Quiet Triumphs: Celebrities Share Survival Strategies That Get You Through the Hard Times Book

Author Carol Arnall shares her memories of growing up in Birmingham, England, in the 40's and 50's. Her family struggled up from poverty after desertion by her father. Ms. Arnall adds many vivid details of day to day life that put the reader right in the picture. Her descriptions of the tiny homes and inadequate sanitary facilities point out just how rough it was in those days for poor families. She shares memories of her school days and her friends, visits to relatives in the country, and later tells about her jobs. Eventually her circumstances improved and she married and had a family of her own.

The book was written in a folksy way and made me feel as if the author were chatting with me while we shared tea in her home. She broke the book into small sections, such as school, pets, etc. My only complaint was that the book ended abruptly without a summing up. But overall, this was a charming book and well worth reading.