This is a strange one to review as it’s a memoir. Tracy is from a council estate but has aspirations. Her family are outwardly poor but inwardly very rich. The parents Mick and Jackie protect the girls from the big bad world until one day it intrudes. Tracy has to deal with a trauma and its consequences on her sister and mother for many years. They become more religious, the girls don’t attend school - in general life becomes chaotic. Tracy tries to make sense of her world by questioning everything and this leads her in later life to question the truth behind her trauma. She discovered ‘ critical thinking’ and uses it to make more sense of her parents, her childhood and her upbringing. I don’t think there’s anything revelatory in the memoir, many of us have similar backgrounds. Her ability to write it all down, I hope, has been cathartic. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a prepublication ebook.

This is a carefully written, sharply observed, and often heartwarming book. I agree fiercely with King’s statement in the epilogue: “I’ve had an unreasonably complicated life and I’m asking a lot of the reader to trust me that, yes, all this happened and, no, trauma like mine is not that rare. What is rare is that someone like me has an opportunity to tell her story.” It is a memoir that addresses a multitude of topics, but overwhelmingly poverty, grief, memory, and truth. Interesting, sad, infuriating, and informative, my only criticism is that it’s perhaps overly-long, with quite a bit of repetition and rumination. I am also slightly skeptical of parts, but no more than of any other memoir - especially one written by someone whose lived experience is very different from my own. Would recommend!

I really enjoyed this incredible memoir.

Tracy King grew up in an ordinary council estate outside Birmingham, a house filled with creativity, curiosity and love, but marked by her father’s alcoholism and her mother’s agoraphobia.
By the time Tracy turns twelve her father is killed, her sister taken into care and her mother ensnared by the promises of born again christianity.
This is the story of an ordinary family trapped by a broken system, a story that could happen to anyone without the tools to transform their circumstances and it’s the story of how Tracy found her way out.

Learning to Think is beautifully written, even with its difficult subjects, it doesn’t make it difficult to read. The love within the family just leaps off the pages. It’s emotional, it’s raw, it’s gut wrenching and it pulls at your heartstrings. It made me smile and it made me cry.
A heartfelt, moving memoir about family, poverty, mental health, education, trauma, religion, memories, seeking the truth and hope.
Definitely recommend if you enjoy reading non fiction/memoirs. It’s well worth reading.

With thanks to #NetGallery #RandomHouseUK @TransworldPublishers for an arc of #LearningToThink in exchange for a honest review. And to @Tracyking for sharing her story.
Book publishes 7 March 2024.

I feel guilty for not rating this book with a higher number of stars, because I respect the author’s willingness to critically analyse the events of her childhood and her beliefs. It’s a brave book and she’s clearly a courageous, empathetic and clear-sighted person.
Unfortunately, it just didn’t grip me. From the blurb I was expecting something more like Tara Westover’s Educated, but the first part of the book just read like a description of normal life to me, having spent part of my formative years on a council estate. I couldn’t help feeling that the author’s style was a tad hectoring. By the time I finished the book I was glad to put it down, as if an interesting but slightly over-long lecture had ended.

Tracy King talks about her life growing up in poverty, in a new council estate in Birmingham, where everything you need is on the estate. Her older sister develops a school phobia, and is eventually sent away to boarding school, her mother becomes a member of an extreme church and her father is murdered. I did stop reading a short way in, as I found the book too depressing, but came back to it after a short break, and I’m glad I did as we learn how the three of them fought against the barriers in their life, with Tracy even tracking down and communicating with the boys, now men, who were instrumental in her father’s death. A hard, but interesting read.

💭 REVIEW 💭

Learning to Think by Tracy King
Publishing Date: 7th March 2024

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

📝 - Tracy King grew up in a working-class family in Birmingham, with her parents and older sister. Despite the hardships that they went through including poverty, unemployment, and issues with the education system, all in all the King family was relatively happy. But when father of the family, Mike King, dies under suspicious circumstances, family life begins to spiral. Tracy King recounts the numerous issues they faced before and after the death of her father, and reflects on these experiences with a newly developed skill of critical thinking.

💭 - This was a very interesting read, quite unlike other memoirs I’ve read. From the blurb I thought it would have a heavy focus on the dangers of being immersed in a religion such as born-again Christianity, but this was not the central part. Instead King recounts her and her family’s life, their struggle to thrive under the broken system in the UK, and how quickly things can spiral. Throughout the memoir, there is a focus on reflecting critically on key events throughout her life, such as joining a religious group and the breakdown of her family’s relationship with education, which is done very well. I also liked that I could see her development throughout, as she dived deeper into her fathers death later in life, and began to question how she had thought about him. I did struggle slightly with some of the structure, as anecdotes are inserted without much of a lead up, and then stopped just as suddenly. On the whole, though, quite a unique memoir, and one I would recommend.

#learningtothink #tracyking #netgalley #arc #netgalleyreads #review #bookreview #bookreviewer #bookreviews #reading #februaryreads #memoir #nonfiction #2024reads #readmorebooks

This is a very heartfelt memoir of Tracy Kings childhood growing up in poverty on a new council estate outside Birmingham. A very harrowing story at times- Tracy’s family do their best to make ends meet, and Tracy explains well how many working class still live today- very much feast or famine. Coupled with mental health problems, addiction, and school refusal- Tracy tells the story of how her family were treated by social services and the impact that had on them. King writes eloquently about the loss of her father in such a harrowing way and how she is coming to terms with that in her own way, with the many years it has taken to find out some semblance of truth.

This is a remarkable and intense memoir written by Tracy King. I’m finding it very difficult to summarise as the book touches on so much. It is essentially about King’s life growing up on a council estate not far from Birmingham with her Mum, Dad and older sister. Each of them has their issues but it is a loving and creative atmosphere. However, when King is 12, her Dad is killed and part of the book is about her trying to find out the truth as a youngster, then trying to shield herself so that she can break free of her trauma but then ultimately learning how to look back and assess her experiences.

The art/skill of learning and questioning is a strong theme in the book as is alcoholism, agoraphobia and born-again Christianity. However, it is the memoir of someone who grew up in circumstances that many do not manage to break free of and who are crushed by a broken system. As the author says, there are likely to be many other similar stories out there but people from her background don’t get the chance to tell them. I hope this will encourage publishers and others to give opportunities for a multitude of stories from a variety of backgrounds to be told.

Overall, this book is incredibly well written. While it contains lots of difficult subjects, it wasn’t difficult to read and I would recommend it to others who enjoy reading non-fiction.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

I'd seen a lot of hoopla about this book so thought I'd give it a go despite not having heard of Tracy King. So glad I did because what you get is an extraordinary story of an ordinary family whose lives were changed by several events they couldn't control.

The King family could have been any ordinary working class family living in England but due to Jackie (mother) having agoraphobia plus other phobias and Mike (father) having a drink problem their first traumatic event comes early on in the form of their eldest daughter, Emily, picking up on her mother's trauma and becoming a school refuser. This leads eventually to her being placed in a boarding school miles from home.

The second (and even more significant) trauma came with the death of Mike following an altercation with some local youths. This led to a trial in which the family seems to have been as much on trial as the young man accused.

So if I continue I'll just end up rewriting the book (only far less well). Suffice to say that these events had a profound effect on Tracy King who went on to lead a somewhat chaotic life for some years.

However using the skills her family gave her Tracy has become a success story and decided to go back to find out what really happened the night her father died.

The book is about so much more than that one pivotal event. The book is about love and understanding and learning to take apart long held beliefs and holding them up to scrutiny.

This is a great book and I loved reading it. Tracy clearly had exceptional parents and the love within the family leaps off the pages and really made me smile. What happened to them all was tragic but unlike others who have been, for whatever reason, unable to escape the chaos Tracy King has used her experience to learn and teach others and now to bring a wonderful, often heartbreaking, book to life.

Thankyou to Tracy King for this deeply personal look at her life. It must have taken courage to go looking for the truth.

Thankyou to Netgalley and Random House for the advance review copy.

It takes guts to write a memoir of your own life and anybody who can do that has five stars in my opinion. Its raw, emotional and gut wrenching! If this book doesn't pull at your heart strings then I think you have something missing!!! I was reading this and without realising I was crying!

A brutal telling of Tracy’s upbringing in 80s/90s Birmingham. Very matter of fact at times whilst simultaneously being heartfelt and raw. If that makes any sense?! Tracy at times seems detached from what she’s writing but perhaps that’s because she has grown so much and looks back with some distance between who she was and who she is. The awful death of her father is so sad…

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Anyone who makes themselves vulnerable to write their memoir always deserves 5 stars in my eyes.

I thought this was a powerful, raw and heart wrenching account of Tracy's life growing up in a council estate in Birmingham in the 70's and 80's. It's a story of family, poverty, mental health, trauma, judgement, murder, confusion, memories, truth seeking and ultimately hope.

"I'm my own exorcist, and the trick of surviving to the end of the book is to know that i'm more than my demons"

This is very interesting memoir of Tracy’s childhood in the 70s and 80s living in council housing in the Birmingham area. Her writing really brings to life the challenges for families with little money and inadequate professional support when needed.

Her mother had mental health issues and wouldn’t venture out while her father was an alcoholic. Meanwhile, Emily, her elder sister by two years, develops a school phobia and becomes known as a ‘school refuser’ which is dealt with in some pretty brutal ways by the authorities. The family then get very involved in a local church and all become born again Christians but shortly after her father dies in an act of senseless violence on the council estate.

Later in life author, Tracy King, delves more into her father’s death and the last third becomes somewhat of a psychological analysis into critical thinking and less of a memoir.

I really was gripped by the first two thirds but found the end a little dull as I was enjoying this book as a memoir and was not so interested in appreciating the author’s newly gained intellect in the way she thought. I was also a little frustrated as at one point the memoir seemed to be heading into the family being sucked into a rather way out Christian church or even a cult but this storyline simply fizzled out.

I also wanted to know more about the current life of the author, her sister and mother but I wonder is omitted as the author is clearly trying keen to protect the anonymity of some mentioned in the book, especially those involved at the time of her father’s death.

One thing I did struggle with was that she started by saying that mothers are known as Mom in the area she grew up in but after the first few pages she referred to her parents mainly by their Christian names, Jackie and Mike. I found that very odd and distracting from the story as it was almost like it was a biography and not a memoir.

With thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The book opens with her being exorcised of her demons by men from her church. Her father had difficulties with work in part due to his alcoholism. Her mother had mental health issues and Tracy was often acting as support for her. Her older sister struggled with school attendance and was placed into care.
I wasn’t expecting the last third or so of the book to be dedicated to her father's case and surrounding circumstances. I found it rather repetitive and my attention waned by the end. The final work felt less than the sum of its parts.

I just finished this book and it was so powerful, reading about Tracey’s life growing up and getting an insight into many of these difficult times which has shaped her into the adult she is today. It was devastating at times but also immensely happy thank you for writing it. I will recommend this to all friends and family

An ordinary but extraordinary childhood in Birmingham told with great candour. The family were poor and had problems but it very sharply shows how impotent people can be in the face of bureaucracy. Tracy’s sister was a school refuser and was taken away from her family and they were powerless to stop this. Her father died as a result of random violence and she had to go through an exorcism in a born again Christian way. Tracy survives and the power of education shines through.

Step into Tracy King's shoes and navigate the landscape of an ordinary council estate just outside Birmingham, a household teeming with creativity, curiosity, and love but tainted by her father's battle with alcoholism and her mother's agoraphobia.

By the time Tracy reaches the age of twelve, her life takes a tragic turn. Her father is killed, her sister placed in care, and her mother ensnared by the promises of born-again Christianity. This isn't the fodder of cult documentaries; instead, it's the narrative of an average family ensnared in a fractured system—a story that could befall anyone lacking the tools to break free from their circumstances. Tracy's journey becomes a beacon of hope, illustrating how she managed to escape.

This shocking, inspiring, and ultimately hopeful memoir doesn't unfold like the sensational tales of cult documentaries. Instead, it serves as a mirror reflecting the everyday realities of life in poverty—a narrative that could resonate with anyone lacking the means to transform their situation. Tracy's story is not only a testament to the resilience of the human spirit but also a tribute to the transformative power of books and the importance of learning to question the world around us.

The E-Book could be improved and more user-friendly, such as links to the chapters, no significant gaps between words and a cover for the book would be better. It is very document-like instead of a book. A star has been deducted because of this.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and I would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

Tracy King’s memoir is a complex story of family, class and an education system that lets down children who don’t fit in, but it is also the story of her decision to look back and investigate what happened, rewriting the story as she does so.

Tracy’s parents were not perfect and their lives were affected by money troubles, anxiety and alcohol, but this is no misery memoir. This was a loving family who valued learning, bringing home early computers (in the 90s), making good use of their library memberships and the Open University on the TV.  Emily, her sister, has school refusal (also more sympathetically termed, emotionally-based school avoidance) which places a huge stress on all the family. In an unimaginable consequence of her fear of attending school, Emily is eventually sent to a psychiatric institution and then removed from the custody of her parents and sent to boarding school.

The horror of this, however, is subsequently overshadowed by a tragedy that becomes a central part of King’s life. It is not until she’s an adult that she is able to painstakingly examine what she was told as a child, and subsequently put together a more nuanced picture. This thoughtful tale of poverty, trauma, class, education and religion is told with insight and love for her parents and is a tremendous and unusual story that is well worth reading.

Learning to Think is a memoir based on Tracy King's experience of growing up and her relationship with religion and her father's passing. She had a somewhat chaotic upbringing due to her father's death and her mother's agoraphobia and this is all detailed in the book. It's a fairly quick read but unfortunately it didn't hold my attention and I didn't enjoy it.

Tracy experiences profound loss with the death of her father and the separation of her family. However, it is through education and the pursuit of knowledge that she discovers the tools to transform her circumstances.
Her story inspires us to recognize the potential for growth and change, even in the midst of heartbreak.