What do you think?
Rate this book
Imagine This: Growing Up with My Brother John Lennon
Until now, the true story of John Lennon's childhood has never been told. John's sister Julia has herself been on a personal journey that has made it possible only now to reveal the full extent of the pain and difficulties - as well as the happier times - living inside John Lennon's family brought. Julia reveals the various strong, self-willed and selfish women who surrounded John as he grew up. John was removed from his mother at the age of 5 to live with his Aunt Mimi, and here Julia shows for the first time the cruelty of this decision - to both mother and son, she sheds a new light on his upbringing with Mimi which is often at dramatic odds with the accepted tale. John's frequent visits to his mother and sisters gave him the liveliness, freedom and love he sought and allowed him to develop his musical talents. The tragic death of their mother, knocked down outside Aunt Mimi's house by a speeding car when John was 17, meant that life for him and his sisters would never be the same again.Poignant, raw and beautifully written, Imagine This casts John Lennon's life in a new light and reveals the source of his emotional fragility and musical genius. It is also one family's extraordinary story of how it dealt with fame and tragedy beyond all imagining.
336 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2007
84 people are currently reading
661 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews
October 30, 2018
‘Imagine This – Growing up with my brother John Lennon’ (2007) is a very personal and revealing story as recounted by Julia Baird, from her own perspective of growing up as Lennon’s half-sister.
‘Imagine This’ is a story of fractured and dysfunctional families and strong women within those families. This is a biography which is all about family, power, secrets, lies, bigotry, estrangement, perpetuated family rifts, and miscommunications (transatlantic or otherwise) – but above all else, this is a book about growing up with loss – the loss of a brother (first by separation and then assassination) and the loss of a Mother along with so many others.
Baird’s book tells us precious little new concerning The Beatles, although here perhaps their initial formation is described from a more personal/eye witness perspective than we’re accustomed to. But what we do learn is how it felt for Baird growing up with, or more to the point without, an often estranged/removed half-brother that was John Lennon. Neither do we learn much concerning John Lennon – and much of what is written in Baird’s book, save for the section concerning their partial reconciliation where access was restored to Lennon (the post childhood/pre-Beatlemania period) seems to be supposition on Baird’s part, from her perspective, or as recounted by relatives.
That said – ‘Imagine This’ is an honest, heartfelt and personal account by Baird of her own experience of growing up with/without Lennon as her half-brother. This is clearly Baird’s attempt in her eyes, to ‘right the wrongs’ previously written about her family and in particular concerning her mother. As with any such biography – and in a sense this is Baird’s autobiography as well as partial biography of John Lennon, this is one side of a complicated family history, it’s one perspective from one family member, with I’m sure as many sides to that particular family story as there are members of that family.
‘Imagine This’ is a story of fractured and dysfunctional families and strong women within those families. This is a biography which is all about family, power, secrets, lies, bigotry, estrangement, perpetuated family rifts, and miscommunications (transatlantic or otherwise) – but above all else, this is a book about growing up with loss – the loss of a brother (first by separation and then assassination) and the loss of a Mother along with so many others.
Baird’s book tells us precious little new concerning The Beatles, although here perhaps their initial formation is described from a more personal/eye witness perspective than we’re accustomed to. But what we do learn is how it felt for Baird growing up with, or more to the point without, an often estranged/removed half-brother that was John Lennon. Neither do we learn much concerning John Lennon – and much of what is written in Baird’s book, save for the section concerning their partial reconciliation where access was restored to Lennon (the post childhood/pre-Beatlemania period) seems to be supposition on Baird’s part, from her perspective, or as recounted by relatives.
That said – ‘Imagine This’ is an honest, heartfelt and personal account by Baird of her own experience of growing up with/without Lennon as her half-brother. This is clearly Baird’s attempt in her eyes, to ‘right the wrongs’ previously written about her family and in particular concerning her mother. As with any such biography – and in a sense this is Baird’s autobiography as well as partial biography of John Lennon, this is one side of a complicated family history, it’s one perspective from one family member, with I’m sure as many sides to that particular family story as there are members of that family.
December 31, 2012
I absolutely loved this book, and found it very hard to put down once I started reading.
Julia has done a first-class job in putting the record straight over the public persona of her mother, who has often been the victim of unfair misrepresentation and shown in an unfavourable light by many who have written (or even made films) concerning her famous brother's life.
Julia's a very talented writer, and has really brought her lovely mother to life to me through her honest and heartfelt words, sharing her precious childhood memories (often tinged with tragedy and loss) in a very intimate and moving way.
This is very much Julia's story, where John is a side-character, and charts her own life, seeing her much-loved brother (and her relationship with him) through her own eyes.
I found the whole book very touching and inspiring, and felt humbled in the way that Julia has always strived to lead a quiet life (very rarely revealing to others her claim to fame, or basking in her brother's reflected fame).
She has, in a less public way, played her own part in humanitarian affairs, helping others through charitable work, and made life better for disadvantaged young people with whom she feels so much empathy.
This has been such an honest, touching and illuminating read, and I thank Julia so much for sharing her precious memories with me.
Julia has done a first-class job in putting the record straight over the public persona of her mother, who has often been the victim of unfair misrepresentation and shown in an unfavourable light by many who have written (or even made films) concerning her famous brother's life.
Julia's a very talented writer, and has really brought her lovely mother to life to me through her honest and heartfelt words, sharing her precious childhood memories (often tinged with tragedy and loss) in a very intimate and moving way.
This is very much Julia's story, where John is a side-character, and charts her own life, seeing her much-loved brother (and her relationship with him) through her own eyes.
I found the whole book very touching and inspiring, and felt humbled in the way that Julia has always strived to lead a quiet life (very rarely revealing to others her claim to fame, or basking in her brother's reflected fame).
She has, in a less public way, played her own part in humanitarian affairs, helping others through charitable work, and made life better for disadvantaged young people with whom she feels so much empathy.
This has been such an honest, touching and illuminating read, and I thank Julia so much for sharing her precious memories with me.
April 18, 2011
Writing this book must have been a very therapeutic experience for Julia. So many traumas and demons to face, write about and cope with.
Even though there is a picture of John Lennon on the cover, the book is actually about the whole Lennon family and especially Julia Baird, the author, herself. Which is not a bad thing. If you want to know about John Lennon, I mean really know, if you want all the Hamburg stories, how he met Yoko and so on, there are plenty of books out there about that. This is the story of the young John Lennon, his relationship with his mother and aunts, and a look at how nasty and cruel those aunts could be. Child-rearing was not their force.
Some thoughts:
*John was a really good brother. He clearly loved his sisters a lot, even though his aunt Mimi didn't want him to see them. The sisters were "illegitimate, not part of the family" but John didn't care. He went to see them anyway, he laughed and joked with them, was a good playfellow and he was never embarrassed by them. Even when the Quarry Men had gigs, he let his sisters sit on the stage. Great brother! (And he was a voracious reader too!:D)
*Those Stanley sisters...(John's aunts). They were really something. Mrs Reid in Jane Eyre has got nothing on them. Aunt Mimi took John away from his mother, even though Julia begged her to give him back and did what she could to get him back. Aunt Mimi said no because Julia was living with Bobby, whom she was not married to. So she took John off to live at "the House of Correction" as Mimi called her own home (how horrible is that!). Oh, and by the way, same Mimi were having an affair with a student living in her house. So it was OK for Mimi to have an affair, but not for Julia to live with the man she loved and had two children with. Go figure...When Julia died her two daughters were sent away to Scotland for a month. Their mother was dead and buried and no one told them. When they got back to Liverpool they stayed with their aunt Harrie. Not knowing that Mummy was dead and where was Daddy? The girls were told nothing and they were given nothing. No information, no love, no nothing. And it's six o'clock now off to bed with you! John bought a house for his sisters - who are not allowed to move in. The aunts will not have it. Aunt Harrie and Uncle Norman moves in instead. The girls? They had to shift for themselves. It was sometimes hard to believe that I was not reading fiction.
*Regarding John and Yoko's bed-ins for peace, his sister says that,
It was unreal, and how on earth did they get away with it? before analyzing her "madcap, introvert-playing-extrovert brother":
At the time I shrank back, but now I can see that there was far more to what John was doing than pure exhibitionism. All his adult life John had been fleeing his demons. The grief and loss he had suffered as a child had been transformed into a desperate craving for love and attention. He wanted to be loved by everyone - the whole world. And he pretty well was! But of course that didn't do the trick, it didn't make the ghosts of the past - his father's loss, Mummy's loss, Mimi's coldness - go away. So he just kept trying harder, and doing more. Perhaps every child who has been abandoned by their parents - through parting or death, struggles with feeling unlovable. I did, Jackie did, and John did. It was almost as though John's over-achieving, 'look at me' stance was an attempt to prove that he really was lovable after all
*I hate Yoko. Really do. When John moved to New York he wanted to stay in touch with his family. But whenever his family called him, it was always Yoko who answered the phone. And guess what? "John is not here at the moment", "John is taking a nap", "He has just gone out, you just missed him". Oh really? Every time? I mean every single effing time his family calls him he is not available? What are the odds!
Later on, after John's death, the house he had bought for his sisters was now Yoko's property. Kind, old Uncle Norman lived there on a pension. Yoko writes him a note telling him that she will sell the house, but he can buy it if he wants. An old man with no money! She practically threw him out! The sisters call Yoko to tell her that John bought the house for them, that it is now a symbol of John's love for them. Yoko wants proof. Several times. The last time Julia is on the phone with Yoko, trying to explain to her how important that house is to the sisters, Yoko answers, "You hardly knew John. You hardly ever met him." They're his sisters! They grew up with John! John LOVED his mother and sisters. John had been on the phone with them, having long conversations with them, while he was living in New York (before Yoko became Ruler of the Phone). He wrote them letters. But of course Yoko knows better. Grrrrrrrr.....! I firmly believe that had John not been shot, he would have left her. There were already signs that he was getting tired of her (again) (who can blame him) and that he wanted to get back to his roots, back to Liverpool, back to his family. Instead, Yoko now acts (still acts) as if she owns John and knows him best. Yoko you....mmmphrg!
*I have to mention the film, Nowhere Boy (go watch it if you haven't already!). The film is based on the first 130 pages of this book, and it is very accurate. Minor changes, of course, but mainly details. Although one thing - one person - was changed quite radically. Bobby, Julia's husband and the father of John's sisters, is very likable in the book. Sweet, funny, sympathetic, a great dad! In the film he is more...stern, not happy that John is in his house. In the book he loved John and tried to get him to live with him and Julia. But I think that they changed his personality in the film so that he were given the role that all the wicked aunts had in real life. Instead of four aunts there was just one Bobby. But he doesn't have a lot of lines and screen time in the film, so I can live with it.
Wow, this review is longer than I thought it would be! Really liked the book (of course Julia Baird is biased, but she did include other people's POV's, and tried to look at things from several angles - she is mainly biased in that she worships her mum and dad) and would recommend it. Even if you are not a Lennon-fan I'd still recommend it. Just because the level of dysfunctionality in the Lennon family is quite...horrific? fascinating?...incredible!
P.S. By "Lennon family" I basically mean his aunts, none of whom were called Lennon, but lets keep things simple, shall we?
Even though there is a picture of John Lennon on the cover, the book is actually about the whole Lennon family and especially Julia Baird, the author, herself. Which is not a bad thing. If you want to know about John Lennon, I mean really know, if you want all the Hamburg stories, how he met Yoko and so on, there are plenty of books out there about that. This is the story of the young John Lennon, his relationship with his mother and aunts, and a look at how nasty and cruel those aunts could be. Child-rearing was not their force.
Some thoughts:
*John was a really good brother. He clearly loved his sisters a lot, even though his aunt Mimi didn't want him to see them. The sisters were "illegitimate, not part of the family" but John didn't care. He went to see them anyway, he laughed and joked with them, was a good playfellow and he was never embarrassed by them. Even when the Quarry Men had gigs, he let his sisters sit on the stage. Great brother! (And he was a voracious reader too!:D)
*Those Stanley sisters...(John's aunts). They were really something. Mrs Reid in Jane Eyre has got nothing on them. Aunt Mimi took John away from his mother, even though Julia begged her to give him back and did what she could to get him back. Aunt Mimi said no because Julia was living with Bobby, whom she was not married to. So she took John off to live at "the House of Correction" as Mimi called her own home (how horrible is that!). Oh, and by the way, same Mimi were having an affair with a student living in her house. So it was OK for Mimi to have an affair, but not for Julia to live with the man she loved and had two children with. Go figure...When Julia died her two daughters were sent away to Scotland for a month. Their mother was dead and buried and no one told them. When they got back to Liverpool they stayed with their aunt Harrie. Not knowing that Mummy was dead and where was Daddy? The girls were told nothing and they were given nothing. No information, no love, no nothing. And it's six o'clock now off to bed with you! John bought a house for his sisters - who are not allowed to move in. The aunts will not have it. Aunt Harrie and Uncle Norman moves in instead. The girls? They had to shift for themselves. It was sometimes hard to believe that I was not reading fiction.
*Regarding John and Yoko's bed-ins for peace, his sister says that,
It was unreal, and how on earth did they get away with it? before analyzing her "madcap, introvert-playing-extrovert brother":
At the time I shrank back, but now I can see that there was far more to what John was doing than pure exhibitionism. All his adult life John had been fleeing his demons. The grief and loss he had suffered as a child had been transformed into a desperate craving for love and attention. He wanted to be loved by everyone - the whole world. And he pretty well was! But of course that didn't do the trick, it didn't make the ghosts of the past - his father's loss, Mummy's loss, Mimi's coldness - go away. So he just kept trying harder, and doing more. Perhaps every child who has been abandoned by their parents - through parting or death, struggles with feeling unlovable. I did, Jackie did, and John did. It was almost as though John's over-achieving, 'look at me' stance was an attempt to prove that he really was lovable after all
*I hate Yoko. Really do. When John moved to New York he wanted to stay in touch with his family. But whenever his family called him, it was always Yoko who answered the phone. And guess what? "John is not here at the moment", "John is taking a nap", "He has just gone out, you just missed him". Oh really? Every time? I mean every single effing time his family calls him he is not available? What are the odds!
Later on, after John's death, the house he had bought for his sisters was now Yoko's property. Kind, old Uncle Norman lived there on a pension. Yoko writes him a note telling him that she will sell the house, but he can buy it if he wants. An old man with no money! She practically threw him out! The sisters call Yoko to tell her that John bought the house for them, that it is now a symbol of John's love for them. Yoko wants proof. Several times. The last time Julia is on the phone with Yoko, trying to explain to her how important that house is to the sisters, Yoko answers, "You hardly knew John. You hardly ever met him." They're his sisters! They grew up with John! John LOVED his mother and sisters. John had been on the phone with them, having long conversations with them, while he was living in New York (before Yoko became Ruler of the Phone). He wrote them letters. But of course Yoko knows better. Grrrrrrrr.....! I firmly believe that had John not been shot, he would have left her. There were already signs that he was getting tired of her (again) (who can blame him) and that he wanted to get back to his roots, back to Liverpool, back to his family. Instead, Yoko now acts (still acts) as if she owns John and knows him best. Yoko you....mmmphrg!
*I have to mention the film, Nowhere Boy (go watch it if you haven't already!). The film is based on the first 130 pages of this book, and it is very accurate. Minor changes, of course, but mainly details. Although one thing - one person - was changed quite radically. Bobby, Julia's husband and the father of John's sisters, is very likable in the book. Sweet, funny, sympathetic, a great dad! In the film he is more...stern, not happy that John is in his house. In the book he loved John and tried to get him to live with him and Julia. But I think that they changed his personality in the film so that he were given the role that all the wicked aunts had in real life. Instead of four aunts there was just one Bobby. But he doesn't have a lot of lines and screen time in the film, so I can live with it.
Wow, this review is longer than I thought it would be! Really liked the book (of course Julia Baird is biased, but she did include other people's POV's, and tried to look at things from several angles - she is mainly biased in that she worships her mum and dad) and would recommend it. Even if you are not a Lennon-fan I'd still recommend it. Just because the level of dysfunctionality in the Lennon family is quite...horrific? fascinating?...incredible!
P.S. By "Lennon family" I basically mean his aunts, none of whom were called Lennon, but lets keep things simple, shall we?
December 29, 2021
This is a sweet natured memoir by John Lennon's half-sister which I found fitfully interesting - less her own story (of which there is a lot, of course) but more for the insights into John's life - particularly the later years, when Julia was trying to get in touch with him at the Dakota and Yoko fobbed her (or cut her) off.
Fascinating, too, that after Lennon's death there were suddenly problems with the houses he'd bought for his family and that to keep Yoko sweet, in case of a possible visit to Liverpool, John's Aunt Mimi had changed all the photos in the house from pics of Julian to pics of Sean because, as she told Julia, "you never knew who could turn up out of the blue".
Fascinating, too, that after Lennon's death there were suddenly problems with the houses he'd bought for his family and that to keep Yoko sweet, in case of a possible visit to Liverpool, John's Aunt Mimi had changed all the photos in the house from pics of Julian to pics of Sean because, as she told Julia, "you never knew who could turn up out of the blue".
Read
November 24, 2010“When looking for my next project I was wary of musical protagonists – but when John Lennon was floated, that vanished. He is beyond music; above it even . . . and his early life as told in Julia’s book took me into a world that illuminated so much about his legendary genius.” – Matt Greenhalgh (screenwriter for the film Nowhere Boy)
Imagine This is written by John Lennon’s half-sister, Julia Baird. Because of the fame her brother achieved, Baird’s family life has endured more scrutiny than most. There are countless Lennon books out in the marketplace, including a book Baird co-authored with Geoffrey Giuliano called John Lennon My Brother (to read about Giuliano’s lawsuit over the film Nowhere Boy click here). These books have been her attempt to “make sense of my own life and that of my half-brother, John.” According to Baird, the “official” Lennon story that has been repeatedly published as fact is, in fact, a fiction. I am not going to clutter this post with a list of all the new facts here. I will only say that the primary function of Imagine This is to recast the two women of Lennon’s early years, his mother Julia (who is also Julia Baird’s mother) and his aunt Mimi.
Imagine This is written by someone who obviously worships at the shrine of Lennon. Baird is eager to place their shared mother in her proper place in the legend (their mother taught him to play banjo, bought him his first guitar, helped him with his drawing, etc.). But Baird (pictured left) was also conflicted in the tale she tells, as the fame that Lennon achieved as a Beatle robbed her of her brother. “I know I am being selfish here . . . [but I] wish John had never seen a guitar.”
If you are only interested in reading the part of the book that is used for the film, you basically just need to read the first 130 pages (the book runs about 300 pages in hard cover). Imagine This will be of interest for the Lennon completionist. However, if it had not been the source for Nowhere Boy I would have been just fine reading John by Cynthia Lennon instead (which I hear is the best Lennon bio). At least Imagine This is a quick read, so anyone who does choose to invest time time will not be heavily taxed.
Imagine This is written by John Lennon’s half-sister, Julia Baird. Because of the fame her brother achieved, Baird’s family life has endured more scrutiny than most. There are countless Lennon books out in the marketplace, including a book Baird co-authored with Geoffrey Giuliano called John Lennon My Brother (to read about Giuliano’s lawsuit over the film Nowhere Boy click here). These books have been her attempt to “make sense of my own life and that of my half-brother, John.” According to Baird, the “official” Lennon story that has been repeatedly published as fact is, in fact, a fiction. I am not going to clutter this post with a list of all the new facts here. I will only say that the primary function of Imagine This is to recast the two women of Lennon’s early years, his mother Julia (who is also Julia Baird’s mother) and his aunt Mimi.
Imagine This is written by someone who obviously worships at the shrine of Lennon. Baird is eager to place their shared mother in her proper place in the legend (their mother taught him to play banjo, bought him his first guitar, helped him with his drawing, etc.). But Baird (pictured left) was also conflicted in the tale she tells, as the fame that Lennon achieved as a Beatle robbed her of her brother. “I know I am being selfish here . . . [but I] wish John had never seen a guitar.”
If you are only interested in reading the part of the book that is used for the film, you basically just need to read the first 130 pages (the book runs about 300 pages in hard cover). Imagine This will be of interest for the Lennon completionist. However, if it had not been the source for Nowhere Boy I would have been just fine reading John by Cynthia Lennon instead (which I hear is the best Lennon bio). At least Imagine This is a quick read, so anyone who does choose to invest time time will not be heavily taxed.
August 19, 2011
Maybe this all started in 1485. Perhaps Richard III on the field of Bosworth hurled a curse toward Lord Stanley and his heirs that has filtered through to the present. Julia Baird's 'Imagine This', published 2007, is a well written, intelligent and highly emotional memoir of pain and tragedy within the family of one John Winston Lennon.
The traumatic strands of this tale are revealed long before the pointless slaying at the Dakota, back to the Stanley sisters in WWII Liverpool. At the epicentre of the whirlwind is Baird's and John's mother, Julia Lennon, who's personality, life struggles and spirit has clearly guided and touched her daughters biographical account, that finally exposes the truth and family secrets, exhumed into print for the first time.
"Mother you had me,
but I never had you.
I wanted you,
you didn't want me."
John's 'Mother' lyrics clearly show the pain and misunderstanding that the man himself suffered into his later life. Julia Baird puts the record straight.
The traumatic strands of this tale are revealed long before the pointless slaying at the Dakota, back to the Stanley sisters in WWII Liverpool. At the epicentre of the whirlwind is Baird's and John's mother, Julia Lennon, who's personality, life struggles and spirit has clearly guided and touched her daughters biographical account, that finally exposes the truth and family secrets, exhumed into print for the first time.
"Mother you had me,
but I never had you.
I wanted you,
you didn't want me."
John's 'Mother' lyrics clearly show the pain and misunderstanding that the man himself suffered into his later life. Julia Baird puts the record straight.
August 2, 2016
Very interesting introspective so far. Certainly makes things clear of why he did some of the things he did.
July 26, 2021
Interesting and insightful stuff if you want a more in depth look into Johns childhood and the family dynamics that shaped his personality.
I knew Phillip Norman was missing SOMETHING in his depiction of Lennon’s childbood and upbringing (and also in the portrayal of Julia/Johns mum)
It has to be said though, outside of the information and anecdotes about Julia and the Stanley family, it doesn’t feel like we learn all that much about John - a lot of the stuff she writes of are things any Beatles fan could read in an article or just hear through the grapevine.
I knew Phillip Norman was missing SOMETHING in his depiction of Lennon’s childbood and upbringing (and also in the portrayal of Julia/Johns mum)
It has to be said though, outside of the information and anecdotes about Julia and the Stanley family, it doesn’t feel like we learn all that much about John - a lot of the stuff she writes of are things any Beatles fan could read in an article or just hear through the grapevine.
October 9, 2023
Es conocido por los fans que John Lennon vivió con su tía Mimi abandonado por su padre desde casi su nacimiento y separado de su madre quien, precisamente en el momento en que estaba tratando de retomar la relación con el hijo, falleció en un fatal atropello, cuando John contaba con 17 años.
Con esta explicación somera se debe sobrentender la carga emocional que recayó sobre el joven John y que explica, en cierto modo, su carácter airado, algo violento y sarcástico, una personalidad compleja que hacía difícil convivir con él, siempre sujeto a sus burlas ácidas, a su desafío constante.
Los pocos libros publicados sobre los Beatles hasta la fecha del fallecimiento de John apenas incidían en estos aspectos. La versión original de la biografía oficial de Hunter Davies publicada en 1968 pasa de puntillas por la infancia de John más allá del citado relato arriba esbozado.
Pero, sin duda, el fallecimiento de John y la imposibilidad de contrastar nuevas informaciones, dispararon los rumores sobre la extraña vida de John recluido en el Dakota. Los esfuerzos de su viuda por convertirle en un santo apóstol mártir de la paz no hicieron otra cosa que aumentar la corriente de publicaciones adversas en busca de repercusión amarillista.
Es en este contexto en el que Julia Baird, hermanastra de John, comienza a frecuentar reuniones de fans de los Beatles para poder contar su versión, anécdotas privadas. En suma, para ofrecer un poco de realidad carnal a los turistas americanos que paseaban por Liverpool. Si bien estas primeras reuniones son más bien casuales, fruto de favores a terceros, de un intento de ser amable y recordar la figura de su hermano, lo cierto es que el asunto va a más y Julia pronto se ve desbordada por una ola de curiosos y fanáticos para quienes cualquier detalle insignificante sirve como alimento saciante.
También para ella, que siempre se ha mostrado muy reacia a exponer su parentesco con John, estas reuniones suponen un punto de inflexión. No solo asume sus orígenes familiares sino que comienza a tratar de reconstruir la peripecia vital de su madre y su hermano, también la suya propia. Visita archivos y, fundamentalmente, habla con otros familiares, reconstruyendo poco a poco en un largo proceso, unas vidas que quedaron rotas y que nunca conocieron los motivos ciertos detrás de hechos inexplicables.
El trabajo de Julia se recoge en un primer libro, John Lennon, My Brother (1989, con prólogo de Paul McCartney y la colaboración del historiador de la banda Geoffrey Giulliano). Este libro avanza algunas informaciones que no eran conocidas por el público general, como la existencia de un embarazo desconocido de Julia tras un encuentro con un soldado destinado en Liverpool que concluyó con el parto y la entrega en adopción de una niña de la que ignora en ese momento si vive o no, su paradero o si conoce la verdad de su origen. Gran parte de la historia aquí contada es un relato en el que cruza la información familiar a la que ha tenido acceso con opiniones de terceros, declaraciones del propio John tomadas de entrevistas, etc. En suma, un material original de escasa extensión, si bien, de incalculable valor, junto a otro de escaso o nulo interés por ser ya conocido.
Pero Julia persevera. El recuerdo de las interminables conversaciones telefónicas con John a mediados de los setenta y la desesperación de éste por llegar a desenredar la madeja de informaciones falsas, de medias verdades, de frases escuchadas al azar en la cocina son un acicate. Además, sorprendentemente, su tía Nanny, hermana de su madre, siempre discreta y callada, entra en un acceso de lenguaraz confidencia y desvela numerosos hechos ocultos que dan lugar a una verdad coherente, nunca antes atisbada, que rehabilita la figura de la madre Julia junto a otros secretos oscuros de alcoba que explican mucho de la pacata sociedad británica de la época y del modo en que se vivía en aquellos duros años de posguerra.
Así, llegamos al siguiente libro, Imagine This: Growing Up with My Brother John Lennon 2007. No estamos ante una versión ampliada del anterior sino ante un libro enteramente nuevo, construido desde cero, que corrige inexactitudes del previo, que se centra especialmente en todo aquello que Julia vivió en primera persona y que evita algunos lugares comunes en que caía su predecesor.
En mi caso, he tenido la suerte de poder acceder a ambas obras, y leerlas de manera sucesiva, pudiendo así apreciar las diferencias, el avance en ese loable esfuerzo de Julia por comprender sus propias raíces y la razón de un dolor que siente pero que no siempre es capaz de ubicar o definir. También gracias a este proceso he llegado a descartar una opinión algo generalizada que atribuye a Julia un único interés pecuniario y de notoriedad. En su lugar, he creído atisbar una auténtica voluntad de revelar unos hechos que afectan a su vida y a la de su madre y su padre, sobre las que muchos parecen creerse con derecho a opinar hasta el punto de que ella misma dio veracidad durante mucho tiempo a gran parte de esas afirmaciones.
De este modo, la vida de John pasa a ser el elemento vertebrador de la de la propia autora pero no su centro absoluto, como en el caso del primer libro. Así, asistimos al increíble periplo de Julia y su hermana Jackie que vivieron con una madre que no estaba casada con su padre, hecho que desconocían. Que veían con frecuencia a un hermano, sin entender muy bien el motivo por el que éste no vivía con ellas sino con una tía. Vieron cómo este hermano cada vez visitaba más su casa, cómo crecía y se juntaba con amigos para tocar instrumentos, una pasión en la que cayeron infinidad de jóvenes gracias a la llamada fiebre del skiffle.
Pero también son las mismas niñas que una tarde de julio de 1958 perdieron a su madre en un terrible accidente de coche del que no fueron informadas. Sin más, una tía llegó a su casa y se las llevó diciendo tan solo que su madre estaba muy enferma y que, por el momento, no podrían visitarla. Cambiaron varias veces de domicilio, vivieron unas semanas con otra tía en Edimburgo, volvieron a Liverpool pero no a su casa. Julia y Jackie perdieron el contacto con su padre, quien pareció renunciar a luchar por ellas, derrotado por la muerte de su compañera, por la pérdida de un hogar que habían hecho suyo omitiendo la información de que Julia y él no estaban casados, perdiendo su trabajo en extrañas circunstancias y, violentado, sin duda, por la toma de control de la familia Stanley, esas cuatro hermanas supervivientes, poderosas y tozudas, firmes en sus convicciones morales que nunca le perdonaron el haber enamorado a Julia cuando ésta ya estaba casada y había tenido varias aventuras, que siempre consideraron que debía purgar la culpa de un bebé ilegítimo retirándose a cuidar a su padre en lugar de arrejuntarse con otro hombre inadecuado, de extracción humilde, con el que tuvo otras dos hijas ilegítimas a las que nunca aceptaron, de las que siempre se avergonzaron como manifestación y fruto del pecado de Julia. Por eso, la familia Stanley siempre llamó a la casa de Julia, la casa del pecado, y a sus hijas, el fruto del mismo. Rechazo y resistencia que sólo muy levemente aflojó con el tiempo, cuando ya todas las heridas estaban infringidas.
Y es que Julia y Jackie siempre sufrieron el rechazo de la familia de su madre, especialmente de Mimi, la mujer que había asumido el cuidado de John, arrebatándosele a su madre de hecho, tal vez a sugerencia del patriarca Pop, pero haciendo suyas estas decisiones. Mimi alejó a Julia y Jackie de su hermano, las prohibió frecuentar Mendips, su casa en Woolton.
Este libro es también la historia de cómo ambas hermanas tratan de reconstruir su vida, de cómo son informadas por el marido de una de las chicas Stanley, de la muerte de su madre meses después de la misma, avergonzado del comportamiento de la familia. Y Julia nos cuenta su dolor profundo, su incomprensión, el modo en que trató de reconstruir la ausencia de su padre, la pérdida de su madre, la vida con unos familiares de acogida que la ignoraban.
Y precisamente son estos pasajes, los que muestran la fragilidad de Julia, los que revelan las consecuencias devastadoras de sus experiencias y el modo en que reaccionó, en su caso, refugiándose en sus tareas escolares, en la escuela, en un mundo más acogedor, comprensible, sujeto a normas estables, como podemos hacernos una idea del impacto que los mismos hechos pudieron influir en John, su personalidad y su música.
Pero la vida de Julia no sigue en paralelo a la de John, tiene sus propios derroteros, también duros, también dolorosos. Así como le ocurrió a John, cuando a mediados de los sesenta Julia lograba poco a poco recuperar el tiempo perdido con su padre, visitándolo, creando un clima de confianza con el que recuperar recuerdos, pasada ya la infancia, en ese momento en el que Julia ya comenzaba a asomarse a la madurez, fue cuando nuevamente la muerte volvió a reclamar su papel. John Dyckins falleció víctima de un accidente de tráfico, de un atropello, como su madre. Otra muerte justo cuando todo empezaba de nuevo, just like starting over, y un coche que destroza el futuro apenas en reconstrucción, como le ocurrió a John con la muerte de su madre.
Ambos, Julia y John, con vidas extrañas, en manos de familiares, sin padres, sin referencias, con la muerte pisándoles los talones, tendrán vidas paralelas hasta cierto punto. La fama de los Beatles en Liverpool crece progresivamente, Julia asiste sorprendida a los logros de su hermano que pasa de cantar con sus amigos en el baño de su casa, buscando una acústica con un eco similar al de las grabaciones de Sun Records, a viajar a Hamburgo, a ser la banda del Cavern, a que todos sus amigos le pidan objetos de John, que en clase sea el centro de atención. Asiste sorprendida como tantos otros por el éxito primero nacional, luego internacional de los Beatles, y para crecer, trata de salir de Liverpool, de alejarse de todos los recuerdos dolorosos y crear su propio mundo.
Pero el pasado es una pesada losa que le perseguirá. Sus contactos con John son esporádicos, algunas cartas, algunas llamadas, unas visitas a Kenwood, de compras por Londres con Cyn, alguna visita con Julian, su sobrino. Pero el peso de la fama de John crea una complicada barrera. Una visita espontánea que hace a la sede de Apple en Londres cuando pasa por la capital, le decepciona profundamente. La recepcionista no le cree cuando pide visitar a John de parte de su hermana, una fan más que busca el contacto con el héroe inventando cuentos extraños, …. La llegada de Yoko también marca otro punto de frialdad. En su visita a Liverpool se empeña en cocinar para John la comida biótica que éste parece detestar pero que come por no disgustar a su reciente esposa.
Y, finalmente, la marcha de John a Nueva York y la pérdida de todo tipo de contacto, solo retomada al final del lost weekend, cuando John trata de recuperar el contacto con toda la familia. Interminables conversaciones telefónicas, envíos de fotografías, intercambios de los mejores deseos y promesas de viajes intercontinentales que nunca se harán realidad puesto que la vida de Julia ya está organizada, con niños en edad escolar.
Y, de nuevo, la tragedia que golpea en diciembre de 1980. Otra muerte que deja a Julia rota, desolada, perdido su último contacto con los restos de su debacle personal. Tardará tiempo en recuperarse del asesinato de John; Yoko no hará que las cosas resulten fáciles. No habrá entierro, no habrá funeral. Un documental retrospectivo sobre John patrocinado por la viuda dará a entender que Julia, la madre de John, era una casquivana de vida ligera; no se mencionará a Dyckins, a las hermanas, las chicas Stanley tampoco parecen salir mejor paradas. No sabremos si el desconocimiento era intencionado o fruto de la visión que John tenía y que le había transmitido en vida, siempre envuelto en las falsedades de Mimi, bienintencionadas sin duda, pero crueles en el fondo.
Y como en cualquier buen culebrón con herencia millonaria, no faltan los aspectos oscuros y mendaces. Así, la casa que John compró para que sus hermanas dejaran de vagar de casa en casa a la muerte de su padre, terminó por convertirse en fruto de la discordia. Realmente, como siempre hacía John, las casas no se ponían a nombre de los residentes sino al de alguna empresa del músico. A su muerte, los abogados reclamaban su entrega, más conflictos con Yoko, más incomprensión, más dolor. Igual le ocurrió a la tía Mimi y su chalet de veraneo en Bournemout, que tuvo que ser devuelto.
Convencida de que tiene su propia verdad y de que ésta ha de ser contada, Julia se embarca en estos dos libros. Y, todo sea dicho, lo logra, especialmente con el segundo título citado, creando un relato autobiográfico apasionante en el que la vida de John no es sino la percha perfecta, conocida por quien lo lea, para sostener la historia.
Por ello, estos libros tienen valor propio más allá del interés que pueda arrojar para los siempre voraces fans del grupo. Julia, profesora y doctora, ha tratado igualmente de expresar belleza en estas páginas, no rechazando cierto lirismo pese a su dureza, en páginas como las que recuerdan los juegos infantiles en el patio de su casa, la alegre y descuidada felicidad con la que se vivía en su tiempo (nostalgia de todos quienes se acercan a su destino) y sabe enganchar con su modo de contar, alternando la primera persona con la tercera, siempre referida a John, a su hermano.
Del primer libro existe traducción al castellano a cargo de Ana Martínez aunque probablemente solo pueda localizarse en mercados de segunda mano. Respecto del segundo título, el de mayor mérito e interés, por desgracia parece no haber sido aún traducido, aguardando su momento. No encuentro mejor modo de completar el primer volumen de Mark Lewinson relativo a los primeros años del grupo, que leer este segundo libro de Julia Baird, parcial y reivindicativo, duro y tierno a la vez, un grito tan desesperado de dolor como Mother o un delicado canto de amor como Julia, aguardando su momento.
Con esta explicación somera se debe sobrentender la carga emocional que recayó sobre el joven John y que explica, en cierto modo, su carácter airado, algo violento y sarcástico, una personalidad compleja que hacía difícil convivir con él, siempre sujeto a sus burlas ácidas, a su desafío constante.
Los pocos libros publicados sobre los Beatles hasta la fecha del fallecimiento de John apenas incidían en estos aspectos. La versión original de la biografía oficial de Hunter Davies publicada en 1968 pasa de puntillas por la infancia de John más allá del citado relato arriba esbozado.
Pero, sin duda, el fallecimiento de John y la imposibilidad de contrastar nuevas informaciones, dispararon los rumores sobre la extraña vida de John recluido en el Dakota. Los esfuerzos de su viuda por convertirle en un santo apóstol mártir de la paz no hicieron otra cosa que aumentar la corriente de publicaciones adversas en busca de repercusión amarillista.
Es en este contexto en el que Julia Baird, hermanastra de John, comienza a frecuentar reuniones de fans de los Beatles para poder contar su versión, anécdotas privadas. En suma, para ofrecer un poco de realidad carnal a los turistas americanos que paseaban por Liverpool. Si bien estas primeras reuniones son más bien casuales, fruto de favores a terceros, de un intento de ser amable y recordar la figura de su hermano, lo cierto es que el asunto va a más y Julia pronto se ve desbordada por una ola de curiosos y fanáticos para quienes cualquier detalle insignificante sirve como alimento saciante.
También para ella, que siempre se ha mostrado muy reacia a exponer su parentesco con John, estas reuniones suponen un punto de inflexión. No solo asume sus orígenes familiares sino que comienza a tratar de reconstruir la peripecia vital de su madre y su hermano, también la suya propia. Visita archivos y, fundamentalmente, habla con otros familiares, reconstruyendo poco a poco en un largo proceso, unas vidas que quedaron rotas y que nunca conocieron los motivos ciertos detrás de hechos inexplicables.
El trabajo de Julia se recoge en un primer libro, John Lennon, My Brother (1989, con prólogo de Paul McCartney y la colaboración del historiador de la banda Geoffrey Giulliano). Este libro avanza algunas informaciones que no eran conocidas por el público general, como la existencia de un embarazo desconocido de Julia tras un encuentro con un soldado destinado en Liverpool que concluyó con el parto y la entrega en adopción de una niña de la que ignora en ese momento si vive o no, su paradero o si conoce la verdad de su origen. Gran parte de la historia aquí contada es un relato en el que cruza la información familiar a la que ha tenido acceso con opiniones de terceros, declaraciones del propio John tomadas de entrevistas, etc. En suma, un material original de escasa extensión, si bien, de incalculable valor, junto a otro de escaso o nulo interés por ser ya conocido.
Pero Julia persevera. El recuerdo de las interminables conversaciones telefónicas con John a mediados de los setenta y la desesperación de éste por llegar a desenredar la madeja de informaciones falsas, de medias verdades, de frases escuchadas al azar en la cocina son un acicate. Además, sorprendentemente, su tía Nanny, hermana de su madre, siempre discreta y callada, entra en un acceso de lenguaraz confidencia y desvela numerosos hechos ocultos que dan lugar a una verdad coherente, nunca antes atisbada, que rehabilita la figura de la madre Julia junto a otros secretos oscuros de alcoba que explican mucho de la pacata sociedad británica de la época y del modo en que se vivía en aquellos duros años de posguerra.
Así, llegamos al siguiente libro, Imagine This: Growing Up with My Brother John Lennon 2007. No estamos ante una versión ampliada del anterior sino ante un libro enteramente nuevo, construido desde cero, que corrige inexactitudes del previo, que se centra especialmente en todo aquello que Julia vivió en primera persona y que evita algunos lugares comunes en que caía su predecesor.
En mi caso, he tenido la suerte de poder acceder a ambas obras, y leerlas de manera sucesiva, pudiendo así apreciar las diferencias, el avance en ese loable esfuerzo de Julia por comprender sus propias raíces y la razón de un dolor que siente pero que no siempre es capaz de ubicar o definir. También gracias a este proceso he llegado a descartar una opinión algo generalizada que atribuye a Julia un único interés pecuniario y de notoriedad. En su lugar, he creído atisbar una auténtica voluntad de revelar unos hechos que afectan a su vida y a la de su madre y su padre, sobre las que muchos parecen creerse con derecho a opinar hasta el punto de que ella misma dio veracidad durante mucho tiempo a gran parte de esas afirmaciones.
De este modo, la vida de John pasa a ser el elemento vertebrador de la de la propia autora pero no su centro absoluto, como en el caso del primer libro. Así, asistimos al increíble periplo de Julia y su hermana Jackie que vivieron con una madre que no estaba casada con su padre, hecho que desconocían. Que veían con frecuencia a un hermano, sin entender muy bien el motivo por el que éste no vivía con ellas sino con una tía. Vieron cómo este hermano cada vez visitaba más su casa, cómo crecía y se juntaba con amigos para tocar instrumentos, una pasión en la que cayeron infinidad de jóvenes gracias a la llamada fiebre del skiffle.
Pero también son las mismas niñas que una tarde de julio de 1958 perdieron a su madre en un terrible accidente de coche del que no fueron informadas. Sin más, una tía llegó a su casa y se las llevó diciendo tan solo que su madre estaba muy enferma y que, por el momento, no podrían visitarla. Cambiaron varias veces de domicilio, vivieron unas semanas con otra tía en Edimburgo, volvieron a Liverpool pero no a su casa. Julia y Jackie perdieron el contacto con su padre, quien pareció renunciar a luchar por ellas, derrotado por la muerte de su compañera, por la pérdida de un hogar que habían hecho suyo omitiendo la información de que Julia y él no estaban casados, perdiendo su trabajo en extrañas circunstancias y, violentado, sin duda, por la toma de control de la familia Stanley, esas cuatro hermanas supervivientes, poderosas y tozudas, firmes en sus convicciones morales que nunca le perdonaron el haber enamorado a Julia cuando ésta ya estaba casada y había tenido varias aventuras, que siempre consideraron que debía purgar la culpa de un bebé ilegítimo retirándose a cuidar a su padre en lugar de arrejuntarse con otro hombre inadecuado, de extracción humilde, con el que tuvo otras dos hijas ilegítimas a las que nunca aceptaron, de las que siempre se avergonzaron como manifestación y fruto del pecado de Julia. Por eso, la familia Stanley siempre llamó a la casa de Julia, la casa del pecado, y a sus hijas, el fruto del mismo. Rechazo y resistencia que sólo muy levemente aflojó con el tiempo, cuando ya todas las heridas estaban infringidas.
Y es que Julia y Jackie siempre sufrieron el rechazo de la familia de su madre, especialmente de Mimi, la mujer que había asumido el cuidado de John, arrebatándosele a su madre de hecho, tal vez a sugerencia del patriarca Pop, pero haciendo suyas estas decisiones. Mimi alejó a Julia y Jackie de su hermano, las prohibió frecuentar Mendips, su casa en Woolton.
Este libro es también la historia de cómo ambas hermanas tratan de reconstruir su vida, de cómo son informadas por el marido de una de las chicas Stanley, de la muerte de su madre meses después de la misma, avergonzado del comportamiento de la familia. Y Julia nos cuenta su dolor profundo, su incomprensión, el modo en que trató de reconstruir la ausencia de su padre, la pérdida de su madre, la vida con unos familiares de acogida que la ignoraban.
Y precisamente son estos pasajes, los que muestran la fragilidad de Julia, los que revelan las consecuencias devastadoras de sus experiencias y el modo en que reaccionó, en su caso, refugiándose en sus tareas escolares, en la escuela, en un mundo más acogedor, comprensible, sujeto a normas estables, como podemos hacernos una idea del impacto que los mismos hechos pudieron influir en John, su personalidad y su música.
Pero la vida de Julia no sigue en paralelo a la de John, tiene sus propios derroteros, también duros, también dolorosos. Así como le ocurrió a John, cuando a mediados de los sesenta Julia lograba poco a poco recuperar el tiempo perdido con su padre, visitándolo, creando un clima de confianza con el que recuperar recuerdos, pasada ya la infancia, en ese momento en el que Julia ya comenzaba a asomarse a la madurez, fue cuando nuevamente la muerte volvió a reclamar su papel. John Dyckins falleció víctima de un accidente de tráfico, de un atropello, como su madre. Otra muerte justo cuando todo empezaba de nuevo, just like starting over, y un coche que destroza el futuro apenas en reconstrucción, como le ocurrió a John con la muerte de su madre.
Ambos, Julia y John, con vidas extrañas, en manos de familiares, sin padres, sin referencias, con la muerte pisándoles los talones, tendrán vidas paralelas hasta cierto punto. La fama de los Beatles en Liverpool crece progresivamente, Julia asiste sorprendida a los logros de su hermano que pasa de cantar con sus amigos en el baño de su casa, buscando una acústica con un eco similar al de las grabaciones de Sun Records, a viajar a Hamburgo, a ser la banda del Cavern, a que todos sus amigos le pidan objetos de John, que en clase sea el centro de atención. Asiste sorprendida como tantos otros por el éxito primero nacional, luego internacional de los Beatles, y para crecer, trata de salir de Liverpool, de alejarse de todos los recuerdos dolorosos y crear su propio mundo.
Pero el pasado es una pesada losa que le perseguirá. Sus contactos con John son esporádicos, algunas cartas, algunas llamadas, unas visitas a Kenwood, de compras por Londres con Cyn, alguna visita con Julian, su sobrino. Pero el peso de la fama de John crea una complicada barrera. Una visita espontánea que hace a la sede de Apple en Londres cuando pasa por la capital, le decepciona profundamente. La recepcionista no le cree cuando pide visitar a John de parte de su hermana, una fan más que busca el contacto con el héroe inventando cuentos extraños, …. La llegada de Yoko también marca otro punto de frialdad. En su visita a Liverpool se empeña en cocinar para John la comida biótica que éste parece detestar pero que come por no disgustar a su reciente esposa.
Y, finalmente, la marcha de John a Nueva York y la pérdida de todo tipo de contacto, solo retomada al final del lost weekend, cuando John trata de recuperar el contacto con toda la familia. Interminables conversaciones telefónicas, envíos de fotografías, intercambios de los mejores deseos y promesas de viajes intercontinentales que nunca se harán realidad puesto que la vida de Julia ya está organizada, con niños en edad escolar.
Y, de nuevo, la tragedia que golpea en diciembre de 1980. Otra muerte que deja a Julia rota, desolada, perdido su último contacto con los restos de su debacle personal. Tardará tiempo en recuperarse del asesinato de John; Yoko no hará que las cosas resulten fáciles. No habrá entierro, no habrá funeral. Un documental retrospectivo sobre John patrocinado por la viuda dará a entender que Julia, la madre de John, era una casquivana de vida ligera; no se mencionará a Dyckins, a las hermanas, las chicas Stanley tampoco parecen salir mejor paradas. No sabremos si el desconocimiento era intencionado o fruto de la visión que John tenía y que le había transmitido en vida, siempre envuelto en las falsedades de Mimi, bienintencionadas sin duda, pero crueles en el fondo.
Y como en cualquier buen culebrón con herencia millonaria, no faltan los aspectos oscuros y mendaces. Así, la casa que John compró para que sus hermanas dejaran de vagar de casa en casa a la muerte de su padre, terminó por convertirse en fruto de la discordia. Realmente, como siempre hacía John, las casas no se ponían a nombre de los residentes sino al de alguna empresa del músico. A su muerte, los abogados reclamaban su entrega, más conflictos con Yoko, más incomprensión, más dolor. Igual le ocurrió a la tía Mimi y su chalet de veraneo en Bournemout, que tuvo que ser devuelto.
Convencida de que tiene su propia verdad y de que ésta ha de ser contada, Julia se embarca en estos dos libros. Y, todo sea dicho, lo logra, especialmente con el segundo título citado, creando un relato autobiográfico apasionante en el que la vida de John no es sino la percha perfecta, conocida por quien lo lea, para sostener la historia.
Por ello, estos libros tienen valor propio más allá del interés que pueda arrojar para los siempre voraces fans del grupo. Julia, profesora y doctora, ha tratado igualmente de expresar belleza en estas páginas, no rechazando cierto lirismo pese a su dureza, en páginas como las que recuerdan los juegos infantiles en el patio de su casa, la alegre y descuidada felicidad con la que se vivía en su tiempo (nostalgia de todos quienes se acercan a su destino) y sabe enganchar con su modo de contar, alternando la primera persona con la tercera, siempre referida a John, a su hermano.
Del primer libro existe traducción al castellano a cargo de Ana Martínez aunque probablemente solo pueda localizarse en mercados de segunda mano. Respecto del segundo título, el de mayor mérito e interés, por desgracia parece no haber sido aún traducido, aguardando su momento. No encuentro mejor modo de completar el primer volumen de Mark Lewinson relativo a los primeros años del grupo, que leer este segundo libro de Julia Baird, parcial y reivindicativo, duro y tierno a la vez, un grito tan desesperado de dolor como Mother o un delicado canto de amor como Julia, aguardando su momento.
March 6, 2018
Great book, hard to put down. This is the story of John Lennon through his sister Julia. Her early life with John and her sister hold so many memories. Throughout is the tragic loss of their mother Julia killed in a car accident. All through the book is the impact of this loss on John, Julia and their sister Julia. The book mirrors her life and Johns side by side. As he became famous, sadly their lives grow apart. Both in their own way, John and Julia seem victim of their traumatic childhood.
August 4, 2020
All the books on John Lennon have so much repeated information. It is interesting to get his sister's perspective on him and worthwhile knowing how his sisters grew up.
October 7, 2011
it's entruiging to be able to know so much intimate details that all amount to build up a musical genuis such as john lennon.
You can tell the book is honestly written with an easy flow to it.
I'm half way through the book and can't wait to get the rest.
The book has some really valuable photos from the with the family which really add to it and in a sense that you can relate to much more.
You can tell the book is honestly written with an easy flow to it.
I'm half way through the book and can't wait to get the rest.
The book has some really valuable photos from the with the family which really add to it and in a sense that you can relate to much more.
June 21, 2015
Very eye-opening about John's early life and family. And also a few bits about how controlling Yoko was (is?) even after John's death.
August 18, 2019
So beautiful, thank you Julia for telling your story.
October 21, 2025
John’s mother is portrayed exclusively as a blameless victim, however by the sound of it she gave up trying to keep custody of John after one attempt so I’m not sure what to think. Same goes for John’s father Alfred. (See Daddy, Come Home.) One excuse after another/a series of almost comedic mishaps, depending on how you slice it. There is a general theme in both accounts of Mimi as a dictator, which I don't refute, but it should be noted she isn't actually the law. In Alf's account we see him rather cowardly deciding not to return home after Mimi's threats:
Daddy, Come Home Page 90: (letter to Alf from Mimi) 'If you have a shred of decency left in you I advise you to go to New Zealand alone and put your past life behind you.' The final sentence was both a command and a threat: 'Surely you don't want your son to know you've been in jail.'
I see this as failing to step up to bat for your child. Neither of these parents went the full length to be responsible guardians and they seem to bend and surrender so willingly to threats from their relatives that mostly don’t have any legal power behind them.
Appalling behaviour from all these Stanley aunts as well. Of course, everyone has their own side to the story and depending on how you tell it, Mimi’s (et al) actions such as taking custody of John were justifiable, or making the best of a bad situation, in the way they thought best for him. However the bad-faith motivations behind her actions are pretty apparent in this book. And we do read of her deathbed confession to having been “wicked” throughout her life. Pretty damning.
Alf’s account is that he was ready, willing, and able to rejoin Julia (Johns mother) and take care of her and the yet to be born baby (Victoria/Ingrid), the product of her affair while he was gone:
Daddy, Come Home Page 59: Mimi's main worry was scandal, so when Freddie assured her that he would stand by his wife, Mimi hugged him with delight and repeatedly told Julia what a wonderful husband she had.
Daddy, Come Home Page 61: Freddie too had thought of little else except the baby for some time, and when he visited Julia at the hostel he tried to convince her to keep the baby if she so wished, regardless of Pop Stanley's opposition, and suggested that it should be brought up as their own child.
But in this book we are told something pretty contrary:
Imagine This Page 20: [Alf] offered to adopt the new baby. This might have given Julia real hope, both of keeping her baby and of a family life with Alf, had he backed the offer with any serious sign of intent or care. Or money. But he did not -- he went straight back to sea, leaving Julia totally dependent on her family.
When in fact he had 1) tracked down her suitor, seemingly gave his blessing for a divorce and for the suitor to marry Julia, however she refused, 2) waited in Liverpool for two weeks after this all went down, in case she might reach out to him, and 3) had already reimbursed Mimi £20 for John's expenses for the interim while he was last at sea.
In conclusion, it should be said that the perspective of John's mother is just as valid as his father's, with Baird as the mouthpiece and advocate for the late Julia Lennon, mirroring Alf's wife publishing Alf's memoirs posthumously. However I still desire a more academic, unbiased approach, examining multiple angles to discern the Truth (if such a thing exists in these incredibly personal, emotionally charged matters anyway) though in all fairness I should not have expected it here. Nevertheless I appreciate Baird's contributions to the Beatles canon and involvement in Liverpool Beatles tourism enterprises.
Daddy, Come Home Page 90: (letter to Alf from Mimi) 'If you have a shred of decency left in you I advise you to go to New Zealand alone and put your past life behind you.' The final sentence was both a command and a threat: 'Surely you don't want your son to know you've been in jail.'
I see this as failing to step up to bat for your child. Neither of these parents went the full length to be responsible guardians and they seem to bend and surrender so willingly to threats from their relatives that mostly don’t have any legal power behind them.
Appalling behaviour from all these Stanley aunts as well. Of course, everyone has their own side to the story and depending on how you tell it, Mimi’s (et al) actions such as taking custody of John were justifiable, or making the best of a bad situation, in the way they thought best for him. However the bad-faith motivations behind her actions are pretty apparent in this book. And we do read of her deathbed confession to having been “wicked” throughout her life. Pretty damning.
Alf’s account is that he was ready, willing, and able to rejoin Julia (Johns mother) and take care of her and the yet to be born baby (Victoria/Ingrid), the product of her affair while he was gone:
Daddy, Come Home Page 59: Mimi's main worry was scandal, so when Freddie assured her that he would stand by his wife, Mimi hugged him with delight and repeatedly told Julia what a wonderful husband she had.
Daddy, Come Home Page 61: Freddie too had thought of little else except the baby for some time, and when he visited Julia at the hostel he tried to convince her to keep the baby if she so wished, regardless of Pop Stanley's opposition, and suggested that it should be brought up as their own child.
But in this book we are told something pretty contrary:
Imagine This Page 20: [Alf] offered to adopt the new baby. This might have given Julia real hope, both of keeping her baby and of a family life with Alf, had he backed the offer with any serious sign of intent or care. Or money. But he did not -- he went straight back to sea, leaving Julia totally dependent on her family.
When in fact he had 1) tracked down her suitor, seemingly gave his blessing for a divorce and for the suitor to marry Julia, however she refused, 2) waited in Liverpool for two weeks after this all went down, in case she might reach out to him, and 3) had already reimbursed Mimi £20 for John's expenses for the interim while he was last at sea.
In conclusion, it should be said that the perspective of John's mother is just as valid as his father's, with Baird as the mouthpiece and advocate for the late Julia Lennon, mirroring Alf's wife publishing Alf's memoirs posthumously. However I still desire a more academic, unbiased approach, examining multiple angles to discern the Truth (if such a thing exists in these incredibly personal, emotionally charged matters anyway) though in all fairness I should not have expected it here. Nevertheless I appreciate Baird's contributions to the Beatles canon and involvement in Liverpool Beatles tourism enterprises.
May 26, 2017
I just recently discovered the Beatles. To be fair I've always known about them, what they were called and how famous they were. But I never tried to find out much more. But for the past several months I have delved head first into all things Beatles. I absolutely love their music and as a reader I have gravitated to their books to know more. Of the four, I've discovered John to be my favorite. He is the tragic hero. The diabolical genius. The never to be duplicated sensation. He belonged to the world and to no one.
From other readings I knew some of his past. I knew it had tragedy. I knew it was not a happy childhood. But this book puts it in plain black and white. Julia Baird paints a picture of her life growing up with her brother in a way no one can capture. After all she was there.
The beginning was over the top sweet. It's hard to imagine how anyone could have such a perfect childhood. But as you get deeper into the book you realize that perfect world is that of a young girl. That is how she saw it. That's fair.
Though the name mentions John Lennon, this book is entirely from her perspective. It's more her autobiography than anything to do with Lennon, except for the fact that he was her brother. I've read my fair share of books on John Lennon but this one gives you an insider view of what he went through. Julia is respectful in that she guesses at John's emotions and mentality at the time without outright saying that was how he felt or what he thought. But there again, I have to give her credit as his sister, to know the man that was her brother. A man that none in the public could possibly know.
The pain they suffered, John and his sister, was tangible for me, the reader. There were ups and downs. There were stories about John I'd not read about. Certainly a different twist on the stories I had heard.
I would highly recommend this book to any who want to know more about John Lennon before he became "John Lennon".
From other readings I knew some of his past. I knew it had tragedy. I knew it was not a happy childhood. But this book puts it in plain black and white. Julia Baird paints a picture of her life growing up with her brother in a way no one can capture. After all she was there.
The beginning was over the top sweet. It's hard to imagine how anyone could have such a perfect childhood. But as you get deeper into the book you realize that perfect world is that of a young girl. That is how she saw it. That's fair.
Though the name mentions John Lennon, this book is entirely from her perspective. It's more her autobiography than anything to do with Lennon, except for the fact that he was her brother. I've read my fair share of books on John Lennon but this one gives you an insider view of what he went through. Julia is respectful in that she guesses at John's emotions and mentality at the time without outright saying that was how he felt or what he thought. But there again, I have to give her credit as his sister, to know the man that was her brother. A man that none in the public could possibly know.
The pain they suffered, John and his sister, was tangible for me, the reader. There were ups and downs. There were stories about John I'd not read about. Certainly a different twist on the stories I had heard.
I would highly recommend this book to any who want to know more about John Lennon before he became "John Lennon".
February 8, 2022
Leggere questo libro è stato come ricevere uno schiaffo. Non fraintendetemi però, io intendo uno di quegli schiaffi necessari nella vita e, proprio per questo, estremamente dolorosi. Adesso mi spiego meglio. Grazie a questo libro il mondo ha potuto conoscere il vero John Lennon e la persona speciale che è stata; ma ha conosciuto anche i prezzi altissimi che lui e la sua famiglia hanno dovuto pagare.
Durante queste pagine ho assistito alla sua crescita, ho gioito per i suoi traguardi e ho soprattutto pianto per gli invalicabili ostacoli che si è trovato davanti. Ho sentito le farfalle nello stomaco nel leggere la sua travagliata infanzia addolcita però dalla presenza della madre. Mi sono emozionata nel leggere i suoi primi debutti e di tutto il processo che ha poi portato alla formazione dei Beatles come li conosciamo noi oggi. Per non parlare poi di quanti fondamentali fossero state le sorelle per lui e viceversa, nonostante i vari “incidenti di percorso”, e dell’ammirazione di Julia per lui non in quanto Beatle o in quanto icona mondiale, bensì semplicemente come fratello. Il fratello maggiore che si prese cura delle sue sorelle fin da quando erano piccole per poi continuare anche in età adulta.
Per quanto sia stato un colpo al cuore, sono contenta di aver conosciuto anche i suoi periodi peggiori segnati dalla droga, dall’alcol e dal trauma, poiché mi hanno permesso di capirlo sempre di più e di sentirlo ancora più vicino a noi comuni mortali. Anche se, leggendo quel capitolo, 8 dicembre 1980, mi è mancata l’aria.
Sono estremamente grata a Julia Baird per averci regalato quest’occasione d’oro, perché mi ha permesso di innamorarmi di John ancora di più di quanto non lo fossi già e di essere ancora più dell’idea che sarei dovuta nascere in questi anni anche solo per veder suonare i Beatles al Cavern.
Durante queste pagine ho assistito alla sua crescita, ho gioito per i suoi traguardi e ho soprattutto pianto per gli invalicabili ostacoli che si è trovato davanti. Ho sentito le farfalle nello stomaco nel leggere la sua travagliata infanzia addolcita però dalla presenza della madre. Mi sono emozionata nel leggere i suoi primi debutti e di tutto il processo che ha poi portato alla formazione dei Beatles come li conosciamo noi oggi. Per non parlare poi di quanti fondamentali fossero state le sorelle per lui e viceversa, nonostante i vari “incidenti di percorso”, e dell’ammirazione di Julia per lui non in quanto Beatle o in quanto icona mondiale, bensì semplicemente come fratello. Il fratello maggiore che si prese cura delle sue sorelle fin da quando erano piccole per poi continuare anche in età adulta.
Per quanto sia stato un colpo al cuore, sono contenta di aver conosciuto anche i suoi periodi peggiori segnati dalla droga, dall’alcol e dal trauma, poiché mi hanno permesso di capirlo sempre di più e di sentirlo ancora più vicino a noi comuni mortali. Anche se, leggendo quel capitolo, 8 dicembre 1980, mi è mancata l’aria.
Sono estremamente grata a Julia Baird per averci regalato quest’occasione d’oro, perché mi ha permesso di innamorarmi di John ancora di più di quanto non lo fossi già e di essere ancora più dell’idea che sarei dovuta nascere in questi anni anche solo per veder suonare i Beatles al Cavern.
March 11, 2019
Baird's account differs from P. Norman's in that the family of JL's mother is a powerful upper middle class one according to him and middle class according to Baird. It's a bit disappointing to see Baird idealising his brother taking into consideration she's studied psychology and is a middle aged woman with her own family.
Baird is a very lucky person having had her mum, a happy-go-lucky favorite of her father in a family of five sisters at the time her mother had found love and stability. On the other hand, her brother John wasn't parented in the same way, he had the same mother performing more as a friend and leaving him with her sisters when she was looking for a man -this is what he says about his relationship with his mum that has been published in Norman's book-. Baird doesn't acknowledge this in her book seemingly blind to what his brother went through because she had an ideal childhood.
She is not able to come to terms with this, neither when John stops communicating with her, or he doesn't leave the house he bought for her and her sister in his will, neither when Yoko refuses to give it to them in spite of Baird repeatedly asking for it.
Overall, having read Norman's and Baird's accounts of John Lennon's life I find them very interesting and they work as an eye opener for me in regards to how a parent's choice of relating (in this case the father of the Stanley sisters) to each of his daughters produces in some cases joy and confidence or pain and misery and how consequently this affects the generations to come. It's striking to see how a life flourishes or not according to how a person's childhood develops. Why governments don't do anything about it is demoralising.
Baird is a very lucky person having had her mum, a happy-go-lucky favorite of her father in a family of five sisters at the time her mother had found love and stability. On the other hand, her brother John wasn't parented in the same way, he had the same mother performing more as a friend and leaving him with her sisters when she was looking for a man -this is what he says about his relationship with his mum that has been published in Norman's book-. Baird doesn't acknowledge this in her book seemingly blind to what his brother went through because she had an ideal childhood.
She is not able to come to terms with this, neither when John stops communicating with her, or he doesn't leave the house he bought for her and her sister in his will, neither when Yoko refuses to give it to them in spite of Baird repeatedly asking for it.
Overall, having read Norman's and Baird's accounts of John Lennon's life I find them very interesting and they work as an eye opener for me in regards to how a parent's choice of relating (in this case the father of the Stanley sisters) to each of his daughters produces in some cases joy and confidence or pain and misery and how consequently this affects the generations to come. It's striking to see how a life flourishes or not according to how a person's childhood develops. Why governments don't do anything about it is demoralising.
May 2, 2025
This book is a tremendous, sometimes heart-warming and sometimes very sad, work about the Lennon family and particularly Julia’s relationship with her brother , the famous Beatle John Lennon. She gives a brief description of the grandparents. Most of the book is written about the relationship of the four sisters, one of whom was Julia, the mother of John, the author Julia, Jackie and Victoria/Ingrid. She discusses in great detail the life of mother Julia, her personality, talents, and affairs. Her children’s lives were incredibly affected by her tragic death. They were sent to live with various sisters who did not really accept them as family .
She writes in detail about the effects of their mother’s untimely death, especially on John. She chronicles his rise from a local band to the world famous Beatles, and how their brother-sister relationship changed.
The author did quite a bit of research with family members writing this book. She has definitely very negative feelings toward Yoko Ono. When John was alive, Yoko apparently tried to keep John’s English family separated from him. After his death , she tried to recover money and houses John had purchased through Apple for his English family. Yoko stated in a program that examined John’s life that his mother Julia was a terrible mother and person. Apparently nothing could be further from the truth.
I highly recommend this book because it is very easy to realize that while it was written from Julia’s heart, she also did a great deal of research to justify what she wrote. It is an eye-opener
for those who thought a world famous musician would surely have a very happy and complete life.
She writes in detail about the effects of their mother’s untimely death, especially on John. She chronicles his rise from a local band to the world famous Beatles, and how their brother-sister relationship changed.
The author did quite a bit of research with family members writing this book. She has definitely very negative feelings toward Yoko Ono. When John was alive, Yoko apparently tried to keep John’s English family separated from him. After his death , she tried to recover money and houses John had purchased through Apple for his English family. Yoko stated in a program that examined John’s life that his mother Julia was a terrible mother and person. Apparently nothing could be further from the truth.
I highly recommend this book because it is very easy to realize that while it was written from Julia’s heart, she also did a great deal of research to justify what she wrote. It is an eye-opener
for those who thought a world famous musician would surely have a very happy and complete life.
July 3, 2025
Imagine This: Growing Up with My Brother John Lennon by Julia Baird is an easy‑to‑read, engaging memoir that offers a heartfelt glimpse into the formative years of John Lennon and the broader Lennon–Stanley family. The book is accessible and unpretentious, making it a solid choice for both Beatles fans and readers seeking a warm, personal family story.
The early chapters paint a vivid contrast between the freedom John experienced with his mother and sisters and the stricter, more conventional upbringing under Aunt Mimi, an arrangement Baird describes as emotionally and sometimes cruelly divisive. The book gently unpacks how these opposing influences shaped Lennon’s character.
Baird’s recounting of their mother’s tragic death, a defining moment when John was 17 stands out. It’s handled with sincerity and pathos, capturing not just the immediate shock but the deep, lingering sense of loss that marked the siblings’ lives .
In later chapters, the memoir shifts toward the family’s entanglement with fame and fortune. It’s intriguing to see how Baird seeks a sense of normality amid growing public attention. Although her perspective becomes more speculative when recounting John’s adult years and his relationship with Yoko Ono, it remains a thoughtful attempt to connect family strain with glowing public mythos.
The early chapters paint a vivid contrast between the freedom John experienced with his mother and sisters and the stricter, more conventional upbringing under Aunt Mimi, an arrangement Baird describes as emotionally and sometimes cruelly divisive. The book gently unpacks how these opposing influences shaped Lennon’s character.
Baird’s recounting of their mother’s tragic death, a defining moment when John was 17 stands out. It’s handled with sincerity and pathos, capturing not just the immediate shock but the deep, lingering sense of loss that marked the siblings’ lives .
In later chapters, the memoir shifts toward the family’s entanglement with fame and fortune. It’s intriguing to see how Baird seeks a sense of normality amid growing public attention. Although her perspective becomes more speculative when recounting John’s adult years and his relationship with Yoko Ono, it remains a thoughtful attempt to connect family strain with glowing public mythos.
July 2, 2020
Ms. Baird has a gift for writing and story telling. This book beautifully gives a voice to John Lennon's family in England, a voice that was diminished for so many years. The book focuses more on the family of John Lennon and how being the brother/cousin/nephew of such an icon shaped all of their lives, before, during and after Beatlemania as well as after his untimely death. It also gives a voice to his mother, Julia and sets the record straight on why John was not able to live with her. In my opinion, out of Aunt Mimi and all the sisters, Julia Lennon was the only one who demonstrated any kind of love, compassion and kindness. This book also reveals a surprising skeleton Aunt Mimi kept in her closet. My jaw dropped when I read it! There's so much more, even Yoko drama. For any Beatle fan, or John Lennon fan in particular, I highly encourage you to read this book. You'll get the whole story about his family.
September 29, 2021
DNF. If it feels like a chore to read, the book doesn’t work. This was deadly dull; probably because the author lacks the ability to take the biographical information and turn it into an engaging and interesting narrative. It’s a pity, as there was plenty of material here to create something that gives a unique perspective on one of the most iconic figures of the 20th Century.
I learned very little about John as a young boy. The focus seemed to be mainly on Julia, Lennon’s mother, who died tragically young. The author refers to Julia as ‘mummy’ throughout the book and I found this quite irritating. It’s also very biased, but this is understandable to a point, since auntie Mimi does sound like a manipulative monster. I suspect the reality was a little more nuanced, however.
Probably one for die-hard Beatles fans with a lot of patience.
I learned very little about John as a young boy. The focus seemed to be mainly on Julia, Lennon’s mother, who died tragically young. The author refers to Julia as ‘mummy’ throughout the book and I found this quite irritating. It’s also very biased, but this is understandable to a point, since auntie Mimi does sound like a manipulative monster. I suspect the reality was a little more nuanced, however.
Probably one for die-hard Beatles fans with a lot of patience.
February 12, 2025
Thoughtful autobiography of Lennon's half sister.
The main thing that comes across is that the Stanley sisters, apart from Julia and Mater, were cold hard people who treated the author and her sister very badly. Shelter - sometimes. Love - NEVER. They disapproved of Julia Lennon living with a man who was not her husband, and treated her children with him as a nuisance. After her father died she tries to turn to one aunt for comfort. "You can't mourn here!" the woman said. So the young woman ran away. Breathtaking.
Seems they had been posh once and were rank snobs.
And then Julia and her sister had to deal with Yoko...
The story of the awful family is fascinating. Sometimes the author interjects a bit of Beatles history, but I know all that and skipped those bits.
I am far more interested in books by people around the Beatles than any amount of analysis.
The main thing that comes across is that the Stanley sisters, apart from Julia and Mater, were cold hard people who treated the author and her sister very badly. Shelter - sometimes. Love - NEVER. They disapproved of Julia Lennon living with a man who was not her husband, and treated her children with him as a nuisance. After her father died she tries to turn to one aunt for comfort. "You can't mourn here!" the woman said. So the young woman ran away. Breathtaking.
Seems they had been posh once and were rank snobs.
And then Julia and her sister had to deal with Yoko...
The story of the awful family is fascinating. Sometimes the author interjects a bit of Beatles history, but I know all that and skipped those bits.
I am far more interested in books by people around the Beatles than any amount of analysis.
December 9, 2024
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I've been a Beatles fan since the 1960s so didn't need much encouragement to get stuck into it. Julia is John's sister and the first half of the book tells of their tumultuous childhood and teen years. John's biological father disappeared to sea so his mother "lived in sin" with another man. Because of strict family, the children were ignored or treated harshly by the grandfather and 3 aunts and went from "pillar to post" through their lives. The mother died and things kept changing.
John meanwhile joined a band and music became important. He met up with Paul then George and finally Ringo and so the Beatles found fame. The second part of the book is mainly about that.
It is a good read and very factual.
John meanwhile joined a band and music became important. He met up with Paul then George and finally Ringo and so the Beatles found fame. The second part of the book is mainly about that.
It is a good read and very factual.
March 22, 2019
This is a wonderful book, but almost painful to read, because it is so heartbreaking. It is the story of John's half-sister, Julia, but also of their mother (also named Julia), of John, and Julia's sister (John's other half-sister), Jackie. John's mother was much maligned, and this book sets the record straight. John was raised by his Aunt Mimi, but it wasn't because Julia wanted to give him up. Basically, he was ripped from her (in Ms. Baird's words), and her treatment, and that of her daughters by her own family, was nothing short of shameful. I am glad that Ms. Baird told this side of the story.
December 19, 2022
An extraordinary family tale of the extended Lennon family and the trials and tribulations. Julia’s life itself has been regularly hit with tragedy and by being generally wronged. I felt sorry for her but it was also a testament to her resilience that she emerged as a strong independent person, a good mother and someone who wanted to do the right thing by her brother. It’s a good thing that the old world has moved on from the judgemental family values. You find yourself shaking your head at some of the stupid and cruel family decisions of not only Aunt Mimi but of the avarice and controlling behaviour displayed by Yoko. Eastenders has nothing on this!
February 21, 2023
A Cruel world made even Crueler by family and death !
Wow ! So much information , so much hurt , too much unfairness and cruelty from life and family is told in this read. Yoko as in many told tales comes off as the wicked woman many believe her to be. John comes off as very lost and very trusting yet untrusting of those who really destroyed him! What a travesty was done and allowed to continue on to his true sisters and other family membersc ! A Beatle who had it all it seemed really did not ! Yolo and Johns estate should be ashamed if any part is just a little acuurate!
Wow ! So much information , so much hurt , too much unfairness and cruelty from life and family is told in this read. Yoko as in many told tales comes off as the wicked woman many believe her to be. John comes off as very lost and very trusting yet untrusting of those who really destroyed him! What a travesty was done and allowed to continue on to his true sisters and other family membersc ! A Beatle who had it all it seemed really did not ! Yolo and Johns estate should be ashamed if any part is just a little acuurate!
May 27, 2024
Review: When I first got this book (I bought if off thrifbooks), I had just read Julia's other book and glancing at this one thought it looked like it was the same book...that was months ago so now reading this one, I'm not sure if it is the same. It certainly seems familiar but that's because she is telling the same story...I think it must be somewhat different at least. Anyway, yeah again I do always enjoy a more personal effect when it comes to Beatles related books. Truly a tragic situation for all involved. For some reason it did take me longer than I would have expected to read this one.
Grade: B-
Grade: B-
July 15, 2020
I bought Julia’s book for personal reasons, not because it is about John but because of what he experienced. I was not disappointed. If you have seen the film of John’s early life you have missed the core of his existence and the family he grew up with. Read it for lessons in human nature, family structures and a glimpse of ordinary life growing up in a post war England. PS it is absolutely riveting.
Mark
Mark
November 5, 2020
Very sad story. The pain that keeps being repeatedly suffered in a family. Patterns passed on from parents to children. Julie Baird seems to have found some peace and “closure” as they say. I wanted to give her a great big hug by the end.
Very well written. A story that needed to be told, incredibly, considering how famous her brother was.
Very well written. A story that needed to be told, incredibly, considering how famous her brother was.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews