No Way To Treat A Child

What is life like when the very person who is supposed to care for you most is the person whom you most dread? How does a child survive and grow when subjected, day after day, night after night, to the subtle malice and open violence of a tormentor who has usurped the function of a parent? Wendy DeVere-Austin's moving book is proof that such a childhood can, with luck and perseverance, not only be survived; it can also give way, eventually, to a rich, happy, and vivid life, even if not all scars will always disappear altogether. DeVere-Austin gives us not only her terrifying childhood, but also her varied career as a hairdresser, model, and secretary working in the film industry. The result is a colourful memoir which is likely to surprise readers at every turn.