This Boy

This Boy is a memoir chronicling Alan Johnson's childhood in post-war London during the 1950s and early 1960s. The narrative focuses on his early years growing up in poverty with his mother Lily and sister Linda in a Notting Hill slum. Johnson recounts his family's struggles with housing conditions, financial hardship, and his mother's declining health in working-class West London. The relationships between Johnson, his sister, and their mother form the core of the story against the backdrop of a changing Britain. The book documents a critical period in British social history through the lens of one family's experiences navigating welfare, housing, and healthcare systems. Through precise detail and straightforward prose, Johnson constructs a portrait of resilience and determination in the face of systemic challenges. This memoir speaks to universal themes of family bonds and survival while providing insight into the realities of working-class life in post-war Britain. The book serves as both personal testimony and social document, revealing how individual lives intersect with broader historical forces.

Readers highlight Johnson's vivid portrayal of 1950s working-class London and his mother Lily's determination despite extreme poverty. Many connect emotionally with his sister Linda's role as a teenage caregiver and the bond between the siblings. Readers liked: - Raw, honest depiction of hardship without self-pity - Details that bring post-war London to life - The strength of family relationships - Clear, straightforward writing style Readers disliked: - First third moves slowly for some - Some wanted more detail about his later years - A few found the political references distracting Ratings: Goodreads: 4.1/5 (2,800+ ratings) Amazon UK: 4.6/5 (1,900+ ratings) Amazon US: 4.5/5 (200+ ratings) Common review quotes: "Puts today's poverty into perspective" "Made me appreciate my own childhood" "Shows how one person's kindness can change lives"

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🔹 Alan Johnson went from growing up in extreme poverty to becoming Home Secretary of the United Kingdom, serving in the cabinet under Prime Minister Gordon Brown from 2009-2010. 🔹 The book's depiction of 1950s West London slum life includes the author's childhood home at 107 Southam Street - a building that had no indoor bathroom and was later demolished as part of area redevelopment. 🔹 The author's mother, Lily Johnson, worked as a cleaner while battling serious heart problems, often carrying her cleaning supplies up several flights of stairs despite her condition. 🔹 After his mother's death when he was 13, Alan's 16-year-old sister Linda fought to keep them together and prevent them from being taken into care, effectively becoming his guardian. 🔹 The memoir won the Orwell Prize for political writing in 2014 and the Royal Society of Literature Ondaatje Prize, which celebrates works that best evoke "the spirit of a place."