Borrowed Body by Valerie Mason-John
‘Borrowed Body’ is a powerful and moving account of being black and growing up in care.
Through the eyes of Pauline, former Barnardo’s girl Valerie Mason-John brings to life the experiences of – being moved around children’s homes, struggling to find her identity and battling with a strict, disciplinarian mother who can’t understand how her daughter could have developed such ‘English’ ways and yet her actions result in her daughter inadvertently being returned to the care of those she wanted her to escape.
From an early age, Pauline has to deal with people not understanding her and what it means to be one of few black people in her home, being called names by other young people, as well as the people looking after her, and generally not fitting the mould.
Real-life is interwoven with a world of spirits and angels that guide Pauline – both for good and bad – and they help to set the pattern for her years ahead. Throughout the book though, there are those who have faith in Pauline’s abilities and can see that behind the life of crime and escapism she has chosen, there is potential to do well.
‘Borrowed Body’ is a well-crafted piece of work which is both entertaining and easy to read. It helps to put the experiences of growing up in care as a black child into perspective by re-evoking images of fashion and style of the 60s and 70’s, while maintaining a sense of humour.
Borrowed Body is published by Serpent’s Tail and was launched in May 2005. Copies of the book are available on amazon.co.uk, at bookshops or from selected Barnardo’s shops, priced £8.99. Some of the proceeds from the book will go to Barnardo’s.