"This Boy" by Alan Johnson (2013) tells the story of the future Labour Cabinet Minister's impoverished early life in 1950's and 60's London W10. I had started this one some months ago, and needed to finish it off. It is very moving in places; but the real heroine of the book is really Alan's elder sister. Not much "snowflakery" there. No self-pity by the author, either. 8/10 I think.
You may be poor, but don’t show poor.
The title, by the way, comes from an early (forgotten?) Beatles number of the same name.
Following on from that one I got through "Please, Mister Postman" (2014) by the same author in only three sittings. It continued with his life story and I found the recollections of his time as a postman, and the inner workings of the (then) Post Office system interesting enough. I must admit I was not quite so fascinated by his tales of climbing through the ranks of the trade union, though. Sad in places, the book felt a bit rushed at the end. Perhaps Alan had a deadline to meet. Only 6/10 for this one.
I fell into trade-union work like an Artic explorer into a hot bath.
Another song covered by the Beatles, of course.
Apparentlty, there is a third (and final) autobiographical book in the series:- "The Long and Winding Road". I shall have to look out for it.
