It is an outstanding story

It is a wonder that Gavanndra survived to write it. I am glad that she did.

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Superb, one of the best audio books

The author literally lays herself bare in this ‘coming of age’ type autobiography. I laughed, I cried, I gasped. I felt sympathy, frustration, shock, horror, joy and anger.

What a beautiful book. A reminder that not every family is perfect but nevertheless it is possible to live to tell the tale.

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Fascinating story of family life and loss

Really enjoyed listening to this story of a chaotic upbringing and the circumstances that surrounded it. The narrator is the author and comes across as genuine and sincere. The story of her relationships with her larger than life father and the loss of her younger sister is fascinating. The story jumps between the events of her growing up and recent times where she tries to comes to terms with her childhood and the loss of her sister. A very moving account with a happy ending

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Not what I had expected.

Written & Narrated Well.
I am a 60s baby, lost my parents young, never had any money, used to drink to much, don't use drugs & never have. My career is centred around Safeguarding Children, therefore I did find moments horrifying. Where were Social Care? I think when you are rich, even now alot of things are overlooked. I truly feel very sad for Gavanndra, I know she dearly loved her father, but he crossed so many line, so sad & poor Candy, God bless her.

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Beautiful, honest and poignant

Undoubtedly the finest biography I’ve encountered since the wonderful Motherwell by Deborah Orr- if you enjoyed that one, I believe you will take to this too.

Listening to, rather than reading allowed me to hear the authors voice and better experience the emotions her often traumatic recollections inspire. It’s told with such honesty and at times dark humour that it is never less than palatable.

Can’t recommend highly enough.

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Beautiful and triumphant

Such a wonderful and well read story about a life of loss and realisation. I didn't want this book to end. Gavanndra writes so beautifully and with a refreshing honesty, that I felt as if I knew her.
This book will have you weeping at times, but will also make you see how loss can be dealt with in so many different ways, and not all of them healthy. Trying to piece together the memories of her sister and also looking at her own life and relationship with her parents, it felt so fragile at times, but I really enjoyed Gavanndra taking us through the journey with her.
Would highly recommend.

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Engaging memoir

I did enjoy this memoir. It was a very well-written account of an eye-popping adolescence. Hodge’s charismatic father was a drug addict, drug dealer, celebrity hairdresser and philanderer with a penchant for schoolgirls.

Hodge’s deep affection for her father in spite of his many flaws, is touching. The passages about the death of her nine year old sister are tragic but also raise more questions than they answer. The author is at pains to stress her sister was struck down by an airborne virus but most readers will wonder about parental lassitude.

The author is a patchy narrator - often great but then she slows down for no reason and stressed odd words a la Robert Peston who by strange coincidence has written a rave review blurb about the book!

The unsung hero of the book is Hodge’s mother. She doesn’t feature that much but surely without her devoted care, Hodge wouldn’t have got into Cambridge and become such a talented writer.

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6 people found this helpful

Honest and Compelling

Wow! What a story. What a childhood. Gavanndra evokes those heady wild days of flower power love and innocent excess from a child‘s experience brilliantly. I am the same sort of age as her parents and I think I remember Gavin. I certainly remember the stories. I even think I had my hair done by him. Having had a strange childhood myself I often wonder how the children of those that were swept away by the freedom of those times fared. I met a few of them and wondered.
I am so glad that Gavanndra has survived her difficult path but then she had so much love. Love inside herself. Her Dad would be so very proud of her. Although I think he would take all the credit!!
Performance - minus one star as on my machine the timing was a bit lugrubrious by speeding it to 1.1 it was easier to listen to.

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The price of privilege

Gavanndra clearly had a terrifying childhood owing to the unreliability and addiction of her father. The death of her sister splintered the family. She writes interestingly about grief and memory.
I greatly enjoyed the book but had a couple of issues with it. Firstly, the writer seems remarkably unaware of her privileged education at a very smart private school, which appears to have been an underrated support to her through the rough years. Secondly, she does not seem to give enough credit to her mother for years of emotional and practical support, babysitting, etc. Treasure your mother, Gavanndra!

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Courageous and fascinating

Gavanndra Hodge shows huge courage in his account of her difficult and at times tragic childhood. A beautifully written book.

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