Borrowed Body

by Valerie Mason-John

I could have been born and raised in Africa. But my spirit was in too much of a rush to be reincarnated... At six weeks I was chucked out into the new year of 1965 which wasn't prepared to welcome an African baby, abandoned on a harsh English winter's day. So begins Pauline's spirited and moving story of her childhood and teenage years in and out of foster homes and dentention units, and back and forth to Dr Barnardo's Village in Essex. Her Barnardo's family was ruled by an unlikely trio - Aunty Claire, a born again Christian; her laconic husband, the Polish Uncle Boris; and the cook, Aunty Morag. And, of course, other kids orphaned or abandoned like Pauline. Woven into this feisty, quirky account are Pauline's angle and spirit companions - Sparky, Annabel and the snake - who play havoc helping her to survive in the real world. Another important presence is her mother whom she calls Wumni and with whom she goes to live in a London highrise. Wumni's method of refashioning Pauline into a dutiful African child is literally to knock the English out of her. But survive she does...

Genres: Justice, Fiction

Paperback

First published August 15, 2005

Reviews

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is Valerie Mason-John’s debut novel and a remarkable one it is. The summing up on the back says;
“I could have been born and raised in Africa. But my spirit was in too much of a rush to be reincarnated... At six weeks I was chucked out into the new year of 1965 which wasn't prepared to welcome an African baby, abandoned on a harsh English winter's day”.
As Bonnie Greer says in her review this is about growing up black and female in the care system. Pauline Charles is a child of Nigerian descent growing up in foster homes, children’s homes, a brief time with her mother and then more restrictive placements, living on the street and finally borstal. This is biographical and Mason-John was brought up in the care system. She has had quite a varied career covering being a performance poet, acting, journalism (for The Guardian, Feminist News, the Pink Paper to name a few), an artist in residence, playwright, artistic director of the London Mardi Gras, director of Pride Arts Festival and there is much more. In 1997 she was named Britain’s Black Gay Icon.
This book is in turn moving, funny, shocking, heart rending and always extraordinary. It is ultimately about surviving against the odds and in the face of abuse, humiliation and horrendous attempts at parenting. There is a little magic realism (as I would interpret it); Pauline has imaginary friends/entities/spirits she communicates with/relates to. There is Sparky, Annabel (a child who Pauline knew who died) and The Snake (an angry spirit who died too young). They help Pauline cope with and understand the world, but sometimes get her into trouble. I interpreted these as being a form of transitional object. Many children have cuddly toys or comfort objects through which they interpret and react to the world (mine was a teddy bear which I still have); Pauline’s transitional objects did not have physical substance.
The first part of the book deals with Pauline’s time in Dr Barnardo’s Homes, form about four to twelve. The fact that the time at Barnardo’s can be seen as a good time despite incidents of racism (mainly at school and in the community) and variable and sometimes eccentric attempts at parenting, illustrates how desperate band difficult the rest of Pauline’s childhood was.
At the age of 12 Pauline is sent to live with her mother in London and here the descriptions of physical abuse become very difficult to read. Pauline has become too English in her accent and her mother’s remedy is physical violence. Pauline also has to avoid children of West Indian origin at school and gets a number of beatings as a result of making the wrong sort of friends. Eventually even the rather slow and unresponsive authorities of the 1970s notice how regularly and severely Pauline is being beaten by her mother that they remove her. There is an attempt to return Pauline to a children’s home but she is now too damaged and out of control and there are a series of placements interspersed with periods living on the street with all that went with it. Eventually Pauline is arrested for shoplifting and ends up in a borstal and this takes up the last part of the book.
Throughout all this we have Pauline’s voice which is clear and brave with no self-pity. You can see her almost reaching out to well-meaning professionals, but realising they really have nothing to offer her and if she is going to survive she is going to have to find the resources within herself.
I am very surprised that this novel is not better known and more widely read, because it really should be.

[Linda Fallows · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great debut novel. The story, told from the child’s point of view, is interesting and heartbreaking at the same time. Gives some insight into the way of life of children of immigrant parents who are bounced around in the social care system and how they can be let down by that system.
Highly recommended.

[モーリー · Rating 3 out of 5]

I gave this book a good try, getting about a third of the way through, but just couldn’t get immersed in it. It’s not bad; just didn’t draw me in as I hoped it would.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A shocking and very readable story of life in Barnardos care homes.
This story makes you feel sadness but also has humour added into story at times.
Beautifully written.

[Corbin Davies · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book hits like a punch to the gut. Mystical and gritty, this book astounded me.