This Is Not About Me
Janice Galloway
- 01 september 2008
- 9781847080615
Samenvatting:
When her mother left her alcoholic father and set up home in a tiny attic room above a doctors surgery, Janice Galloway quickly learned how to keep quiet and stay out of the way. Her mother hadnt expected or wanted another child and Galloway wasnt allowed to forget that she was a burden. Her much older sister Cora, with her steady stream of boyfriends, her showy fashions, and erratic temperament, never failed to remind her of her insignificance. Galloways Scottish childhood is defined by the intimate details of her environment, where every family member looms close. With startling precision she remembers scenes of domestic life: her mothers weekly round of washing, the sodden tweed dripping on the line; Cora putting on layers of make up for the Ayrshire night life; learning to write?and control the often rebellious letters; the living quality of her mothers mangy old fur coat. In these cramped conditions, ignored by her elders, Galloway is a silent observer, carefully and keenly watching the people around her. As her rage grows, she begins to think for herself. Slowly, unexpectedly, she finds her voice. Out of the silent child emerges the girl who will be a writer.