#50Books2014 'Mothers Ruin' by Nicola Barry

Gosh, I have been so, so busy. I've only read one book in June and that has taken me ALL month to read! I have seriously had no time. The end of term is so busy. The kids have joined more after school clubs, I have sports days/special assemblies/fetes and so on to attend. It's manic here.
Anyway, so this month I read 'Mothers Ruin' by Nicola Barry.

'Nicola Barry grew up in well-to-do Murrayfield, Edinburgh. Her father was a hopsital consultant, her mother was medically trained, her brothers boarders at public school. But behind the closed doors of their imposing family home, her mother was drinking herself to death. A beautiful, quirky woman, this is the story of how Monica Barry became a prisoner to alcohol and a prisoner in her own home, her addiction slowly sucking the life out of her. And how - with her father at work, and her brothers away at school - Nicola spent a lot of her childhood as her mother's unofficial carer: hauling her from the bath when she was too drunk to function and running errands to buy her booze.

Full of harrowing incidents, and warmed by a touching, bleak humour, this is the powerful story of how a mother drank herself to death and how alcohol destroyed a family. And of how Nicola battled with her own alcoholism but, determined to throw off her mother's legacy, came through - a survivor.'

Nicola had quite a rough childhood looking after her mother who was always drunk. Her father worked as a surgeon and was hardly ever home. It was quite a sad book. However, Nicola is very inspiring and a true survivor. It's well written and easy to read. I enjoyed reading this book (when I had time!) and am glad I read it.
4 stars from me!

Sarah xXx