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A Very Private School

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A Very Private School

By: Charles Spencer
Narrated by: Charles Spencer
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'Shocking and moving' Guardian

'Top marks for its searing frankness, framed in wistfully beautiful prose’ The Times

At eight years of age, Charles Spencer was sent away to one of England's most England's most exclusive boarding schools. Here he reveals the strange secrets of the school, and the culture of cruelty and abuse he experienced in his five years there as pupil.

Spencer reflects on the misery, hopelessness and abandonment he felt aged eight, viscerally describing the intense pain of homesickness and the vicious brutality of a boys' school in the 1970s. All these years later, Spencer's bafflement at the teachers' motivations to inflict such cruelty on young children in palpable. As is his fury that, even if somehow he had spoken up, he'd never have been believed.

Charles Spencer's book 'A Very Private School' was a Sunday Times bestseller w/c 11-03-2024.

©2024 Charles Spencer (P)2024 HarperCollins Publishers Best of 2024 Children's Studies Education Europe Great Britain Politics & Activism Royalty Social Sciences Heartfelt Inspiring Scary Emotionally Gripping
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A wonderfully brave and honest account of the harsh grisly truth delivered with precious vulnerability thank you

Honest, grisly, vulnerable and brave

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Beautifully written and movingly narrated, this is a gripping and poignant tale of how one man managed to survive the harsh, traditional boarding school system and navigate the subsequent trauma that followed him into adulthood. Not an easy read but this is a book that will stay with me for a long time.

Riveting and poignant…

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I loved it was read by Charles Spencer himself, a most interesting listen and will listen to this again, have added it to my favourites

The honesty

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My heart goes out to all of those who suffered at the hands of the type of people who took advantage of the situation these unfortunate children found themselves in at boarding schools. I truly hope everyone affected receives the help they need. A well written account by an eloquent speaker. Bravo for having the courage to speak out!

Eloquently written account of an incredibly difficult experience

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Charles Spencer provides an honest and objective account of part of his childhood spent as a boarder at a UK prep school from a very early age. The narrative was clear and objective. It was eloquently delivered as an audio book by the author. Take my hat off to Charles Spencer for sharing his story.

Moving but a compelling and thought provoking listen

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