Liverpool Miss

by Helen Forrester

The second volume of Helen Forrester's powerful, painful and ultimately uplifting four-volume autobiography of her poverty-stricken childhood in Liverpool during the Depression. The Forrester family are slowly winning their fight for survival. But fourteen-year-old Helen's personal battle is to persuade her parents to allow her to earn her own living, to lead her own life after the years of neglect and inadequate schooling while she cared for her six younger brothers and sisters. Her untiring struggles against illness caused by severe malnutrition and dirt (she has her first bath in four years) and, above all, the selfish demands of her parents, make this a story of amazing courage and perseverance.

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography, Autobiography, Memoir, Historical, History, British Literature

290 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1979

About the author

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

In 1953 Forrester moved to Edmonton, Canada.

Reviews

[Bonnie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Recommended I read. Won't say by who, but I know why and agree with her reasoning. Not saying I would recommend to others.

[Rena · Rating 3 out of 5]

This Helen Forrester series of books consumed me for a few weeks until I finished the series. I cannot believe that this woman lived the life described in these books and turned out to be quite normal. I just wanted to grab her and take her to a home with caring parents. I wanted to slap her mother and shake some sense into her. Both her parents were nuts. But the story Helen tells about her life was beautifully written.

This series was very popular among the teen girls of England back in the 80's.

[Redfox5 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This second instalment of the life story of Helen Forrester was just as good as the first one.

It had been so long since I read the first one, that I had forgotten that they came from a well to do family who had fallen on bad times, rather than just being born into poverty.

Helen's parents really annoyed me. They were awful to her. It's pet hate of mine, when parents have kids and then expect older siblings to look after them. She was responsible for everyone and was trapped in that house for so long. Her parents kept spending all the money on crap rather than food, even though their children were starving. And even when they finally let Helen have a job, the small essentials she buys for herself get nicked by her own mother! The worst was when she just needed a pound for the holiday. And her mum doesn't tell her until an hour before the train is about to leave that she's spent it. So cruel.

Although I loved reading this, it did just end without any sort of conclusion but it does leave me pretty desperate to read the next one.

[Josephine (Jo) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second book in the quartet of biographies by Helen Forrester. I have read them all before and find them so touching and inspiring. The fact that Helen managed to survive the dreadful physical and mental neglect of her childhood is nothing short of a miracle. Her feckless parents, unable to manage in their new reduced circumstances, put themselves and all the other children before Helen when it came to the handing out of any small amount of food or clothing. Helen survived only because of her own tenacity and her desire to try and educate herself! I have so much admiration for a young girl who, used to having all the good things in life, suddenly found herself plunged into a life of dire poverty. These books would give hope to anyone who feels that they are unable to better themselves and rise out of a world of poverty.

[Fazackerly Toast · Rating 3 out of 5]

I simply cannot believe how appalling her parents are. The other thing that strikes me is what a difference the smallest gesture and piece of human kindness is to the poor struggling soul.

[Nikki Bywater · Rating 5 out of 5]

Following on from the first novel, Helen is still stuck in poverty and when a job opportunity comes up for Helen, she must fight for her independence with her mother. Helen is determined to go out to work and to improve her lifestyle, only to find her life made harder by her family circumstances and illness brought on by living in poverty.

Set in the 1930’s Depression, Helen Forrester writes her own true life account of growing up poverty-stricken in Liverpool. Following on from the first novel Twopence to Cross the Mersey, this is a very moving and heart told story. You really do feel for Helen and all she has got to go through, it is a quite remarkable story, well worth the read.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a true story. Wow. Very sad, but so touching. You really learned the thoughts of the main character and her feelings and how she dealt with her extreme poverty growing up as a child to a young woman. It made me feel bad for ever complaining about being tired when I work...at least I get three good meals every day...she didn't even get that.

[Hannah Polley · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars really.

A sad story of poverty that the author endured as she grew up in Liverpool.

As the eldest of several children, and with parents who had irresponsible spending habits, Helen had to try and keep the family going, often going without herself.

A sad story but also an inspiring one.

[Yvonne Vankosky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Again I really enjoyed Helen's writing. Her account of her life during the tragedy of the second world war is amazing.

[Greta · Rating 3 out of 5]

Seeing Liverpool, Scotland through the eyes of Helen Forrester during WWII is barely like the Liverpool we just visited in the Spring of 2023. The Mercy river is much less polluted today and offers safe boat rides. Buildings are not bombed out, or boarded up and abandoned. People are busy everywhere in all the jobs it takes to keep a big city clean and functioning well. Bus transportation is plentiful and has replaced the trams of mid-20th century. The hills remain the same as do the beautiful views, and it is no longer a poverty stricken city.

[Donna]

The second book in a series of four...brilliant

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book finished rather abruptly without an obvious conclusion. Some foreshadowing would have been helpful to lead into the next book. The writing is very formal and a bit old fashioned, but it was written a long time ago, and it doesn't detract from the story, which is very interesting.

I was hoping life would improve for Helen as she moved into her teenage years and got some independence from her feckless parents, but unfortunately not. Things just get worse, and she starts to see her parents for what they are. She fights back in small ways, but not nearly enough.

I shall have to read the next instalment to find out if Helen's life ever improves, and she gets some closure from all the misery.

[Barbra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everyone should read this moving account of poverty.

Back Cover Blurb:
The continuing story of Helen Forrester's poverty-stricken childhood in Liverpool during the Depression. The Forrester family are slowly winning their fight for survival. But fourteen year old Helen's personal battle is to persuade her parents to allow her to earn her own living, to lead her own life after the years of neglect and inadequate schooling while she cared for her six younger siblings. Her untiring struggles against illness caused by severe malnutrition and dirt (she had her first bath in four years)and, above all, the selfish demands of her parents, make this a story of amazing courage and perseverance.

[Paula Liebe · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was given to me by friend. I had never heard of the author, but I'm glad I found her, and I'm sorry she has passed away, because now I can't tell her how much I liked her book. Although it wasn't the page turner that the 'Glass Castle' was for me, I kept picking it up over a period of 6 months. I really like Helen's style of writing. Not overly poetic, but a beautiful clear and honest style. I love memoirs like these; the incredible poverty and parents who are out of touch with reality, and the incredible determination of the heroine to get out of her misery with her desire to work and educate herself.

[Alison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Third book in her autobiographical series, looking at the time of Living in Liverpool after hardship and poverty and trying to make the most of it. Still having to help her family, and working low class jobs in order to survive, this has been a remarkable series about resilience, poverty and prejudice along with the reality of survival in a country where it shouldn't have been such a large issue in the 20th century. A must read series.

[Candy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book 2 in series-bought used on Amazon-not available in library consortium.
After reading book 1, I had to know more about Helen. I was amazed to read of her work with the poor in the 1930's, and how very closely their system matched how business was conducted when I started at the welfare department in 1978!
This is an amazing story- I am going on to book 3.

[Angela Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Set in Liverpool during the Depression it is story of a young girl's perseverance in a time of great hardship. It continues, from her previous book 'Twopence to cross the Mersey' about the childhood of the author in the poverty- stricken city, her efforts to improve her education by attending night-school and her first job.

[Diana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love her writing, it's brilliant.

Her parents, in particular, her mother was cruel and an awful human being. I'll never understand how Helen continuously forgave her and even felt compassion for such a selfish individual.

Helen has become one of my favorite authors, even though I have to wait for interlibrary loans to receive a book, as my city library doesn't carry them.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sequel to 'Twopence to Cross the Mersey'. Continued autobiographical account of a family in extreme poverty in the 1930s in Liverpool. Helen is now in her mid-teens, starts work and attends evening classes. Very well-written and interesting.

[Denice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant, describes how hard life was in Liverpool, really well written and a can't put down book, only thing I'd advise is buying the whole set at once as once you've started reading the first in the series you'll find it very hard to put down.

[Marion · Rating 3 out of 5]

Relates a teenage girl's struggle to survive while helping her once wealthy family recover from the depression that has made their life in Liverpool almost unbearable.
A good history into how Helen survives her teenage years in terrible poverty, very educational..

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Continuing the story of Helen's poverty stricken young life. In this sequel we follow Helen through her early teens on a road of discovery, sickness, trauma and a constant battle with her parents to follow her dreams!

[Sonic · Rating 4 out of 5]

touching. written in a refreshingly simple style.

[Andrea]

very good read couldnt put this book down

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

heartwrenching story about an impoverished life in Liverpool..

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poverty in Liverpool in the 30s, authentic representation, likeable characters, sobering storyline.

[Natasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This non-fiction series is almost traumatic to read. The only thing that keeps me going is knowing that she becomes a seemingly well adjusted and successful author.

[Nicole Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was only thirteen when I read this but it absolutely blew my mind, it opened up my interest in autobiographies from a young age.

[Mary Cohen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Makes you think about how hard life was back then. Makes you appreciate life today.

[Charlie Trafford · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you start reading these books you won't be able to put them down, another heart rending read, in the lives of the Forrester family.