28179177This is my first time reading a memoir… I think… And it was one of those experiences which made me think- I should not ever, ever complain about my childhood. Which I don’t. But as humans we always wish for more. John Davis poured, what appears to be, a pretty difficult chain of events into this book. I have seen movies which would have a similar, but not the same, plot and I always thought- yes, there are people out there who have seen all sorts of shit- but to read someone’s life play out like this… Well… it’s quite heartbreaking.

John grows up with a very temperamental father…

“My earliest memory is of a gun.”
That gun was in his father’s hand – and it was pointed at his mother’s head.

John’s father gets into more and more dodgy dealings (he had a butcher shop with extracurricular activities) and due to life-threatening circumstances John moves to a new house with his mom and little brother.

Enter numerous ineligible suitors that visit his mother and his father re-marrying… must I say this? Things are just wicked.

Then out of the blue John’s mother delivers the most life altering news via freaking email, which everybody else except John knew about…

And from this point on, I would like to think, the process of closure began. A lot of questions were answered for John- about the why’s and who’s of his childhood, the realisation that things really were not normal and the added bonus of loving extended family.

It’s a quick, tumultuous read with a happier ending than the first part of the book may suggest.

Rating: 3* – I liked it. Even though it feels wrong to say it because of the hurt and pain that was dealt out. I couldn’t click with the writing structure of the first part of the book- the mechanical count of events, but from second part on it turned nice and flowy.

Thank you John, for sharing your story and all the best for the future!

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