A Pocketful of Memories: Acock’s Green (One of Eleven) – Julia Wareing

JULIA WAREING describes her childhood and youth in the back to backs of Acock’s Green. It has far less reference to place than its predecessors for while the Blackheath and Rowley titles were quite specific in geographic and historical location, Acock’s Green could, almost, be anywhere. But where the former paint a picture of happy childhoods against a backcloth of frugality, Julia Wareing’s book tells a story of abuse and deprivation. Written in an almost youthful style the book describes her survival of a traumatic childhood.

There is no quota system to how much ill fortune individuals suffer in a lifetime. Given fair distribution, Julia’s childhood should have been her lot, but in later years she has seen three of her sisters struck with Alzheimer’s Disease. She uses the second part of the book to not only describe her experiences of the condition, but also the importance of making herself available for research.

This is a remarkable book of survival, understanding and ultimately of giving.