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The Necessary Aptitude : A Memoir

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LoveReading Says

LoveReading Says

September 2011 Non-Fiction Book of the Month.

Not being a particular fan, I was rather dubious when The Necessary Aptitude was sent to me for review – but – Pam Ayres had me captivated. As I write, the book trade is busy predicting the top books for Christmas and under biographies, there was no mention of Pam Ayres. After having read it, all I can say is I’m very surprised, all the humour and observation you’d expect but being one of the last generation who can truly say they were a country child, her memoirs of childhood, village life and the country side are especially well-worth reading. She doesn’t gloss over the dark side, the animal cruelty, the treatment of mental and physical disability, the harshness of life lived with little spare cash but this is tempered by a strong and loving family life. Another striking theme is the difficulty of a girl in her position trying to break free and make something of herself; a feat that Pam Ayres has managed in spades.

Like for Like Reading
Things I Couldn’t Tell my Mother, Sue Johnston
A Spectacle of Dust: The Autobiography, Pete Postlethwaite

 

Sue Baker

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