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Book Review By Daniel Patterson
Handstands in The Dark by Janey Godley

The story is set in 1960's-70's Glasgow. The East End is protrayed as having near Dickensean poverty in Janey's life. She struggles with child sexual abuse from her uncle and copes with family struggles which are hard to take at times. She has a dog which becomes her constant companion, and grows up to marry into a gangster family who introduce her to a new level of violence.

She witness's her mothers boyfriend rapidly deteriorate and escalate into a deeper violence, this results in her mother's murder. Janey then stays strong working in the family pub, gives birth to a daughter and struggles to yet again keep her family together in the face of violence in a bar where guns and threats can be deadly.


Plot & Themes
Kids growing up/acting up? Yes
Kids: - molestation--unpleasant gift from Daddy
Job/profession/poverty story Yes
Kind of living: - general poverty story

Subject of Biography
Gender - Female
Profession/status:
Ethnicity - White
Nationality - British

Setting
How much descriptions of surroundings? - 8 ()
Europe Yes
Century: - 1960's-1970's

Writing Style
Book makes you feel? - encouraged
Graphic sex in book? Yes
What kind of sex: - rape/molest
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