Reviewed by David Savage
This book is based on the diaries of Sheila Ward. It is an insightful look into her amazing life (up to 1965) dealing with her work, marriage, illness and child death.
It starts in the 1930’s dealing with her school life and childhood illnesses and being a lonely child even in school because of her ‘lah-de-dah’ accent.
It shows her life moving from England to Germany finally ending up in South Africa with adventures and terrible heartache along the way. She survived Polio and Malaria and the terrible loss of her second child at 11 months old.
A RADA trained actress, painter and writer she married a tea planter and moved to Kenya where she had 4 children.
It is very well written with half of it diary entries giving snapshots of her life on different days from 1955-1965. It deals with her various jobs and her early acting career, her empty marriage, her illnesses and dreadful family tragedy. This is the first part of a 2 part autobiography and will appeal to anyone who likes reading true life stories.
Rating: 4/5
RRP: £16.99 (hardcover)
Available to buy from Amazon here.
