual people and events to her, and she made things happen....
Sarah Aspinall grew up in the glittering wake of her irrepressible mother Audrey. Born into poverty in 1930s Liverpool, Audrey had always known that she was destined for better things and was determined to shape that destiny for herself. From the fading seaside glamour of Southport, to New York and Hollywood, to post-war London and the stately homes of the English aristocracy, Audrey stylishly kicked down every door that opened to her, on a ceaseless quest for excitement - and for love.
Once Sarah was born, she became Audrey's companion on her adventures, travelling the world, scraping together an education for herself from the books found in hotels or given to her by strangers, and living on Audrey's charm as they veered from luxury to poverty - an accessory to her mother's desperate search for 'the one'.
As Sarah grew older, she realised that theirs was a life hung about with mysteries. Why, for instance, had they spent ages living in a godforsaken motel in the Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina? Who was the charming Sabet Sabescue, and what was his hold over Audrey during several months in Cairo? And what on earth happened to the heirlooms that an ancient heiress, Miss Gillette, gave Sarah when they visited her in Palm Springs?
And why, when they returned to Southport was Audrey ostracised by the society she so longed to be part of?
Diamonds at the Lost and Found is the story of how Sarah eventually pulled free of her mother's gravitational pull to carve out a destiny of her own. It's a memoir about defying convention, and a love letter to an England that has all but disappeared.
320 pages, Hardcover
Published August 6, 2020
15 people are currently reading
135 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
July 17, 2020
This is a fascinating memoir of Sally and her mother, the irrepressible, irresponsible, incorrigible, Audrey. Sally is eight, when we meet her, sitting with her mother in a Hong Kong hotel. The scene which follows is, literally, so shocking that, for a moment, I was unsure what I had read. The most shocking part is that, for Sally, her mother’s behaviour has been normalised.
This biography follows the lives of Sally, and Audrey, from their beginnings in Southport, to the life that unfolded, as the normality of family life is replaced by an endless quest for love and a continuous road trip. From American to Australia and many other places in-between, Sally finds herself following Audrey around the world. Sometimes, there is glitz and glamour, but, at other times, there is panic and, always, instability. Now, as an adult, she tries to unravel the meaning behind this life and her conflicting feelings towards her mother. Audrey comes across as, at her best, bewitching and amusing, but also, as Aspinall admits, selfish and demanding.
Reading this, you do feel that the author has emerged as a strong, capable woman. However, there are definitely feelings of anger there; particularly about her interrupted and sporadic education, at points. You sense that she was often confused by this unconventional, nomadic existence and yearned for structure and the boredom of daily routines, that we often do not appreciate until they are gone. This would be a good choice for reading groups, as there is so much to discuss. I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.
This biography follows the lives of Sally, and Audrey, from their beginnings in Southport, to the life that unfolded, as the normality of family life is replaced by an endless quest for love and a continuous road trip. From American to Australia and many other places in-between, Sally finds herself following Audrey around the world. Sometimes, there is glitz and glamour, but, at other times, there is panic and, always, instability. Now, as an adult, she tries to unravel the meaning behind this life and her conflicting feelings towards her mother. Audrey comes across as, at her best, bewitching and amusing, but also, as Aspinall admits, selfish and demanding.
Reading this, you do feel that the author has emerged as a strong, capable woman. However, there are definitely feelings of anger there; particularly about her interrupted and sporadic education, at points. You sense that she was often confused by this unconventional, nomadic existence and yearned for structure and the boredom of daily routines, that we often do not appreciate until they are gone. This would be a good choice for reading groups, as there is so much to discuss. I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.
June 8, 2021
Piecing together the past and making peace with it.. a beguiling memoir of life alongside a chancer.
Sarah Aspinall’s beguiling memoir tells the story of a chaotic childhood spent alongside her enterprising and glamorous mother, Audrey, and from the retrospect of adulthood reflects on the lessons she learnt along the way. Born into a family of modest means in the fading seaside town of Southport in 1957 might appear to have been a relatively inauspicious start for Sally (now known as Sarah), but that would be without reckoning on the presence of her mercurial mother. A force to be reckoned with and most definitely a woman ahead of her times, Audrey Miller’s daughter became her partner in crime and closest companion. Swept up in her mother’s search for love and excitement, and often a knowing accomplice, the pair travelled across continents, sometimes in the height of luxury and at other times on a wing and a prayer, all whilst waiting for another prospect to appear. Sally cobbled together an education of sorts from the eclectic collection of books that she gathered on their travels before returning to their Southport home where Audrey, a local celebrity with her finger in a number of dubious pies, continued to challenge conventions.
The book moves between Sally’s story of life with her mother and Audrey’s impoverished roots as a resourceful Bootle girl who knew she was destined for better things, to provide a cohesive picture of the two generations. But for all Sally witnesses as life continues apace once back in Southport there is a glaring gap in her knowledge, namely how her mother and deceased father met, and the defining events that changed Audrey’s future and the melancholy that even years later is never far from the surface. Aspinall does a superb job of capturing Audrey through the eyes of a child and conveying the bewilderment that she so often felt at her mother’s lifestyle and overriding mission. A gifted storyteller in her own right, the book is also Sally’s story of piecing together her restless mother’s past and discovering those questions Audrey evaded for so long. In highlighting the subtle detective work that through necessity became ingrained in Sally from an early age, Aspinall manages to recreate this sense of mystery and harnesses it to keep the reader curious and involved. Indeed much of my enthusiasm came from finally understanding the course that Audrey’s life has taken, all factoring into my understanding of her.
In many ways old before her time and often far more astute at spotting another failed mission looming on the horizon than her mother, Sally craves a settled family life and normal childhood. Yet when this conventional and stable family comes to pass, with Audrey ultimately finding her own contentment, it is an exasperated Sally who pays the price for her lack of education and structure and rebels. Aspinall makes clear in the afterword that her story is not one of damage and although she is extraordinarily clear-eyed about her mother’s lifestyle and her unorthodox upbringing she is never judgemental and unswervingly compassionate. Audrey is portrayed as the dazzling, vivacious presence she was known to be and it is her daughter’s unflinching honesty combined with her storytelling prowess that makes this book such an entertaining read. As much as the book is about depicting an offbeat mother/daughter relationship it is also the story of Sally making peace with her past and emerging a stronger, smarter woman for it.
Sarah Aspinall’s beguiling memoir tells the story of a chaotic childhood spent alongside her enterprising and glamorous mother, Audrey, and from the retrospect of adulthood reflects on the lessons she learnt along the way. Born into a family of modest means in the fading seaside town of Southport in 1957 might appear to have been a relatively inauspicious start for Sally (now known as Sarah), but that would be without reckoning on the presence of her mercurial mother. A force to be reckoned with and most definitely a woman ahead of her times, Audrey Miller’s daughter became her partner in crime and closest companion. Swept up in her mother’s search for love and excitement, and often a knowing accomplice, the pair travelled across continents, sometimes in the height of luxury and at other times on a wing and a prayer, all whilst waiting for another prospect to appear. Sally cobbled together an education of sorts from the eclectic collection of books that she gathered on their travels before returning to their Southport home where Audrey, a local celebrity with her finger in a number of dubious pies, continued to challenge conventions.
The book moves between Sally’s story of life with her mother and Audrey’s impoverished roots as a resourceful Bootle girl who knew she was destined for better things, to provide a cohesive picture of the two generations. But for all Sally witnesses as life continues apace once back in Southport there is a glaring gap in her knowledge, namely how her mother and deceased father met, and the defining events that changed Audrey’s future and the melancholy that even years later is never far from the surface. Aspinall does a superb job of capturing Audrey through the eyes of a child and conveying the bewilderment that she so often felt at her mother’s lifestyle and overriding mission. A gifted storyteller in her own right, the book is also Sally’s story of piecing together her restless mother’s past and discovering those questions Audrey evaded for so long. In highlighting the subtle detective work that through necessity became ingrained in Sally from an early age, Aspinall manages to recreate this sense of mystery and harnesses it to keep the reader curious and involved. Indeed much of my enthusiasm came from finally understanding the course that Audrey’s life has taken, all factoring into my understanding of her.
In many ways old before her time and often far more astute at spotting another failed mission looming on the horizon than her mother, Sally craves a settled family life and normal childhood. Yet when this conventional and stable family comes to pass, with Audrey ultimately finding her own contentment, it is an exasperated Sally who pays the price for her lack of education and structure and rebels. Aspinall makes clear in the afterword that her story is not one of damage and although she is extraordinarily clear-eyed about her mother’s lifestyle and her unorthodox upbringing she is never judgemental and unswervingly compassionate. Audrey is portrayed as the dazzling, vivacious presence she was known to be and it is her daughter’s unflinching honesty combined with her storytelling prowess that makes this book such an entertaining read. As much as the book is about depicting an offbeat mother/daughter relationship it is also the story of Sally making peace with her past and emerging a stronger, smarter woman for it.
February 8, 2022
A wonderful memoir. Sarah's mother was an extraordinary woman, who made a life though men and marriages and male company as women did in her day. And running some slightly dodgy businesses. She travelled round the world in search of men with Sarah in tow who was made to be an accomplice in her endeavours. As a result Sarah had virtually no education at all until she was 16. The account of the way her mother captured her second husband is a story in itself. Sarah really gets this extraordinary woman across. She said it took her a few decades to perhaps be able to get the objectivity to do this, to come to terms with where she was different, where she had some similar characteristics and with 4 children perhaps also just the time to do it. Her situation could have led to a misery memoir but her mother could be exciting and entertaining and this comes across.
April 19, 2021
It was the title and the cover which drew me to this book alongside the fact that this year I had set myself the task of reading more memoir or non-fic. I had no real prior knowledge of this book before I started apart from what the blurb said.
So what did I think?
It was fine. It kept my attention, mostly, although there were some bits I found myself skimming over to get to a place where something actually happened. I can't say I felt very connected to either the author or her mother Audrey although she was an interesting woman and definitely a product of her time. I like that she bucked the social norms in many ways and forged her own path however her absolutely quest for a man made me sad because actually when you get down to it she was more than capable of looking after herself.
I found the ending kind of flat too. Basically everyone was OK and she lived a full and happy life, both the author and her Mother. I feel like maybe a more frank conversation with Audrey at the end, looking back on her life and what she thought about it all would have made for great reading. After all it was her story that was wild and interesting not the authors.
It was an OK read but missed the mark for me overall.
So what did I think?
It was fine. It kept my attention, mostly, although there were some bits I found myself skimming over to get to a place where something actually happened. I can't say I felt very connected to either the author or her mother Audrey although she was an interesting woman and definitely a product of her time. I like that she bucked the social norms in many ways and forged her own path however her absolutely quest for a man made me sad because actually when you get down to it she was more than capable of looking after herself.
I found the ending kind of flat too. Basically everyone was OK and she lived a full and happy life, both the author and her Mother. I feel like maybe a more frank conversation with Audrey at the end, looking back on her life and what she thought about it all would have made for great reading. After all it was her story that was wild and interesting not the authors.
It was an OK read but missed the mark for me overall.
June 13, 2021
This is a fascinating memoir detailing Sarah and Audrey’s extraordinary adventures from Southport, near Liverpool, to New York, Los Angeles and Egypt. Sarah had a very unconventional upbringing which sparkles with glitz and glamour as her mother, ever the opportunist and believer of creating one’s own destiny, would brazenly approach unforgettable characters that would give her what she wanted. One can’t help but admire her attitude and support her in her quest to find true love.
However, while Audrey selfishly pursues her own needs, Sarah is left wondering why the love she can offer her mother is never enough and we see an interesting insight into this mother/daughter relationship which is far from being a traditional dynamic.
This is a remarkable and enchanting read that feels more impactful because it is based on true accounts and memories.
Sarah writes a beautiful story that provides a loving tribute to her mother, but her mother’s stories are also her own story of childhood. A memoir to get lost in completely!
However, while Audrey selfishly pursues her own needs, Sarah is left wondering why the love she can offer her mother is never enough and we see an interesting insight into this mother/daughter relationship which is far from being a traditional dynamic.
This is a remarkable and enchanting read that feels more impactful because it is based on true accounts and memories.
Sarah writes a beautiful story that provides a loving tribute to her mother, but her mother’s stories are also her own story of childhood. A memoir to get lost in completely!
June 18, 2021
Thank you to Hannah Bright at Midas PR for my invitation to the tour and to Four Estate for my copy of the book in return for a fair and honest review.
I do not read many memoirs but when I saw this one it leaped off the page. Sarah’s mother from the outset you know she is going to be a tour de force !
As Sarah says in the book ‘I knew even then,that my mother was many things- a chancer, a dreamer, a procurer, a delinquent, as well as a teller of tales.
Her mother is vivacious, full of life and brought up in Liverpool and Southport. She loved performing and when Sarah’s father passes away Audrey fights for the life she was destined to have.
This is a wonderful book and Sarah is a great storyteller. I loved her retelling the stories of her mother’s upbringing. Audrey was a beauty and she desperately wanted to shine.
There are moments of real sadness that must have been very difficult to write, particularly Sarah’s father’s illness which was very moving and honest.
They head to America to stay with Audrey’s Godmother and their subsequent travels across America where entertaining and really captivating.
This is a personal memoir of a mother and daughter relationship which is absorbing, shocking at times. As they move to Asia, Audrey continues to look for the perfect partner. A unconventional childhood with an eccentric mother is a really interesting read and I needed to keep on reading to find out how it would all end.
A captivating 4.5 stars ****.5
I do not read many memoirs but when I saw this one it leaped off the page. Sarah’s mother from the outset you know she is going to be a tour de force !
As Sarah says in the book ‘I knew even then,that my mother was many things- a chancer, a dreamer, a procurer, a delinquent, as well as a teller of tales.
Her mother is vivacious, full of life and brought up in Liverpool and Southport. She loved performing and when Sarah’s father passes away Audrey fights for the life she was destined to have.
This is a wonderful book and Sarah is a great storyteller. I loved her retelling the stories of her mother’s upbringing. Audrey was a beauty and she desperately wanted to shine.
There are moments of real sadness that must have been very difficult to write, particularly Sarah’s father’s illness which was very moving and honest.
They head to America to stay with Audrey’s Godmother and their subsequent travels across America where entertaining and really captivating.
This is a personal memoir of a mother and daughter relationship which is absorbing, shocking at times. As they move to Asia, Audrey continues to look for the perfect partner. A unconventional childhood with an eccentric mother is a really interesting read and I needed to keep on reading to find out how it would all end.
A captivating 4.5 stars ****.5
June 8, 2021
My review of this excellent memoir is on my blog https://thefallenlibrarian.wordpress....
October 12, 2020
This book has one of the most disturbing scenes in the beginning that I've ever read. I can't say anymore, you'll have to read it, but overall this is an extraordinary story about a unique mother daughter relationship and an investigation into the mother's life and what made her make such strange decisions. It's also quite a melancholy tale.
March 12, 2021
This book was such a treat, especially as it showed the enduring love that’s possible between mother and daughter. The last ‘Mum-oir’ I’d read – Motherwell by Deborah Orr – illustrated the opposite sort of relationship, with resentment felt on both sides. But in Diamonds, mother and daughter were friends for all but the writer’s rebellious teenage years, a period overcome with the help of her charming stepfather. The book opens when the two are travelling the world, looking for ‘The One’ who could provide them with a home after the writer’s father has died. It was a little hard for me to keep track of which man they were pursuing at that particular time, and some of these would-be father figures overlapped in my mind. But once the pair are back in Southport and the mother, Audrey, has finally married, it was easier to follow the story. This is partly because the writer is older and better able to understand more of her mother’s past. There are some wonderful anecdotes in the book. One of my favourites was Audrey’s first attempt at cooking a chicken. She did as the butcher said and just put it in the oven, but he didn’t tell her to put it in a pan first. Chicken fat turned the kitchen floor to a skating rink. Another useful lesson was Audrey’s advice to daughter on how to snare a man – among other things, you have to gaze at them with rapture while they discuss their favourite subject (himself).
The book shows that writer has not just a good memory for the scenes and characters of her childhood, but also the perceptiveness as an adult to understand the family dynamic. When going through her rebellious teenage phase, she knew she didn’t blame her mother for being unconventional. In fact, the daughter admired her for it, even if the mother could also be selfish and demanding. But she knew she didn’t want to emulate her mother, and had to pull away from the force of her personality in order to form her own identity. This provided her with the fuel she needed to pursue an academic career, even though she’d spent most of her youth skiving off school. In the end, she became a respected filmmaker and mother to her own brood, while never forgetting or ceasing to admire her mother.
Although this book and Motherwell are so different in tone, they share a similar timeframe and so chronicle the vast changes in women’s opportunities in a generation. Motherhood is complex and not easily dissected, but these books show that it’s not simply a matter of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ mothers. Often it’s down to chemistry between mother and daughter, and having the luck to actually like each other. If you’ve got that, as Audrey and Sarah show, the rest can be a rollicking ride.
The book shows that writer has not just a good memory for the scenes and characters of her childhood, but also the perceptiveness as an adult to understand the family dynamic. When going through her rebellious teenage phase, she knew she didn’t blame her mother for being unconventional. In fact, the daughter admired her for it, even if the mother could also be selfish and demanding. But she knew she didn’t want to emulate her mother, and had to pull away from the force of her personality in order to form her own identity. This provided her with the fuel she needed to pursue an academic career, even though she’d spent most of her youth skiving off school. In the end, she became a respected filmmaker and mother to her own brood, while never forgetting or ceasing to admire her mother.
Although this book and Motherwell are so different in tone, they share a similar timeframe and so chronicle the vast changes in women’s opportunities in a generation. Motherhood is complex and not easily dissected, but these books show that it’s not simply a matter of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ mothers. Often it’s down to chemistry between mother and daughter, and having the luck to actually like each other. If you’ve got that, as Audrey and Sarah show, the rest can be a rollicking ride.
June 16, 2021
This is a compelling and evocative memoir of Sarah Aspinall’s life growing up with her glamorous mother Audrey, who felt like there was always something more for her out there.
Let me begin with the superficial aspect of this story, which is to say the many glorious travels, fashions and riches which form such an important part of Audrey and Sarah’s lives. This is definitely a glamorous novel, despite Audrey’s poor upbringing in 1930s Liverpool - there’s a fire in her which tells her she deserves more, and she certainly knows how best to use her beauty and charms to get what she wants. This story takes us from Southport to Hong Kong and New York and the photos peppered throughout the novel really allow us to picture the style and glamour which Audrey just exudes.
Yet whilst these places and the famous people Audrey meets might make this feel like a beautiful and charming story, the reality is that it’s also incredibly sad. For Audrey herself, who was led to believe from a young age when she’d win beauty pageants that nothing but glory awaited her, only to be disappointed by real life, but especially for Sarah - the daughter dragged along on these man hunting adventures who just wanted to be enough for her mother and live a normal family life. It’s an unusual dynamic between them, with Audrey often letting Sarah skip school because she doesn’t understand the importance of an education when Sarah should focus on becoming charming and beautiful to secure a wealthy man. It’s really only when Audrey marries a kind and older widow, who takes a genuine interest in Sarah, that she finally becomes aware of what she could achieve.
This is a beautifully written, enchanting memoir of a woman who was a force to be reckoned with and the daughter living in her irrepressible shadow - it will make you yearn for a different era and might leave you a little emotional, but it’s certainly a riotous read.
Let me begin with the superficial aspect of this story, which is to say the many glorious travels, fashions and riches which form such an important part of Audrey and Sarah’s lives. This is definitely a glamorous novel, despite Audrey’s poor upbringing in 1930s Liverpool - there’s a fire in her which tells her she deserves more, and she certainly knows how best to use her beauty and charms to get what she wants. This story takes us from Southport to Hong Kong and New York and the photos peppered throughout the novel really allow us to picture the style and glamour which Audrey just exudes.
Yet whilst these places and the famous people Audrey meets might make this feel like a beautiful and charming story, the reality is that it’s also incredibly sad. For Audrey herself, who was led to believe from a young age when she’d win beauty pageants that nothing but glory awaited her, only to be disappointed by real life, but especially for Sarah - the daughter dragged along on these man hunting adventures who just wanted to be enough for her mother and live a normal family life. It’s an unusual dynamic between them, with Audrey often letting Sarah skip school because she doesn’t understand the importance of an education when Sarah should focus on becoming charming and beautiful to secure a wealthy man. It’s really only when Audrey marries a kind and older widow, who takes a genuine interest in Sarah, that she finally becomes aware of what she could achieve.
This is a beautifully written, enchanting memoir of a woman who was a force to be reckoned with and the daughter living in her irrepressible shadow - it will make you yearn for a different era and might leave you a little emotional, but it’s certainly a riotous read.
February 8, 2021
I could not put this book down. It is a superbly-written affectionate and candid memoir of a mother and daughter relationship that could not have happened today - social services would have taken the child away. The clever, captivating, star-struck and con artist mother Audrey is vividly alive in this book, and the odd globe-trotting early life of her young daughter Sarah described in detail with affection. This gives the book a heart that I couldn't find in Burnt Sugar.
November 19, 2025
3⭐️⭐️⭐️ … moving story of Sally/Sarah Aspinall as she recalls her mother Audrey’s life and her own unconventional upbringing.
Audrey is an almost star, a young woman who glows with life, with risk and who lives to entertain and be entertained. Not a lover of books but adoring of films and film stars, she takes her small daughter away from stuffy post war Britain after the early demise of her husband to find true love, adventure and fun company.
Audrey is an almost star, a young woman who glows with life, with risk and who lives to entertain and be entertained. Not a lover of books but adoring of films and film stars, she takes her small daughter away from stuffy post war Britain after the early demise of her husband to find true love, adventure and fun company.
May 13, 2023
Love memoir/family stories and while Audrey seems like an amazing woman I just felt like the book lost focus and momentum as it went on. I also found it quite confusing keeping track of when/where we were
June 14, 2021
Diamonds at the Lost and Found is a fascinating love letter of a memoir from Sarah Aspinall to her remarkable mother Audrey, which I found myself consuming on one delicious bite - even though it left me with many contradictory feelings.
This is a book which tells Audrey's tale in an unusual way, befitting the story of a woman who was unconventional in every sense of the word, as it comprises a string of anecdotes and scraps of stories pieced together to give us a picture of the charismatic Audrey, a woman almost constantly on the search for glamour, excitement and true love - a woman not afraid to use her daughter as an accessory, nor to break the bounds of the rules imposed by polite society, in the pursuit of her dreams.
For the most part, this includes instances of Aspinall meeting a curious collection of murky and famous characters, many of whom were clearly Audrey's lovers, in exotic locations around the world, but because Aspinall tells it through the eyes of her childhood self, it lends an intriguing air of mystery and innocence to what might otherwise come across as a rather sordid existence. These episodes are also broken up with the details of Audrey's early life and times, which picture her as a force to be reckoned with, and a woman I think it would have been rather exciting to meet at her vivacious best.
It is not until Audrey finally manages to capture a man who not only fits the bill as husband material but also falls for her charms, back home in Southport, that the nature of the tale changes to one of the kind of domesticity that neither Audrey nor her daughter really know how to adjust to. Although, incredibly, Audrey and her new husband settle into a happy, if somewhat unconventional, marriage, it's clear that Aspinall herself struggled and rebellion was they only way she could cope with the change in their lives - leading to a turbulent period in her own life, before she too could find a way to move on from her past.
There is much in this book that made me sad and uncomfortable, despite marvelling at the antics, escapades and sheer guts of Audrey, a woman well ahead of her time. It's clear from Aspinall's account that her childhood was one filled with incredible experiences, but it was also overwhelmed with loneliness, bemusement and yearning for a settled home life. Although Audrey had many talents, she was not a woman cut out for motherhood, and I found many of her lessons about how to be a woman, and her disregard for the importance of education, very troubling - especially considering the inevitable way her teenage daughter spiralled out of control when she was suddenly expected to adjust to Audrey's new domestic idyll.
It is interesting to me that Aspinall says this is a book took her a long time to write. As we grow older, our own attitudes to what has gone before, and our level of understanding about what our own parents went through changes over time. I find it hard to advocate her words that her own experience offers anything approaching a way to raise a child, but have been struck by the way she has found a way to make peace with her unconventional upbringing, the mystery that still surrounds much of Audrey's life, and her own behaviours that she acknowledges are traits she has inherited from her mother, highlighting the ways in which her mother's unorthodox lessons have shaped her into the independent and resilient person she is today rather than focus on the negatives. I suspect that Aspinall has not always felt so philosophical about her relationship with her mother, but the love and esteem she feels for the complicated woman that gave her life really shines out from these pages, and makes this memoir something special.
This is a book which tells Audrey's tale in an unusual way, befitting the story of a woman who was unconventional in every sense of the word, as it comprises a string of anecdotes and scraps of stories pieced together to give us a picture of the charismatic Audrey, a woman almost constantly on the search for glamour, excitement and true love - a woman not afraid to use her daughter as an accessory, nor to break the bounds of the rules imposed by polite society, in the pursuit of her dreams.
For the most part, this includes instances of Aspinall meeting a curious collection of murky and famous characters, many of whom were clearly Audrey's lovers, in exotic locations around the world, but because Aspinall tells it through the eyes of her childhood self, it lends an intriguing air of mystery and innocence to what might otherwise come across as a rather sordid existence. These episodes are also broken up with the details of Audrey's early life and times, which picture her as a force to be reckoned with, and a woman I think it would have been rather exciting to meet at her vivacious best.
It is not until Audrey finally manages to capture a man who not only fits the bill as husband material but also falls for her charms, back home in Southport, that the nature of the tale changes to one of the kind of domesticity that neither Audrey nor her daughter really know how to adjust to. Although, incredibly, Audrey and her new husband settle into a happy, if somewhat unconventional, marriage, it's clear that Aspinall herself struggled and rebellion was they only way she could cope with the change in their lives - leading to a turbulent period in her own life, before she too could find a way to move on from her past.
There is much in this book that made me sad and uncomfortable, despite marvelling at the antics, escapades and sheer guts of Audrey, a woman well ahead of her time. It's clear from Aspinall's account that her childhood was one filled with incredible experiences, but it was also overwhelmed with loneliness, bemusement and yearning for a settled home life. Although Audrey had many talents, she was not a woman cut out for motherhood, and I found many of her lessons about how to be a woman, and her disregard for the importance of education, very troubling - especially considering the inevitable way her teenage daughter spiralled out of control when she was suddenly expected to adjust to Audrey's new domestic idyll.
It is interesting to me that Aspinall says this is a book took her a long time to write. As we grow older, our own attitudes to what has gone before, and our level of understanding about what our own parents went through changes over time. I find it hard to advocate her words that her own experience offers anything approaching a way to raise a child, but have been struck by the way she has found a way to make peace with her unconventional upbringing, the mystery that still surrounds much of Audrey's life, and her own behaviours that she acknowledges are traits she has inherited from her mother, highlighting the ways in which her mother's unorthodox lessons have shaped her into the independent and resilient person she is today rather than focus on the negatives. I suspect that Aspinall has not always felt so philosophical about her relationship with her mother, but the love and esteem she feels for the complicated woman that gave her life really shines out from these pages, and makes this memoir something special.
September 18, 2024
This is one of the most fascinating and gripping memoirs I have ever read. Author, Sarah (aka Sally) Aspinall's mother, Audrey, was not famous but led the most incredible life often surrounding herself with the rich and famous.
Audrey was born in Bootle, an impoverished town near Liverpool, in 1926. Her parents, Rebecca and Len Miller had arrived from Ireland shortly before Audrey was born in 1926. Their home was in the dockyard slums built around courts which were dirt-filled yards with a communal toilet and tap for all the families around it. Len was an unreliable character with shady dealings who disappeared for many years from the lives of Rebecca and Audrey. After a while he returned and their lives took a downward turn as Len, who drank too much, forced Audrey to be a bookie's runner - taking illegal bets in pubs and constantly running from the police.
In 1939 Audrey had an escape from this war broke out. Due to the dangers of remaining near Liverpool which was heavily targeted by the enemy she was evacuated to Southport, just 20 miles up the coast. Southport was a sleepy Victorian seaside resort a world away from the slums she'd left. Although the family she was billeted with were not welcoming, Audrey vowed to better her life and spent much of the rest of it seeking a perfect man - which usually meant rich and famous. The lengths she went to are extraordinary at times.
In 1957 she found herself unexpectedly pregnant having briefly felt sorry for the father who was a terminally ill war veteran. Despite being engaged to a rich man from the Guiness dynasty, Audrey did the right thing and married the baby's father, Neil, giving birth to Sarah later that year.
After Neil died in 1964, Sarah's life was completely upended as her mother spent much the next few years travelling the world in search of a new man. The travel, adventures and ruses that Audrey undertook, with her young daughter in tow, are just astonishing. After a few near misses, Audrey did finally find the next husband back in Southport but only by ensnaring a rich man by faking a car crash. Peter Aspinall had been avoiding social situations following the tragic death of his wife in 1959 but found himself succumbing to Audrey's persuasive powers and they married in 1967.
Sarah's life continued to be one long adventure as she played truant from her private girls' school most days and had endless adventures in Southport and occasionally further afield. This is a most riveting read and highly recommended.
Audrey was born in Bootle, an impoverished town near Liverpool, in 1926. Her parents, Rebecca and Len Miller had arrived from Ireland shortly before Audrey was born in 1926. Their home was in the dockyard slums built around courts which were dirt-filled yards with a communal toilet and tap for all the families around it. Len was an unreliable character with shady dealings who disappeared for many years from the lives of Rebecca and Audrey. After a while he returned and their lives took a downward turn as Len, who drank too much, forced Audrey to be a bookie's runner - taking illegal bets in pubs and constantly running from the police.
In 1939 Audrey had an escape from this war broke out. Due to the dangers of remaining near Liverpool which was heavily targeted by the enemy she was evacuated to Southport, just 20 miles up the coast. Southport was a sleepy Victorian seaside resort a world away from the slums she'd left. Although the family she was billeted with were not welcoming, Audrey vowed to better her life and spent much of the rest of it seeking a perfect man - which usually meant rich and famous. The lengths she went to are extraordinary at times.
In 1957 she found herself unexpectedly pregnant having briefly felt sorry for the father who was a terminally ill war veteran. Despite being engaged to a rich man from the Guiness dynasty, Audrey did the right thing and married the baby's father, Neil, giving birth to Sarah later that year.
After Neil died in 1964, Sarah's life was completely upended as her mother spent much the next few years travelling the world in search of a new man. The travel, adventures and ruses that Audrey undertook, with her young daughter in tow, are just astonishing. After a few near misses, Audrey did finally find the next husband back in Southport but only by ensnaring a rich man by faking a car crash. Peter Aspinall had been avoiding social situations following the tragic death of his wife in 1959 but found himself succumbing to Audrey's persuasive powers and they married in 1967.
Sarah's life continued to be one long adventure as she played truant from her private girls' school most days and had endless adventures in Southport and occasionally further afield. This is a most riveting read and highly recommended.
May 20, 2021
Diamonds At The Lost And Found - Sarah Aspinall
Sarah grows up with her mother Audrey, a companion on her adventures, travelling the world, veering from luxury to poverty, living off Audrey’s charm- an accessory to her desperate search for ‘the one’.
I found this book utterly entrancing from the beginning. A small girl, already seemingly worldly wise in a highly glitzy hotel- helping her mother get a man, her supposed innocence being used, her small partner in crime.
Audrey has a luminosity about her, she is dazzling. An upbringing of poverty, hardship and violence, working hard to achieve what her mother had dreamt she would be.
From her early upbringing in Southport, we see Audrey and her life through the prism of young Sally and how a child interprets the adult world around them.
We are taken off on a rollercoaster around the world from America to Malaysia, country houses and jazz clubs, cruises and plane crashes.
‘𝓛𝓸𝓿𝓮 𝔀𝓪𝓼 𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓻𝔂𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓽𝓸 𝓱𝓮𝓻. 𝓣𝓸 𝓾𝓼. 𝓣𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓱𝓾𝓷𝓽 𝔀𝓪𝓼 𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓻𝔂𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓰.’’
I found this utterly spellbinding storytelling. Some of it is so sad and poignant, some of it really made me laugh! ‘For example that I had a magic button down below in my pussycat.’ What information to receive aged nine!!
Audrey seems to be always chasing love, a sense of intense happiness, chasing a dream.
She has a mysterious life, thrilling at times for her daughter, revealed in snippets and through her stories that she tells. They seem to lurch from one place to another almost on Audreys whim or whichever scrap of paper with an address she finds at the bottom of her bag.
I loved Sally’s descriptions of the places she visited and how she found her own sense of self through following ‘the young eve’s’ advice, growing into herself and further away from Audrey. How her stepfather Peter came into their lives and was transformed by the happiness it brought, it was so warming to read. Then comes the inevitable rebellion and the clamp down despite having essentially led her own life for years.
This is a fabulous memoir, a weird, yet wonderful way to grow up, enthralling mesmeric and a must read! Simply stunning.
✩✩✩✩✩
[AD-PR PRODUCT]
Thank you to Midas pr, Hannah Bright and 4th Estate books for my advanced copy of this book
Sarah grows up with her mother Audrey, a companion on her adventures, travelling the world, veering from luxury to poverty, living off Audrey’s charm- an accessory to her desperate search for ‘the one’.
I found this book utterly entrancing from the beginning. A small girl, already seemingly worldly wise in a highly glitzy hotel- helping her mother get a man, her supposed innocence being used, her small partner in crime.
Audrey has a luminosity about her, she is dazzling. An upbringing of poverty, hardship and violence, working hard to achieve what her mother had dreamt she would be.
From her early upbringing in Southport, we see Audrey and her life through the prism of young Sally and how a child interprets the adult world around them.
We are taken off on a rollercoaster around the world from America to Malaysia, country houses and jazz clubs, cruises and plane crashes.
‘𝓛𝓸𝓿𝓮 𝔀𝓪𝓼 𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓻𝔂𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓽𝓸 𝓱𝓮𝓻. 𝓣𝓸 𝓾𝓼. 𝓣𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓱𝓾𝓷𝓽 𝔀𝓪𝓼 𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓻𝔂𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓰.’’
I found this utterly spellbinding storytelling. Some of it is so sad and poignant, some of it really made me laugh! ‘For example that I had a magic button down below in my pussycat.’ What information to receive aged nine!!
Audrey seems to be always chasing love, a sense of intense happiness, chasing a dream.
She has a mysterious life, thrilling at times for her daughter, revealed in snippets and through her stories that she tells. They seem to lurch from one place to another almost on Audreys whim or whichever scrap of paper with an address she finds at the bottom of her bag.
I loved Sally’s descriptions of the places she visited and how she found her own sense of self through following ‘the young eve’s’ advice, growing into herself and further away from Audrey. How her stepfather Peter came into their lives and was transformed by the happiness it brought, it was so warming to read. Then comes the inevitable rebellion and the clamp down despite having essentially led her own life for years.
This is a fabulous memoir, a weird, yet wonderful way to grow up, enthralling mesmeric and a must read! Simply stunning.
✩✩✩✩✩
[AD-PR PRODUCT]
Thank you to Midas pr, Hannah Bright and 4th Estate books for my advanced copy of this book
December 1, 2020
I always think it's unfair to award a star rating to biographies. How can we, as readers, award a 'star' for enjoyment and how much 'juice' a book has to keep our interest based on a person's life?
Especially when the biography in question is an honest portrayal of one womens journey from adolencencs to adulthood. A journey that she had taken with an irresponsible mother.
"My Mother attracted unusual people and events to her, and she made things happen...."
Often there are books that ease you into its pages. A slow 'drip feed' technique that allows us the reader to gradually become familiar with words and I will say 'characters' here. But when we are first introduced to a young Sarah in a Hong Kong Hotel room and the events the follow straight after, I actually set the book aside and thought 'wow'.
I love this feeling when I read fiction but when you know that what you are reading is someone else's story, their truth, it was such an intense feeling.
There were moments whilst reading 'Diamonds at the lost and found' that I honestly did assume I was reading a fiction novel.
A compelling and at times unnerving story about a daughters strength to break away from her 'norm' and carve a path for her own.
It is stories like this. Love letters to its readers and to themselves really those that are writing their stories, that are the truest affirmation of acceptance and truth.
I cannot recommend this one highly enough.
Zubs
Especially when the biography in question is an honest portrayal of one womens journey from adolencencs to adulthood. A journey that she had taken with an irresponsible mother.
"My Mother attracted unusual people and events to her, and she made things happen...."
Often there are books that ease you into its pages. A slow 'drip feed' technique that allows us the reader to gradually become familiar with words and I will say 'characters' here. But when we are first introduced to a young Sarah in a Hong Kong Hotel room and the events the follow straight after, I actually set the book aside and thought 'wow'.
I love this feeling when I read fiction but when you know that what you are reading is someone else's story, their truth, it was such an intense feeling.
There were moments whilst reading 'Diamonds at the lost and found' that I honestly did assume I was reading a fiction novel.
A compelling and at times unnerving story about a daughters strength to break away from her 'norm' and carve a path for her own.
It is stories like this. Love letters to its readers and to themselves really those that are writing their stories, that are the truest affirmation of acceptance and truth.
I cannot recommend this one highly enough.
Zubs
February 17, 2021
I really enjoyed this memoir! I knew nothing about the author, and I enjoyed reading about her childhood around the world, following her mum Audrey as she travels, always hoping to meet a rich man who will give her everything she wants. The chapters alternate between Audrey's youth - before she had her daughter, the narrator Sally - and when Sally is a young girl, having lost her father recently. It was a bit confusing at the beginning, but it all came together toward the middle of the book. I really enjoyed reading it - they have some fabulous adventures together, on a cruise in Asia, visiting Egypt, staying in a country house in England, spending time in the US...You get to really feel Sally's confusion, admiration, and at times warinness - why are they moving again, where are they going, for how long... Despite the book being all about Audrey, you get the feeling that the narrator doesn't quite manage to understand her fully and I liked that the main character remained quite mysterious, and that her motivations are unknown or unclear. It was well-written and the life they describe is fabulous - between working odd jobs here and there, or operating an illegal business, to living the high life, meeting celebrities (Clark Gable!) and relying on the generosity of friends to live a life of luxury. Truly fascinating.
Free ARC sent by Netgalley.
Free ARC sent by Netgalley.
April 10, 2020
I am reading so much at the moment I can't always keep track of things. About a third of the way through this, I had to put it down and go back to the synopsis because I thought it was a novel, but it was so far fetched and so many real people appear in it, I was confused.
Anyway, it isn't a novel, it's a biography of Aspinall's mother who grew up on the mean streets of Bootle, and wanted to be a star and have adventures and find love, and who treated every knock back as a reason to double down and go at things harder. The author, when she arrived, was simply dragged along in her mother's wake and this is her account of growing up being pulled out of school to fly to the States to go on road trips, and all kinds of adventures.
It's well written and you never lose the feeling of the child's eye view of things even though there are plenty of in hindsight moments. It's a crazy book but really compelling.
Anyway, it isn't a novel, it's a biography of Aspinall's mother who grew up on the mean streets of Bootle, and wanted to be a star and have adventures and find love, and who treated every knock back as a reason to double down and go at things harder. The author, when she arrived, was simply dragged along in her mother's wake and this is her account of growing up being pulled out of school to fly to the States to go on road trips, and all kinds of adventures.
It's well written and you never lose the feeling of the child's eye view of things even though there are plenty of in hindsight moments. It's a crazy book but really compelling.
August 23, 2021
I loved this book! In spite of Audrey's dubious mantra for motherhood, I fell under her spell and applaud her daughter, Sally for surviving emotionally and physically unscathed. I feel great sadness for Audrey, in the wrong turns she took and losing the love of her life through her chasing after something brighter and more exciting. It is heartbreaking to watch her suffering the fall-out from some of the choices she made. I have huge admiration for her gutsy determination not to give up the pursuit of her dreams. This was at the expense of a stable and settled childhood for Sally and yet, Sally herself does not necessarily regale her mother for this and has in many ways become the woman she is today because of her unconventional childhood. There is no doubt that there was so much love between these two. As Sally says of her mother, 'Beyond anything else, she showed me how to see the magic in things.'
April 19, 2020
This is the story of Sally and her mother. They certainly had an eventful life and it made for interesting reading.
It is written from Sally's viewpoint, first as a child and as she was growing up . That leaves the reader with questions because the reasoning behind some decisions is not clear. This does however, give the reader a good idea about how unsettled Sally's early life was and I ended up with a feeling of respect that she has turned into a well adjusted adult .
I enjoyed most of the descriptions of places and people .
From a technical point of view, there were some pages missing from my book, but it didn't affect reading too much ....
Thankyou to Net Galley, the publishers and author for an interesting read
It is written from Sally's viewpoint, first as a child and as she was growing up . That leaves the reader with questions because the reasoning behind some decisions is not clear. This does however, give the reader a good idea about how unsettled Sally's early life was and I ended up with a feeling of respect that she has turned into a well adjusted adult .
I enjoyed most of the descriptions of places and people .
From a technical point of view, there were some pages missing from my book, but it didn't affect reading too much ....
Thankyou to Net Galley, the publishers and author for an interesting read
November 14, 2025
My friend Sally lent me this book as we often like the same books.
Sarah Aspinall, now a documentary film maker, tells the story of her growing up as an only child and her travels with her glamorous mother, Audrey. Audrey aspires to grander things than her poor beginnings in Liverpool and Southport. She drags Sally (Sarah’s original name) around the world in search of a man to marry and a better life. They have many adventures as Audrey blags her way into various people’s lives.
I struggled with this one and am somewhat bewildered by all the rave reviews. What some seemed to find glamorous, I found slightly seedy and sad. I’m just glad it all turned out well and Audrey finally found a good man and her daughter managed to catch up on her education and do really well.
Sarah Aspinall, now a documentary film maker, tells the story of her growing up as an only child and her travels with her glamorous mother, Audrey. Audrey aspires to grander things than her poor beginnings in Liverpool and Southport. She drags Sally (Sarah’s original name) around the world in search of a man to marry and a better life. They have many adventures as Audrey blags her way into various people’s lives.
I struggled with this one and am somewhat bewildered by all the rave reviews. What some seemed to find glamorous, I found slightly seedy and sad. I’m just glad it all turned out well and Audrey finally found a good man and her daughter managed to catch up on her education and do really well.
January 12, 2021
Interesting to compare this with Motherwell by Deborah Orr and Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart which I read recently also stories of very influential mothers though Deborah's was not glamorous or fun and Douglas's always aimed to be special, had the same chutzpah but whose circumstances, lack of opportunity and alcoholism brought her low.
July 15, 2021
I really enjoyed this book! Sarah writes a wonderful account of her irrepressible mother and their life -an truly remarkable woman of her age, there is nothing that she shies away from, grabbing opportunities as they come and living life to the full. Highly recommend.
November 3, 2020
What a life!
March 24, 2021
This book, both heartwarming and heartbreaking, is a daughter’s exploration into the love of and the love for a one of a kind a single mother and the extraordinary adventures they share.
April 20, 2023
A fascinating and vivid portrait of an unconventional childhood, and a fond, though sometimes challenging, relationship between a mother and daughter. A really compelling and engaging read.
September 16, 2023
Not what I was expecting but an interbreed none the less
May 25, 2025
Picked this book up for the cover and stayed 'till the end. Easier to read than I anticipated and shocking .
June 25, 2021
💎This is such a powerful and emotive story. I enjoy reading about other peoples lives and this is certainly an eye opener. The author’s mother is certainly vibrant, full of character and free spirited, before I even saw pictures of her, I imagined her to be beautiful and glamorous (which she was). Nothing wrong with all this of course but the life she leads with her daughter, by todays standards, social services would have been called.
💎The author has life experiences that no child should have come across but what I admire about the author is that that appears to be no hatred or bitterness towards her mother nor does she attach any blame, just a general acceptance that’s the way her mother was,
💎It sometimes feels intrusive reading a memoir which is personal and raw but the author has written a wonderful story retelling her life.
💎 if you enjoy non fiction or want to read something different, this is an interesting and brilliant read
💎The author has life experiences that no child should have come across but what I admire about the author is that that appears to be no hatred or bitterness towards her mother nor does she attach any blame, just a general acceptance that’s the way her mother was,
💎It sometimes feels intrusive reading a memoir which is personal and raw but the author has written a wonderful story retelling her life.
💎 if you enjoy non fiction or want to read something different, this is an interesting and brilliant read
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