IGGPPC : Iggle BookWorms discussion

Welcome to the discussion for our November read, Gone Shopping: The Story of Shirley Pitts - Queen of Thieves by Lorraine Gamman

Chat and share your thoughts and questions here.



Shirley Pitts, the eldest of six children was born upside down on 24 november 1934. Her "career" began by thieving bread off doorsteps and coal from coalcarts. Her father's bungled attempts at blackmarketering and her dipsomaniac mother's inadequacies made Shirley resolve not only to be a first-class thief but also the best mother her six children could wish for.

Before she died Shirley told her story to Lorraine - the story of a generous, brave and beautiful woman with a huge sense of fun and a love of life.

I'm going to be listening to the audiobook via Audible, but I won't be starting until the 5th - this is when my next credit is available!

Who has started reading?
What do you think of Shirley Pitts?

Going in to it I was torn, wondering whether I could suspend my disbelief, how trustworthy is her account?

It's very enjoyable, so far I've got to her early twenties and she's fit in a lot of life already. She's very much a Londoner, there's a fair amount of slang which the glossary at the back only begins to touch. Something about the way it's written reminded me of my dad talking about what his life was like in the 30s and 40s (though as far as I am aware with less criminality!). There should be big content warnings on this book, there is death, violence, a wide range of criminal acts, and some descriptions that haven't aged well.