Voices in the Street: Growing Up in Dundee by Maureen Reynolds
This book presents a nostalgic account of life growing up in wartime Scotland. Born in Dundee in 1938, Maureen Reynolds grew up in wartime Scotland, a young girl surrounded by adult concerns - the endless queuing for rations that never seemed to stretch quite far enough, the blackouts and air raids - and as she came of age, a whole generation seemed to suddenly do the same, with the rise of the Teddy Boy and rock and roll. A memoir written with the grace and lucidity of a novel, "Voices in the Street" chronicles a life of typical proportions with all the heartache and hope that entails, and reminds us that the most commonplace stories, properly told, can give a greater insight into a time and place than any of the more exceptional. With great candour and earnestness, Maureen Reynolds' reminiscences of growing up with her wise, kind Grandad, of lumpy porridge, of tramcars and of broth night, of finding her love and then seeing him borrowed for the sake of National Service, will strike a chord with all those who see their own memories reflected there, and for everyone else "Voices in the Street" provides an intricate, caring portrait of a life and of a generation.