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The Girl from Lamaha Street: A Guyanese Girl at a 1960's English Boarding School and Her Search for Belonging
"One thing stood out in all the books I read. These children were all white. They had blue eyes and soft straight hair. Not a single child in a story was brown like me. How could that be right?"
Growing up in British Guiana in the 1950s, Sharon Maas has everything a shy child with a vivid imagination could wish for. She spends her days studying bugs in the backyard of her family home on Lamaha Street, eating fresh mangoes straight from the tree and losing herself in books tucked up on her granny’s lap, surrounded by her uncles and aunts.
But Sharon feels alone in a house full of adults. Her parents are divorced and her father is busy campaigning for British Guiana’s independence. With her mother often away for work, there’s a void in Sharon’s heart, and she craves rules and structure. The books she devours give her a glimpse of life in a faraway country: England. And although none of the characters in the books she reads look like her, her insatiable curiosity eventually leads Sharon to beg to be sent to boarding school, just like her literary heroes.
Reality comes as a shock. Being the only dark-skinned girl in a sea of posh white girls is a stark contrast to life in her warm homeland, where white people are a small minority. Sharon thrives in her new life. She does well academically, and horse-riding brings her self-discipline and joy in equal measure. But something is not quite right. Writing weekly letters to her mother, she begins to doubt whether this cold country is the right place for her. Is England really her home, and is this where she truly belongs?
You will be swept off your feet by the unputdownable story of Sharon Maas’ extraordinary childhood in British Guiana and England, a beautiful and inspiring tale of self-discovery, determination and chasing your dreams.
Growing up in British Guiana in the 1950s, Sharon Maas has everything a shy child with a vivid imagination could wish for. She spends her days studying bugs in the backyard of her family home on Lamaha Street, eating fresh mangoes straight from the tree and losing herself in books tucked up on her granny’s lap, surrounded by her uncles and aunts.
But Sharon feels alone in a house full of adults. Her parents are divorced and her father is busy campaigning for British Guiana’s independence. With her mother often away for work, there’s a void in Sharon’s heart, and she craves rules and structure. The books she devours give her a glimpse of life in a faraway country: England. And although none of the characters in the books she reads look like her, her insatiable curiosity eventually leads Sharon to beg to be sent to boarding school, just like her literary heroes.
Reality comes as a shock. Being the only dark-skinned girl in a sea of posh white girls is a stark contrast to life in her warm homeland, where white people are a small minority. Sharon thrives in her new life. She does well academically, and horse-riding brings her self-discipline and joy in equal measure. But something is not quite right. Writing weekly letters to her mother, she begins to doubt whether this cold country is the right place for her. Is England really her home, and is this where she truly belongs?
You will be swept off your feet by the unputdownable story of Sharon Maas’ extraordinary childhood in British Guiana and England, a beautiful and inspiring tale of self-discovery, determination and chasing your dreams.
- GenresNonfictionMemoir
310 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 7, 2022
61 people are currently reading
116 people want to read
About the author
Sharon Maas
21 books334 followersSharon Maas was born in Georgetown, Guyana in 1951, and a sense of adventure has followed her around the world. In 1971 she spent a year backpacking around South America, followed by a few months with pioneering friends in the Guyana rainforest, followed by an overland trip to India, followed by a year in a Hindu Ashram.
She settled in Germany where she married, studied, worked, and raised children.
Officially retired, she continues to write from her new home in Ireland.
Her first novel was published by HarperCollins in 1999, followed by two more in 2001 and 2002. At present, she has 10 published works with the digital publisher Bookouture.
She has one self-published work, a retelling of the magnificent Indian epic Mahabharata: a project of love that took her over 30 years to "get right", written under the pen name S. Aruna.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
April 19, 2022
This is a Memoir. When I read a Memoir I want to get totally pulled in, and I want the story to touch my heart. This memoir felt like a bunch of facts into a book, but I wanted more feelings behind the words. I enjoyed the first little bit, but after the first little bit it got heavy with facts and the emotions got lost in all the facts. This is not the worst memoir I have read, but it is not the best either. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Thread Books) or author (Sharon Maas) via NetGalley, so I can give an honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.
April 28, 2022
I was introduced to the writing of Sharon Maas when I read Those I Have Lost in July 2021. In The Girl from Lamaha Street the author turns her attention to her own life, in particular her childhood experiences. The book is subtitled ‘A Guyanese girl at a 1960’s English boarding school and her search for belonging’ although the author’s experiences at boarding school in England form only the second half of the book.
The first half comprises a fascinating insight into what it was like growing up in 1950s British Guiana (known as Guyana since independence in 1966). Sharon’s mother and father divorced when she was young and she found herself moving between the houses of her two grandmothers. She writes movingly about how, although she never felt unloved, her family situation made her feel different from other children. How she wanted ‘a mummy and daddy at home, living with me, just like all my cousins and all my friends. A proper family.’ Even had they stayed together, since her mother and father had very different approaches to parenting, one senses that feeling of difference would have remained. We get a picture of a shy, solitary child, perpetually with her head in a book, but one who seems extraordinarily self-perceptive for her age. I did question how accurate the characterisation of her younger self was. It was partially answered in the ‘Letter from Sharon’ at the end of the book in which the author explains some events have been ‘reconstructed’ from information passed on to her by relatives and that her younger self’s response to them is viewed to a degree through the perspective of ‘the long lens of time’. I did marvel at the author’s remarkable memory for even the smallest detail of events and conversations; my early years are a blur.
I enjoyed the evocative descriptions of British Guiana – the landscape, the sights, smells and especially tastes. ‘We lived in a paradise of mouth-watering fruit. A ripe juicy mango, succulently orange, sliced on a plate and smelling of heaven; slabs of fresh pineapple lightly sprinkled with salt, or a glorious guava, or soursop, or sapodilla’. It’s a far cry from the grey, tasteless meals she will later endure at boarding school in England.
A section of the book I found particularly interesting was the chapter entitled ‘Land of Six Races’ in which the author explains the ‘racial hierarchy’ evident in 1950s British Guiana, a country made up of people of different colours from ‘the light brown of milky tea’ to deep black. She explains how race was the main marker of an individual’s place in society and the determinant of their ‘value’. Even as a young child, Sharon recognises that in British Guianan society ‘the best thing was to be born white’. At the same time she recalls instinctively regarding that as ‘all wrong’, a belief reinforced by her mother and father drumming into her that everyone was of equal value. That notion is tested when she is enrolled in a school where 99 percent of the children are white and she is ‘a brown speck in a sea of white’.
Influenced by the Enid Blyton books she devours, Sharon persuades her mother to send her to boarding school in England. Contrary to what you might expect, Sharon faces little discrimination because of her race at school – except from the awful two Gwens. If anything, it’s perhaps her family’s class or financial status that makes her feel different from her school mates. She does well academically; in fact she’s rather boastful about her facility with languages and her brilliance at Latin and geometry. I confess I found a little puzzling the contradiction between the author’s description of herself as a shy child, often unwilling to speak in public because of her speech impediment, and the girl who laughs and chatters with the other girls after lights out, takes part in dares and midnight feasts. The later sections of the book in which the author describes her life at Oakdale School and Harrogate Ladies’ College probably mirror those of any girl of her age sent to boarding school in the 1960s and for me lacked the distinctive flavour of the earlier parts of the book.
The cover image gives a taste of the charmingly nostalgic photographs scattered throughout the book. Some of the later chapters commence with examples of letters Sharon (although at the time she preferred to be known as Jo) wrote to her mother from boarding school. It’s not clear if these are the actual letters or just reconstructed from the author’s memory to give a flavour of their content. If the former, I think it was very brave to include these because whilst some are rather amusingly brief others come across as quite cruel and ungrateful given the financial sacrifices her mother has made to fulfil her wishes. Fortunately, the young Sharon does eventually recognise this for herself and is suitably contrite. The book ends with Sharon’s return to Guyana in 1965.
The Girl from Lamaha Street is a fascinating, skilfully crafted portrait of an unconventional childhood that taught me a lot about the history and culture of Guyana that was completely new to me.
The first half comprises a fascinating insight into what it was like growing up in 1950s British Guiana (known as Guyana since independence in 1966). Sharon’s mother and father divorced when she was young and she found herself moving between the houses of her two grandmothers. She writes movingly about how, although she never felt unloved, her family situation made her feel different from other children. How she wanted ‘a mummy and daddy at home, living with me, just like all my cousins and all my friends. A proper family.’ Even had they stayed together, since her mother and father had very different approaches to parenting, one senses that feeling of difference would have remained. We get a picture of a shy, solitary child, perpetually with her head in a book, but one who seems extraordinarily self-perceptive for her age. I did question how accurate the characterisation of her younger self was. It was partially answered in the ‘Letter from Sharon’ at the end of the book in which the author explains some events have been ‘reconstructed’ from information passed on to her by relatives and that her younger self’s response to them is viewed to a degree through the perspective of ‘the long lens of time’. I did marvel at the author’s remarkable memory for even the smallest detail of events and conversations; my early years are a blur.
I enjoyed the evocative descriptions of British Guiana – the landscape, the sights, smells and especially tastes. ‘We lived in a paradise of mouth-watering fruit. A ripe juicy mango, succulently orange, sliced on a plate and smelling of heaven; slabs of fresh pineapple lightly sprinkled with salt, or a glorious guava, or soursop, or sapodilla’. It’s a far cry from the grey, tasteless meals she will later endure at boarding school in England.
A section of the book I found particularly interesting was the chapter entitled ‘Land of Six Races’ in which the author explains the ‘racial hierarchy’ evident in 1950s British Guiana, a country made up of people of different colours from ‘the light brown of milky tea’ to deep black. She explains how race was the main marker of an individual’s place in society and the determinant of their ‘value’. Even as a young child, Sharon recognises that in British Guianan society ‘the best thing was to be born white’. At the same time she recalls instinctively regarding that as ‘all wrong’, a belief reinforced by her mother and father drumming into her that everyone was of equal value. That notion is tested when she is enrolled in a school where 99 percent of the children are white and she is ‘a brown speck in a sea of white’.
Influenced by the Enid Blyton books she devours, Sharon persuades her mother to send her to boarding school in England. Contrary to what you might expect, Sharon faces little discrimination because of her race at school – except from the awful two Gwens. If anything, it’s perhaps her family’s class or financial status that makes her feel different from her school mates. She does well academically; in fact she’s rather boastful about her facility with languages and her brilliance at Latin and geometry. I confess I found a little puzzling the contradiction between the author’s description of herself as a shy child, often unwilling to speak in public because of her speech impediment, and the girl who laughs and chatters with the other girls after lights out, takes part in dares and midnight feasts. The later sections of the book in which the author describes her life at Oakdale School and Harrogate Ladies’ College probably mirror those of any girl of her age sent to boarding school in the 1960s and for me lacked the distinctive flavour of the earlier parts of the book.
The cover image gives a taste of the charmingly nostalgic photographs scattered throughout the book. Some of the later chapters commence with examples of letters Sharon (although at the time she preferred to be known as Jo) wrote to her mother from boarding school. It’s not clear if these are the actual letters or just reconstructed from the author’s memory to give a flavour of their content. If the former, I think it was very brave to include these because whilst some are rather amusingly brief others come across as quite cruel and ungrateful given the financial sacrifices her mother has made to fulfil her wishes. Fortunately, the young Sharon does eventually recognise this for herself and is suitably contrite. The book ends with Sharon’s return to Guyana in 1965.
The Girl from Lamaha Street is a fascinating, skilfully crafted portrait of an unconventional childhood that taught me a lot about the history and culture of Guyana that was completely new to me.
April 5, 2022
I am a huge fan of memoirs and have read many. Unfortunately, this one did not pull me in as much as I would have liked. Although I appreciated learning a lot about British Guyana, a country I had no previous knowledge. The overall story was not very compelling. The life of the author does not seem all that different than many young girls growing up in the 1950s. This was an audiobook listen and I did enjoy the authors melodious narration.
Thank you to Netgalley for this advanced reader audio in return for an honest review.
Thank you to Netgalley for this advanced reader audio in return for an honest review.
December 30, 2021
So, I love reading about family, especially in the memoir format and this read definitely didn't disappoint. THE GIRL FROM LAMAHA STREET weaves together beautiful prose and expert storytelling that really does take you back into the childhood the author experienced literally all over the world.
Sharon Maas, born Sharon Westmaas, was born and raised in Georgetown, British Guyana, not by her just her parents, but by an entire extended family that support and cared for each other during the good times and the bad times. Her childhood seemed to be almost like a fairytale; distant but loving parents, magical grandmother matriarchs, eccentric uncles and pious aunts. She spent time outdoors or with her nose in a book; she was surrounded by paradise.
But like most children, including myself, Sharon wanted more for herself. Her mother was a great feminist and her father was intelligent, important. As a young girl she dreamed of leaving her home to attend boarding school in England to ride ponies and find herself and soon she does just that. I can remember being about the same age when I first expressed wanting to go away to a boarding school, not realizing that I wanted better for myself. I just wanted to be apart of the culture and exclusivity. I understand how it was appealing to her. So, topics explored in this piece of work included racism, classism, feminism, politics, and the wants and desires of a girl with the world in the palm of her hand.
Personally, my favorite part about this book was the inclusion of so many family photographs. There is just something so powerful and moving about putting faces to the names and seeing how the family unit co-exists and cares for each other. There is a specific photo I love of Maas with her father in front of a vehicle in the snow that just shows how much she must have been a daddy's girl. However, there were areas of the book that fell short for me and that was only because I knew very little about the topic: horses. Knowing that Sharon is a 'horse-girl' was oddly comforting because I think we all know someone who can fall into that category.
This is definitely a great read and I can't recommend this enough, especially if you are a fan of memoirs and stories of close-knit families. Thank you to Thread Books and Netgalley for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Sharon Maas, born Sharon Westmaas, was born and raised in Georgetown, British Guyana, not by her just her parents, but by an entire extended family that support and cared for each other during the good times and the bad times. Her childhood seemed to be almost like a fairytale; distant but loving parents, magical grandmother matriarchs, eccentric uncles and pious aunts. She spent time outdoors or with her nose in a book; she was surrounded by paradise.
But like most children, including myself, Sharon wanted more for herself. Her mother was a great feminist and her father was intelligent, important. As a young girl she dreamed of leaving her home to attend boarding school in England to ride ponies and find herself and soon she does just that. I can remember being about the same age when I first expressed wanting to go away to a boarding school, not realizing that I wanted better for myself. I just wanted to be apart of the culture and exclusivity. I understand how it was appealing to her. So, topics explored in this piece of work included racism, classism, feminism, politics, and the wants and desires of a girl with the world in the palm of her hand.
Personally, my favorite part about this book was the inclusion of so many family photographs. There is just something so powerful and moving about putting faces to the names and seeing how the family unit co-exists and cares for each other. There is a specific photo I love of Maas with her father in front of a vehicle in the snow that just shows how much she must have been a daddy's girl. However, there were areas of the book that fell short for me and that was only because I knew very little about the topic: horses. Knowing that Sharon is a 'horse-girl' was oddly comforting because I think we all know someone who can fall into that category.
This is definitely a great read and I can't recommend this enough, especially if you are a fan of memoirs and stories of close-knit families. Thank you to Thread Books and Netgalley for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review!
April 4, 2022
A charming memoir about a young girl’s childhood in Guyana. I know next to nothing about Guyana so I found her story fascinating. She also had an unconventional childhood, with divorced parents. I enjoyed reading about her family, on both sides as well as her experiences in an English boarding school.
It’s a worthwhile read.
Thanks to NetGalley and Thread Books for the early copy.
It’s a worthwhile read.
Thanks to NetGalley and Thread Books for the early copy.
December 30, 2021
Thank you to Thread Books and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader's Copy! Available April 2022 Tender and precocious, Sharon Jo Maas's memoir describes her upbringing in tumultuous British Guyana in the early 70s. Led by two brilliant parents, Maas had a life of relative independence. The story unfolds in two parts - her early life in BG and her later adventures in England. Preoccupied with ideas of race, class and ponies, Maas paints an endearing coming of age memoir that captures the heart.
April 7, 2022
Reading the description of this book, it was easy to think it would be about the discrimination author Sharon Maas faced at a British boarding school in the 1960s. It turned out it was no such thing. Ms. Maas' boarding school days were both academically beneficial and fun. Only two girls ever let their prejudices be known. The one time she faced downright taunting, though, was on a ski trip to Austria, where a group of German speaking children surrounded her and repeatedly called her a derogatory name.
Hence, it was strange to read in her website's biography that she lived in Germany for a time as an adult, married to a German man. That leads to my one problem with this memoir. I think it would have been much more interesting if it covered her life until now, as opposed to stopping when she left Harrogate Ladies’ College in 1964. She even returned there in 1967 at the age of 16, but the book doesn't cover that, either.
Not that there aren't many interesting things about her childhood and early teen years. Both her parents were social activists, both nonbelievers in God, and both wanted their daughter to become an independent thinker. Her father specifically did not want her to accept any religious beliefs, but, interestingly, she had an innate spiritual side, as well as a need to find the meaning of life. In addition, she was born with tongue-tie (ankyloglossia), which impaired her speaking at times. Not speaking whenever she wanted obviously led to more thinking, as well as more writing.
The memoir also explores the feelings about whites in Guyana in the '50s and '60s. Many black families had plenty of white blood, and black pride was obviously sorely lacking at that time period. White blood was seen as better, lighter skin was better, hair and facial features common to whites were better. The names of white ancestors were known, but not black ancestors. Ms. Maas' parents sent her to a school in Guyana that only had three dark-skinned children. That was the beginning of her realization that white children were no better or smarter than she was, really no different.
Throughout the story are her mixed feelings about her relationship with her mother, too. Her mother was absent for a few months when she was three, taking a course in England. She was cared for by extended family members in a house on Lamaha Street, and when her mother returned, they both continued living in that house. Her parents had divorced, her father remarried and had additional children. Her mother never remarried, and worked tirelessly to improve the lives of others. At times, Sharon Maas longed for a more traditional mother, one who focused on her children most of all, and cooked delicious meals for them.
The author claims she went to boarding school in England because she had read stories on how fun such schools were, and because she wanted to ride horses. It's hard not to think, though, if possibly she wasn't also getting back at her mother for leaving her as a young child, and for not being a more traditional mother. Because when her always kind mother came to visit her at boarding school, she treated her abhorrently, even though her mother was the one who financially made it possible for her to go to boarding school, to go on a ski trip to Austria, to learn how to ride horses and even get one of her own.
One reason Ms. Maas returned to Guyana, however, instead of staying at Harrogate, was because she wanted a better relationship with her mother, to say she was sorry for her behavior, to show she appreciated all that she had done. In addition, she was sick and tired of cold weather. Yet, when you read her website's bio, she now lives in Ireland. I wonder if the author never truly feels like she belongs anywhere, or if she truly feels like she belongs everywhere. Another reason I wished for an extended memoir.
P.S. 4/7/22: Posted my review at Amazon and saw it was not on the page, even though one other one was posted. Since that review had to have also been posted on the book release day, I clicked "Write A Customer Review" and saw my review was not there. Posted my review again and hope this is not one of those situation where the review never gets posted, and I have to contact Amazon to get it posted. They never tell you why this happens, either.
(Note: I received a free-ARC of this book from NetGalley and the author or publisher.)
Hence, it was strange to read in her website's biography that she lived in Germany for a time as an adult, married to a German man. That leads to my one problem with this memoir. I think it would have been much more interesting if it covered her life until now, as opposed to stopping when she left Harrogate Ladies’ College in 1964. She even returned there in 1967 at the age of 16, but the book doesn't cover that, either.
Not that there aren't many interesting things about her childhood and early teen years. Both her parents were social activists, both nonbelievers in God, and both wanted their daughter to become an independent thinker. Her father specifically did not want her to accept any religious beliefs, but, interestingly, she had an innate spiritual side, as well as a need to find the meaning of life. In addition, she was born with tongue-tie (ankyloglossia), which impaired her speaking at times. Not speaking whenever she wanted obviously led to more thinking, as well as more writing.
The memoir also explores the feelings about whites in Guyana in the '50s and '60s. Many black families had plenty of white blood, and black pride was obviously sorely lacking at that time period. White blood was seen as better, lighter skin was better, hair and facial features common to whites were better. The names of white ancestors were known, but not black ancestors. Ms. Maas' parents sent her to a school in Guyana that only had three dark-skinned children. That was the beginning of her realization that white children were no better or smarter than she was, really no different.
Throughout the story are her mixed feelings about her relationship with her mother, too. Her mother was absent for a few months when she was three, taking a course in England. She was cared for by extended family members in a house on Lamaha Street, and when her mother returned, they both continued living in that house. Her parents had divorced, her father remarried and had additional children. Her mother never remarried, and worked tirelessly to improve the lives of others. At times, Sharon Maas longed for a more traditional mother, one who focused on her children most of all, and cooked delicious meals for them.
The author claims she went to boarding school in England because she had read stories on how fun such schools were, and because she wanted to ride horses. It's hard not to think, though, if possibly she wasn't also getting back at her mother for leaving her as a young child, and for not being a more traditional mother. Because when her always kind mother came to visit her at boarding school, she treated her abhorrently, even though her mother was the one who financially made it possible for her to go to boarding school, to go on a ski trip to Austria, to learn how to ride horses and even get one of her own.
One reason Ms. Maas returned to Guyana, however, instead of staying at Harrogate, was because she wanted a better relationship with her mother, to say she was sorry for her behavior, to show she appreciated all that she had done. In addition, she was sick and tired of cold weather. Yet, when you read her website's bio, she now lives in Ireland. I wonder if the author never truly feels like she belongs anywhere, or if she truly feels like she belongs everywhere. Another reason I wished for an extended memoir.
P.S. 4/7/22: Posted my review at Amazon and saw it was not on the page, even though one other one was posted. Since that review had to have also been posted on the book release day, I clicked "Write A Customer Review" and saw my review was not there. Posted my review again and hope this is not one of those situation where the review never gets posted, and I have to contact Amazon to get it posted. They never tell you why this happens, either.
(Note: I received a free-ARC of this book from NetGalley and the author or publisher.)
March 31, 2022
Read Around the World: Guyana
This was an excellent read that I enjoyed very much. The author has an easy writing style and her voice is engaging and intriguing [I will admit that I'd love to visit Guyana now] and the story was so good that I was completely enthralled from beginning to end. I loved learning about her family and life in Guyana, but the part that really intrigued me was when she left all she knew at age 10 to move to England to go to boarding school. I remember having to move from one state to another and starting a new school at 10, but I CANNOT even imagine moving that far, away from family and all that the author knew, to go to school. I admire her so much for wanting to do this and I truly admire her mother for making it happen [even though the author isn't aware of the huge sacrifice it was until many years later]. Overall, it made for some compelling reading and a story that I am grateful I read.
I have had the privilege of listening to Donna Berlin narrate before and I was really excited to see that she narrated this book. I was not disappointed. Her narration was just so on point and she really made the story come alive and really added to the whole experience. I am so grateful I got to have an audiobook for this excellent memoir.
Thank you to NetGalley, Sharon Maas, Thread Books, Thread Books/Bookouture Audio for providing the ARC and audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This was an excellent read that I enjoyed very much. The author has an easy writing style and her voice is engaging and intriguing [I will admit that I'd love to visit Guyana now] and the story was so good that I was completely enthralled from beginning to end. I loved learning about her family and life in Guyana, but the part that really intrigued me was when she left all she knew at age 10 to move to England to go to boarding school. I remember having to move from one state to another and starting a new school at 10, but I CANNOT even imagine moving that far, away from family and all that the author knew, to go to school. I admire her so much for wanting to do this and I truly admire her mother for making it happen [even though the author isn't aware of the huge sacrifice it was until many years later]. Overall, it made for some compelling reading and a story that I am grateful I read.
I have had the privilege of listening to Donna Berlin narrate before and I was really excited to see that she narrated this book. I was not disappointed. Her narration was just so on point and she really made the story come alive and really added to the whole experience. I am so grateful I got to have an audiobook for this excellent memoir.
Thank you to NetGalley, Sharon Maas, Thread Books, Thread Books/Bookouture Audio for providing the ARC and audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review.
April 16, 2022
3.5 stars
There are memoirs that read like personal journals, and then those that reach out to a broader audience through commentary or larger social issues. This one is a bit more insular than I prefer. In the first half, l would have liked to have learned more about Guyana and less about Mass’s family. I waited and waited for the title element: the English boarding school.
When Mass finally makes it to England, the book picks up significantly. Overall, this memoir is readable and solid. It didn’t keep me terribly captivated, but I can see its potential appeal.
Thank you to Sharon Maas, Thread Books, and NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
There are memoirs that read like personal journals, and then those that reach out to a broader audience through commentary or larger social issues. This one is a bit more insular than I prefer. In the first half, l would have liked to have learned more about Guyana and less about Mass’s family. I waited and waited for the title element: the English boarding school.
When Mass finally makes it to England, the book picks up significantly. Overall, this memoir is readable and solid. It didn’t keep me terribly captivated, but I can see its potential appeal.
Thank you to Sharon Maas, Thread Books, and NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
February 13, 2022
I have always loved this authors books, so when I saw she had a memoir I really wanted to read it, and it didn't disappoint.
The book takes us through her childhood Growing up in British Guiana and her experiences in boarding school in England, and I could relate to a lot that she went through as we are of a similar age.
This was a very personal memoir, as it had a lot to do with her thoughts, wishes and feeling about what was going on around her, and her candid feelings of the people that were closest to her.
She is super inquisitive, always trying to find out her place in life, the things that held her back and the ones that propelled her forward.
Coming from divorced parents, and going back and forth from household to household, with parents who usually had very different ideas about how to live life, could sometimes be a challenge, one that made her chose the parts that she could feel a part of.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Thread books for a copy of this book.
The book takes us through her childhood Growing up in British Guiana and her experiences in boarding school in England, and I could relate to a lot that she went through as we are of a similar age.
This was a very personal memoir, as it had a lot to do with her thoughts, wishes and feeling about what was going on around her, and her candid feelings of the people that were closest to her.
She is super inquisitive, always trying to find out her place in life, the things that held her back and the ones that propelled her forward.
Coming from divorced parents, and going back and forth from household to household, with parents who usually had very different ideas about how to live life, could sometimes be a challenge, one that made her chose the parts that she could feel a part of.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Thread books for a copy of this book.
March 31, 2022
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to listen to this audio book in return for an honest review.
Synopsis
One thing stood out in all the books I read. These children were all white. They had blue eyes and soft straight hair. Not a single child in a story was brown like me. How could that be right?"
Growing up in British Guiana in the 1950s, Sharon Maas has everything a shy child with a vivid imagination could wish for. She spends her days studying bugs in the backyard of her family home on Lamaha Street, eating fresh mangoes straight from the tree and losing herself in books tucked up on her granny’s lap, surrounded by her uncles and aunts.
But Sharon feels alone in a house full of adults. Her parents are divorced and her father is busy campaigning for British Guiana’s independence. With her mother often away for work, there’s a void in Sharon’s heart, and she craves rules and structure. The books she devours give her a glimpse of life in a faraway country: England. And although none of the characters in the books she reads look like her, her insatiable curiosity eventually leads Sharon to beg to be sent to boarding school, just like her literary heroes.
Reality comes as a shock. Being the only dark-skinned girl in a sea of posh white girls is a stark contrast to life in her warm homeland, where white people are a small minority. Sharon thrives in her new life. She does well academically, and horse-riding brings her self-discipline and joy in equal measure. But something is not quite right. Writing weekly letters to her mother, she begins to doubt whether this cold country is the right place for her. Is England really her home, and is this where she truly belongs?
You will be swept off your feet by the unputdownable story of Sharon Maas’ extraordinary childhood in British Guiana and England, a beautiful and inspiring tale of self-discovery, determination and chasing your dreams.
Memoirs obviously are a very personal thing, and this one definitely was very personal, heartfelt and insightful. Sharon Maas’ character shone through. I learned a lot on subjects I obviously haven’t ever had to experience. The description of times places and people were so clear I could easily conjoint their images. A really beautiful book.
Synopsis
One thing stood out in all the books I read. These children were all white. They had blue eyes and soft straight hair. Not a single child in a story was brown like me. How could that be right?"
Growing up in British Guiana in the 1950s, Sharon Maas has everything a shy child with a vivid imagination could wish for. She spends her days studying bugs in the backyard of her family home on Lamaha Street, eating fresh mangoes straight from the tree and losing herself in books tucked up on her granny’s lap, surrounded by her uncles and aunts.
But Sharon feels alone in a house full of adults. Her parents are divorced and her father is busy campaigning for British Guiana’s independence. With her mother often away for work, there’s a void in Sharon’s heart, and she craves rules and structure. The books she devours give her a glimpse of life in a faraway country: England. And although none of the characters in the books she reads look like her, her insatiable curiosity eventually leads Sharon to beg to be sent to boarding school, just like her literary heroes.
Reality comes as a shock. Being the only dark-skinned girl in a sea of posh white girls is a stark contrast to life in her warm homeland, where white people are a small minority. Sharon thrives in her new life. She does well academically, and horse-riding brings her self-discipline and joy in equal measure. But something is not quite right. Writing weekly letters to her mother, she begins to doubt whether this cold country is the right place for her. Is England really her home, and is this where she truly belongs?
You will be swept off your feet by the unputdownable story of Sharon Maas’ extraordinary childhood in British Guiana and England, a beautiful and inspiring tale of self-discovery, determination and chasing your dreams.
Memoirs obviously are a very personal thing, and this one definitely was very personal, heartfelt and insightful. Sharon Maas’ character shone through. I learned a lot on subjects I obviously haven’t ever had to experience. The description of times places and people were so clear I could easily conjoint their images. A really beautiful book.
April 10, 2022
The subtitle says it all – it’s the memoir of a Guyanese girl at a 1960s boarding school and her search for belonging. Sharon Maas was born in 1951 in Georgetown, Guyana – or British Guiana as it was then known – into a prominent political family. Her father campaigned for independence and her mother worked full time, often away from home, in an era when this was not the norm. Sharon grew up surrounded by her extended family, and was a clever child, who read voraciously, including many books about England and English boarding schools. She longed to go to one such school and her mother agreed to pay for her to do so. At this point the reader is conditioned to expect a tale of prejudice and discrimination but in fact Sharon was happy at the school and did well academically and socially, being accepted in spite of her colour. It’s a fascinating glimpse into life in 1950s Guyana and into life at an English boarding school in the 1960s, especially that as experienced by a black girl in a white environment so many miles from her home. I thoroughly enjoyed the book, but found I never really got to know Sharon Maas as the narration is curiously bland and unemotional. I can’t quite put my finger on where it is lacking, but I remained distanced throughout. Nevertheless I highly recommend the book for the portrait it gives of another country’s culture in a bygone era.
April 7, 2022
This charming coming of age memoir that follows the life a Guyanese girl as she grows up in Guyana and England. This book provided some interesting historical information on Guyana, that I had no knowledge of and captivated my attention throughout the story.
I enjoyed listening to the audiobook and highly recommend this book! Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture Audio for an advanced audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
I enjoyed listening to the audiobook and highly recommend this book! Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture Audio for an advanced audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
January 8, 2022
This is an incredible insight into a very unusual childhood.
Enhanced by letters to her mum which tended to make me giggle, or cringe, sometimes both this has a great mixture of emotions.
The identity theme personally interested me, in terms of name, and how it felt to be a black child in a white environment.
Nice photographs which added to it.
Enhanced by letters to her mum which tended to make me giggle, or cringe, sometimes both this has a great mixture of emotions.
The identity theme personally interested me, in terms of name, and how it felt to be a black child in a white environment.
Nice photographs which added to it.
January 23, 2022
In reading this memoir, the first half is about her life in British Guiana as a child from age 3 to age 9, then the second is from her time in England age 9 until high school. I kept wondering why am I reading about this person, what is her motivation for telling us her story? As an adult, what happened to her and what did she make of herself? I felt that in her telling of her life, it was based on her thoughts from photographs that she found to conjure up memories as well as to explain her unorthodox upbringing by her unconventional parents. The tone was very flat and without emotion. I found it sad that she really had no firm foundation or sense of home as like many children of divorce who fault themselves for being the reason behind the split. Thank goodness for her grandmas and aunts and uncles. Additionally, throughout her young life, Sharon wrestled with her identity not only racially but her personal beliefs. At a very young age, Sharon had to learn to count on herself. She writes: “A plant can grow strong and stable even in rough and stony ground. So, too, did I learn not only to survive, but to thrive.” While insightful in some parts, as I appreciate her childhood insights especially on the observations of race in Georgetown and then in England at the boarding school, I would have liked to have heard how this affected her adulthood life. What was her impact as an adult? This is not a book that I would rave about for others to read.
Many thanks to #netgalley #thegirlfrom lamahastreet #sharonmaas for the opportunity to read and review this book.
Many thanks to #netgalley #thegirlfrom lamahastreet #sharonmaas for the opportunity to read and review this book.
April 28, 2022
I found this book was fascinating, so interesting and I found it so educational to my journey, this is a fascinating insight into what it was like growing up in 1950s Guyana and then Boarding School in the 1960s. I particularly loved Maas’s memory for the smallest of details, it makes such a difference. I loved the evocative descriptions of Guyana, which are in stark contrast to the grey, and lifeless descriptions of boarding school in England, her life as one of the only non-white students and the book ends with Maas’s return to Guyana in the mid sixties. I found this to be a skilfully and beautifully written image of childhood in Guyana and England that taught me so much, not only about Guyana’s culture and history but Englands too. I definitely recommend this as a fascinating and enthralling look into a unique childhood
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion
June 16, 2022
Last year I was introduced to Sharon Maas’ writing when I was offered a copy of her novel Those I Have Lost to read and review. It was a breathtaking read, and easy for me to award it a full five stars. Earlier this year, I was offered a copy of her new memoir, The Girl from Lamaha Street. Since I was temporarily living in England at the time, the publisher was able to send me a physical copy. At the time, I presumed I’d be reading what it says on the tin, about someone very different from me.
I was wrong.
I was not even a quarter of the way through when I realized I identified with some aspects of Sharon’s life. Yes, we have differences: our skin color is the obvious one, and where we were born is another. I was raised a white girl in the home country of the former British Empire; she as a subject of that Empire in a faraway territory wanting independence from it. But I first noticed the common ground when she quoted her aunt, who would often say, “I want, never gets.” This was something I’d often hear in my childhood from my grandmother, and it had a huge impact on me. Secondly, we loved the same books when we were growing up. Both of us had the Malory Towers books, which influenced Sharon’s wanting to attend boarding school. I was also struck by the complicated relationship she had with her mother. How I also longed for a “normal” mother. I only wish the relationship with my mother ended as well as the one Sharon eventually had with her mother. There’s one more connection Sharon and I have, but more on that later.
I found the sections on race interesting. Sharon detailed how her family members came to have different skin tones. It seemed to me that while those who intermarried didn’t seem to care about skin color, their relatives did and there’s an example of one family disowning a daughter for marrying someone darker than her. Because those in charge in British Guiana (BG) tended to be white, there was a perceived notion that the lighter skinned you were (and still are) the better your status. As a child, Sharon was taught that she was just as good as any white person, but there’s a difference between knowing it on an intellectual basis and feeling it emotionally. There are details in the book of two occasions when she experienced racism in Europe, but Sharon acknowledged she probably didn’t experience as much racism as other people with her skin color.
The highlight for me, however, was the section of her time at Harrogate Ladies College (HLC). Going into the book, I had no idea Sharon’s boarding school was one in the town in England where I was raised. Yes, I knew about HLC, and could recognize the uniform, but I went to a regular state school. Harrogate has long had a reputation for being “posh,” but Sharon experienced more of that aspect of Harrogate life than I ever could. Most of the writing in this section is about events at the school, but occasionally I came across familiar streets and buildings. For me, this book isn’t only about “the girl from Lamaha Street” in Georgetown, BG, but also about a part of Harrogate’s history. The Oakdale building, where Sharon spent most her time at HLC, no longer exists. I don’t know when it was demolished, but I have no memory of knowing about it. I believe this is a must read for anyone connected to or interested in the school.
Despite the profession of Sharon’s father, this is not a political memoir. It ends in 1964, prior to BG becoming the independent country of Guyana. Descriptions of life under British rule are woven into the narrative, but only in relation to Sharon’s life. That doesn’t stop me from wanting to know how life for this teenager changed when the country became independent in 1966. In the meantime, I’m looking forward to reading her next novel, which is about one of the darker events in the young country: Jonestown. A Home for the Lost is scheduled for release at the end of June 2022.
Disclaimer: Although I received a copy of this book from the publisher, the opinions above are my own.
I was wrong.
I was not even a quarter of the way through when I realized I identified with some aspects of Sharon’s life. Yes, we have differences: our skin color is the obvious one, and where we were born is another. I was raised a white girl in the home country of the former British Empire; she as a subject of that Empire in a faraway territory wanting independence from it. But I first noticed the common ground when she quoted her aunt, who would often say, “I want, never gets.” This was something I’d often hear in my childhood from my grandmother, and it had a huge impact on me. Secondly, we loved the same books when we were growing up. Both of us had the Malory Towers books, which influenced Sharon’s wanting to attend boarding school. I was also struck by the complicated relationship she had with her mother. How I also longed for a “normal” mother. I only wish the relationship with my mother ended as well as the one Sharon eventually had with her mother. There’s one more connection Sharon and I have, but more on that later.
I found the sections on race interesting. Sharon detailed how her family members came to have different skin tones. It seemed to me that while those who intermarried didn’t seem to care about skin color, their relatives did and there’s an example of one family disowning a daughter for marrying someone darker than her. Because those in charge in British Guiana (BG) tended to be white, there was a perceived notion that the lighter skinned you were (and still are) the better your status. As a child, Sharon was taught that she was just as good as any white person, but there’s a difference between knowing it on an intellectual basis and feeling it emotionally. There are details in the book of two occasions when she experienced racism in Europe, but Sharon acknowledged she probably didn’t experience as much racism as other people with her skin color.
The highlight for me, however, was the section of her time at Harrogate Ladies College (HLC). Going into the book, I had no idea Sharon’s boarding school was one in the town in England where I was raised. Yes, I knew about HLC, and could recognize the uniform, but I went to a regular state school. Harrogate has long had a reputation for being “posh,” but Sharon experienced more of that aspect of Harrogate life than I ever could. Most of the writing in this section is about events at the school, but occasionally I came across familiar streets and buildings. For me, this book isn’t only about “the girl from Lamaha Street” in Georgetown, BG, but also about a part of Harrogate’s history. The Oakdale building, where Sharon spent most her time at HLC, no longer exists. I don’t know when it was demolished, but I have no memory of knowing about it. I believe this is a must read for anyone connected to or interested in the school.
Despite the profession of Sharon’s father, this is not a political memoir. It ends in 1964, prior to BG becoming the independent country of Guyana. Descriptions of life under British rule are woven into the narrative, but only in relation to Sharon’s life. That doesn’t stop me from wanting to know how life for this teenager changed when the country became independent in 1966. In the meantime, I’m looking forward to reading her next novel, which is about one of the darker events in the young country: Jonestown. A Home for the Lost is scheduled for release at the end of June 2022.
Disclaimer: Although I received a copy of this book from the publisher, the opinions above are my own.
April 14, 2022
In The Girl From Lamaha Street, Sharon Maas recounts her childhood in British Guiana and later attending boarding school in England. She lives with her grandma, as her dad is campaigning for the country’s independence, and her mother often travels for work. Books take Sharon away into stories set in England, so different from her own home. Sharon dreams of horses and boarding school and eventually convinces her mother to send her to England to live like the children in her books. Will Sharon find a place to belong in England, or will she realize British Guiana is her true home after all?
I enjoyed getting to know more about Guyana in the 1950s and 1960s through this book, and I was impressed by the author’s ability to remember events from her childhood. Donna Berlin did a wonderful job narrating the book. It was interesting to learn about Sharon’s childhood, and the contrasting worlds of Guiana and an English boarding school, but I didn't feel a cohesive thread in the story of why I should read this book. I really would have loved to know more about what her mother did, but the author probably wouldn’t have enough memories of her mom’s work to write about that.
Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me an audio ARC of this book.
I enjoyed getting to know more about Guyana in the 1950s and 1960s through this book, and I was impressed by the author’s ability to remember events from her childhood. Donna Berlin did a wonderful job narrating the book. It was interesting to learn about Sharon’s childhood, and the contrasting worlds of Guiana and an English boarding school, but I didn't feel a cohesive thread in the story of why I should read this book. I really would have loved to know more about what her mother did, but the author probably wouldn’t have enough memories of her mom’s work to write about that.
Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me an audio ARC of this book.
August 9, 2024
I ended up with both the digital and audio version of this book, but I finally finished it using the audio version. I used the other version for the pictures.
I’ve read one book by the author, one that introduced me to the country Guyana and its history. Prior to that I had no idea about its connection to my own country. As I listened to the early childhood section I was strongly reminded of that book. The author drew heavily from her own personal personality to shape the character(s) in that.
This is a memoir of a reasonably good childhood with parents who did not fall in line with the majority of the people of their time. As she grows up we also get to see the world around at that time.
I was more fascinated with the world and settings than the author’s narration unfortunately. I felt like I would have better appreciated the emotions if the book had been a little bit shorter. It was hard to understand where one should stand as a reader when the author talks of her mother and their relationship.
It is a memoir set in a time and place that I would have otherwise never known anything about. I would recommend this book to fans of the author, and want to know more about her past.
I received an ARC thanks to Netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my own listening experience.
I’ve read one book by the author, one that introduced me to the country Guyana and its history. Prior to that I had no idea about its connection to my own country. As I listened to the early childhood section I was strongly reminded of that book. The author drew heavily from her own personal personality to shape the character(s) in that.
This is a memoir of a reasonably good childhood with parents who did not fall in line with the majority of the people of their time. As she grows up we also get to see the world around at that time.
I was more fascinated with the world and settings than the author’s narration unfortunately. I felt like I would have better appreciated the emotions if the book had been a little bit shorter. It was hard to understand where one should stand as a reader when the author talks of her mother and their relationship.
It is a memoir set in a time and place that I would have otherwise never known anything about. I would recommend this book to fans of the author, and want to know more about her past.
I received an ARC thanks to Netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my own listening experience.
February 1, 2022
A wonderful, enlightening read. This tells Sharon’s (Jo) story of her childhood and beyond. Sharon was brought up in British Guiana (Guyana as it is now) and had occasional trips to England with her family. Her mother refused to give up work on getting married as was the thing back in the 1950s (and compulsory in some companies) which eventually led to her divorce- again something rather unheard of at the time. Sharon was looked after by an Aunt and there were lots of children around. When she got to school, having read Enid Blyton's tales of British boarding school, it was where she longed to go. Eventually she did and this tells the story of her adventures in Harrogate far away from home and how she became Jo-until she didn't. How her longing for riding was fulfilled and how she began to find herself.
I really enjoyed this. I too read the Enid Blyton books and had the same aspirations so completely get where the author is coming from. A powerful read of someone who found her confidence having arrived saying very little and being tongue tied. Beautifully written and with several pictures I found myself turning and turning, immersed in the story. A wonderful, evocative read.
I really enjoyed this. I too read the Enid Blyton books and had the same aspirations so completely get where the author is coming from. A powerful read of someone who found her confidence having arrived saying very little and being tongue tied. Beautifully written and with several pictures I found myself turning and turning, immersed in the story. A wonderful, evocative read.
April 18, 2022
"The Girl from Lamaha Street" by Sharon Maas is an autobiography that covers the early life and adolescent years of the author as she moves from British Guiana to a boarding school in England. Written with evocative detail and a clear love of her childhood Maas writes from a perspective I haven't seen before.
I was most interested in the authors early years - British Guiana being my Grandmother's homeland - and the bright descriptions of family and childhood make me want to book a flight straight away!
Moving to England to attend boarding school was the less interesting part of the book to me. Although the author's skin marked her as "odd" she otherwise enjoyed a regular boarding school life - albeit one with a Foster family - a subject that didn't really interest me even if it was filled with amusing anecdotes.
The audio version is supurbly narrated by Donna Berlin who I know nothing about but sounds remarkably like my Guyanese auntie. There were a couple of slightly confusing parts to the narration - "Carol vs Cs-role" took me a monet - but on the whole made for easy listening.
Thank you NetGalley for my ARC.
I was most interested in the authors early years - British Guiana being my Grandmother's homeland - and the bright descriptions of family and childhood make me want to book a flight straight away!
Moving to England to attend boarding school was the less interesting part of the book to me. Although the author's skin marked her as "odd" she otherwise enjoyed a regular boarding school life - albeit one with a Foster family - a subject that didn't really interest me even if it was filled with amusing anecdotes.
The audio version is supurbly narrated by Donna Berlin who I know nothing about but sounds remarkably like my Guyanese auntie. There were a couple of slightly confusing parts to the narration - "Carol vs Cs-role" took me a monet - but on the whole made for easy listening.
Thank you NetGalley for my ARC.
July 8, 2023
This was particularly poignant for me as I was living in BG ( Guyana) from 1953 through till 1963 and then I too was in an English private boarding school. Unlike Sharon, I was not a fan of boarding and didn't ask to go to one.
My family lived on a number of different Sugar estates and also in Georgetown - a place called bel Air Springs.
I was lucky enough to have ponies - two came from the police barracks Saron mentioned - they gave retired horses to families who could prove they would care for them.
My Mum was one of the founders of the Pony Club she mentioned towards the end of her book.
I loved the parts in BG and was interested in how she coped with being away from family in a strange country for so long 0 she was braver than I would have been.
I flew on BWIA and landed at Atkinson airfield and so many of the places she, mentions rang bells with me - Bookers and Fogartys buying books, Staebrook market and the wooden cathedral!
I enjoyed her novels set in Guyana as well and will look out for her other books.
My family lived on a number of different Sugar estates and also in Georgetown - a place called bel Air Springs.
I was lucky enough to have ponies - two came from the police barracks Saron mentioned - they gave retired horses to families who could prove they would care for them.
My Mum was one of the founders of the Pony Club she mentioned towards the end of her book.
I loved the parts in BG and was interested in how she coped with being away from family in a strange country for so long 0 she was braver than I would have been.
I flew on BWIA and landed at Atkinson airfield and so many of the places she, mentions rang bells with me - Bookers and Fogartys buying books, Staebrook market and the wooden cathedral!
I enjoyed her novels set in Guyana as well and will look out for her other books.
March 13, 2022
I really loved this memoir from Sharon Maas, which was all about her childhood and beyond, all of which was really fascinating to read about. She was born in British Guyana and brought up by her parents and her family members. Her mother became distant and this was traumatic for her, but she still found a lot of love and care all around her, even though she always missed her. I enjoyed reading about her adventures through life, especially that with horses, the outdoors and all of nature. The audiobook narrator was perfect and did a fantastic job. This is a great read, which I highly recommend.
Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
April 14, 2022
i wanted to like it, i really did. if it wasn’t a netgalley copy it would have been a DNF for me.
there was no support for the thesis… the claims the author makes throughout the book, even at the end, do not align to what she describes throughout the novel. i kept returning to the description of the book because what i thought it was going to be about, is not what it was about.
and ultimately, i felt very bored by this memoir. it did not strike me in any meaningful way and i am walking away without feeling anything as a result of reading it.
thank you @netgalley and @threadbooks for the review copy!
there was no support for the thesis… the claims the author makes throughout the book, even at the end, do not align to what she describes throughout the novel. i kept returning to the description of the book because what i thought it was going to be about, is not what it was about.
and ultimately, i felt very bored by this memoir. it did not strike me in any meaningful way and i am walking away without feeling anything as a result of reading it.
thank you @netgalley and @threadbooks for the review copy!
April 25, 2022
I listened to The Girl From Lamar Street over a two day period whilst sunbathing on holiday. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this memoir. It allowed me develop an understanding of the societal norms in 50s British Guiana. This left me with some shame, reading of white privilege. Born to a mother highly involved in women's rights and large extended family of cousins, aunts and uncles, Sharon was never bored. The memoir takes us from British Guiana to Britain and Austria.
As a new convert to audio books I found this edition very easy to listen to and won't hesitate to listen to more by Sharon Mass.
As a new convert to audio books I found this edition very easy to listen to and won't hesitate to listen to more by Sharon Mass.
June 9, 2022
Working in a Boarding school I was fascinated to find out how a ten year old girl from British Guiana coped in an English Christian boarding school . It took me about halfway in before I found out and I wanted more anecdotes and information about this time in her life .Overall ,good in parts but the real hero is the authors indomitable mother - now I would love to read her life story .
April 3, 2022
This is a really descriptive memoir of Sharon’s childhood - reminiscing the important people who shaped her early years both in Guyana and England.
I loved the photos sharing the snapshot of her life, and the book shares an interesting history of British Guiana and England in the 1950’s and 60’s.
I loved the photos sharing the snapshot of her life, and the book shares an interesting history of British Guiana and England in the 1950’s and 60’s.
May 10, 2022
Just an ok read
Thought it would be better, capturing me but not really had me sucked in. I was disappointed and not really recommend.
Thought it would be better, capturing me but not really had me sucked in. I was disappointed and not really recommend.
May 19, 2022
I learned of this book here: https://whatcathyreadnext.wordpress.c...
April 7, 2022
Thank you to the author, Thread Books and NetGalley, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
As Sören Kierkegaard famously said, "Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." and this memoir is a wonderful example of someone looking back at their life and reflecting on the things that shaped her into the adult she became. As a child of divorce, and with parents who were each unconventional but loving in their own way, the author tells the story of her childhood and young adulthood as someone searching for a sense of home and belonging. At the same time, she doesn't hide the childish selfishness that leads her to declare out-of-the-ordinary wishes and plans that must have put a strain on the resources of her family - but that also led to extraordinary loneliness on the one hand, and extraordinarily positive experiences on the other hand. The author has an open storytelling style, without artifice and as easy to read as though one were in conversation with her. I enjoyed the insights into the country of Guyana, which I was not familiar with at all beforehand, and the author's exploration of the issues of identity. I would have been interested to read more about how this impacted her as an adult.
As Sören Kierkegaard famously said, "Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." and this memoir is a wonderful example of someone looking back at their life and reflecting on the things that shaped her into the adult she became. As a child of divorce, and with parents who were each unconventional but loving in their own way, the author tells the story of her childhood and young adulthood as someone searching for a sense of home and belonging. At the same time, she doesn't hide the childish selfishness that leads her to declare out-of-the-ordinary wishes and plans that must have put a strain on the resources of her family - but that also led to extraordinary loneliness on the one hand, and extraordinarily positive experiences on the other hand. The author has an open storytelling style, without artifice and as easy to read as though one were in conversation with her. I enjoyed the insights into the country of Guyana, which I was not familiar with at all beforehand, and the author's exploration of the issues of identity. I would have been interested to read more about how this impacted her as an adult.
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