Skint Estate

Skint Estate: A Memoir of Poverty, Motherhood and Survival | Cash Carraway

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Two books approaching similar themes of Poverty and Social Class in modern Britain in different ways, yet it‘s interesting to see overlap in experiences despite different gender, countries of origin, age, backgrounds etc. Both cover highly relevant topics emerging from socioeconomic cleavages in society. Book 1 is a bit NSFW/pg-13 memoir/convo about her life and book 2 more of a flowing essay of narrative political/social commentary

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rockpools

Skint Estate: A Memoir of Poverty, Motherhood and Survival | Cash Carraway

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A pick with disclaimers for this one.

It‘s a vital, urgent read about life on the poverty line in austerity Britain, and the stripping away of our safety nets. On a personal level, certain aspects hit very close to home. Carraway does also, however, manage to push a lot of buttons: chances are, you‘ll disagree, you may disapprove, you might not believe every last word, and you‘ll certainly be challenged. 👇

rockpools However, this is her story, and it contains so many truths, so many things I‘d never considered. It also flags up how few voices we actually hear directly from the poverty line and how desperately we need to hear more.

TWs.

Thanks to #NetGalley and Ebury Press for the advance copy for review. The paperback was published in March 2020. (edited) 4y

rockpools #ParentChildMemoir #Booked2020 @Cinfhen @BarbaraTheBibliophage @4thhouseontheleft 4y

BarbaraTheBibliophage Really interesting choice! 4y

TrishB Great review Rachel. Agree totally 👍🏻 not an easy or likeable read. 4y

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rockpools

Skint Estate: A Memoir of Poverty, Motherhood and Survival | Cash Carraway

Day 3 of #CYOreadathon and I‘ve finished my second ARC of the weekend. This was actually published about 3 months ago, but has been in hibernation as it‘s pointedly not an easy book to read.

A review will appear, at some point, probably after I‘ve deleted 17 earlier versions of it...

squirrelbrain I have this one on my TBR shelf - @TrishB sent it to me after she‘d read it. Well done on the challenge so far! 4y

rockpools @squirrelbrain It‘s worth reading at some point - and it probably won‘t take you a couple of hours - but she‘s good at pushing buttons... 4y

squirrelbrain Hhmm, not sure I need any button-pushing right now! 4y

TrishB @RachelO @squirrelbrain she‘s very good at pushing buttons!! And not likeable at all really, which occasionally detracts from the real detail. Look forward to your review Rachel! 4y

BookwormM That cover is playing with my mind 4y

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TrishB

Skint Estate: A Memoir of Poverty, Motherhood and Survival | Cash Carraway

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It‘s a tough read and sometimes you just don‘t like the author and sometimes you‘ll just judge her but sometimes you will feel sympathy (or empathy) and wish her the best and be in despair that we have politics that let‘s this happen.
Much to talk about. But this isn‘t a story about the working class as a class, it‘s not universal. It‘s about another class that has slipped beyond any societal norms, seemingly without anyone 👇🏻

TrishB caring. There are a lot of tough things to think about in here. But I do think the authors ‘family‘ life had a massive impact on her future life chances. I would like to spend an hour or so with the author to discuss in depth. 4y

TrishB #parent&childmemoir #booked2020 #jennyis30 #politics @jenniferw88 @Cinfhen @BarbaraTheBibliophage @4thhouseontheleft 4y

squirrelbrain Great, perceptive review. I look forward to reading it! 4y

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TrishB @squirrelbrain definitely need some fluff now. 4y

squirrelbrain Yes, I think I might be looking for fluff tomorrow too... just finished Othello and still plodding through Wolf Hall and I think I‘m feeling a little bit ‘reading-slumpy‘ 😬 4y

TrishB @squirrelbrain I can see why you would! Although I only ever get this bad when it‘s NF- I cant get it out of my head when it‘s real people! 4y

Cinfhen You broke your golden rule/ SAD memoirs!!!! Sounds like a tough read but an important one. For some reason, I‘m drawn to these type of stories, especially NF. Go read one of your twisted murder stories...those seem to cheer you up 😉😂😘 4y

BarbaraBB Excellent review 💔 4y

rockpools Excellent, thoughtful review! I‘ve stalled on this for a little while... 4y

Cathythoughts As @BarbaraBB says, excellent review ❤️👍🏻 4y

Balibee146 Such a great review @TrishB so much to think about around individual life experience within a society that increasingly normalises the huge differences between peoples access to just the basics of living, let alone anything else. 4y

TrishB @Cinfhen I know and now I‘m traumatised!! 4y

batsy Wonderful review! 💜 Certainly a topic that would probably require a conversation across many books. 4y

TrishB @BarbaraBB @Cathythoughts thank you 😘 4y

TrishB @RachelO totally understand! 4y

TrishB @Balibee146 so true. She only went into politics with a small p really. But the whole thing just echoes the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer. 4y

TrishB @batsy thank you ❤️and yes definitely. And I‘m sure people‘s own life experiences will colour their reading as it does for all of us. 4y

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squirrelbrain

Skint Estate: A Memoir of Poverty, Motherhood and Survival | Cash Carraway

How funny @TrishB - I saw your post about this book yesterday and thought ‘Hmmm that sounds interesting...‘.

Popped into the charity shop today and what did I see?! So of course, I had to do my good deed for the day and make a donation in exchange for a book. 😇

TrishB Oh cool 👍🏻 we can definitely exchange thoughts when you get to it! What a great find! 4y

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TrishB

Skint Estate: A Memoir of Poverty, Motherhood and Survival | Cash Carraway

I am having the mother of internal debates in my head whilst reading this book.
I disagree with this statement for a start. But the authors issues are not just tied up with being working class.
There are so many things to discuss in this. Hoping to get a couple more hours with it later.

Balibee146 Yup I completely disagree too... Is it conflating working class with the concept of an 'under class'? Sounds like an interesting read and discussion! 4y

TrishB @Balibee146 she conflates her terrible upbringing (awful parenting) with the assumption that every working class person has a terrible upbringing. Just not true. It‘s so interesting though to read. 4y

Butterfinger Wow! It strikes me in a bad way too. 4y

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Balibee146 Oh interesting... Sounds like she's merging the idea of pride with self respect to me too? Will be interested to hear more of your thoughts as you read x 4y

Leftcoastzen I beg to differ. 4y

squirrelbrain Sounds interesting - I may be reading this soon... see my latest post! 4y

TrishB @Butterfinger @Leftcoastzen exactly!! 4y

GingerAntics It almost sounds like she‘s confusing pride with security or comfort to me. 4y

GingerAntics Either that, or she‘s acting straight up bratty. It kind of depends. 4y

TrishB @GingerAntics I‘m not quite sure, but intrigued enough to carry on. 4y

GingerAntics It‘ll be interesting to see how this turns out. 4y

Caroline2 “Working class” covers a lot these days. I was seriously ashamed to be poor when I was little. I hated it so much and it affected so many of my decisions (going straight to work after school rather than college/uni etc). My parents worked hard (my dad a taxi driver, mum a seamstress) but it was tough. 4y

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TrishB

Skint Estate: A Memoir of Poverty, Motherhood and Survival | Cash Carraway

#weeklyforecast
Finish The Wolf in Winter today hopefully.
The Last Great Dance on Earth - another maybe for Regency prompt #Jennyis30
Skint Estate - brought after @RachelO post - think it may fit #parentandchildmemoir
Other two waved at me this morning so got added to the potentials for the week!

Cinfhen

squirrelbrain Oh I loved Guernica when I read it a few years ago. Not an easy read, but unputdownable. 4y

rockpools Yep, I‘m definitely going to finish that this week too. Definitely. No doubt about it. 😉 4y

Cinfhen Books wave to you too??? I thought it was only me 😆 4y

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TrishB @squirrelbrain you know how plans go! But it looks really interesting 😁 4y

TrishB @RachelO 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻 4y

TrishB @Cinfhen they sit quietly for ages and suddenly go 👋😘 4y

Cinfhen Exactly ❣️ 4y

Caroline2 Oh this sounds good! I‘ve read a lot of books lately about rich people problems and this definitely sounds like an antidote!!! 4y

TrishB @Caroline2 it definitely sounds good 👍🏻 4y

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TrishB

Skint Estate: A Memoir of Poverty, Motherhood and Survival | Cash Carraway

Absolutely!! Brought many a book due to its cover.
Tagged - just brought after @RachelO ongoing review
Online, mainly left wing news sites.
Don‘t use an alarm- just wake up!
Anyone who wants to play ❤️❤️
#friyayintro

howjessicareads, alisiakae

alisiakae The tagged book sounds good! 4y

rockpools That confused me - I‘m reading on NetGalley and was feeling pleased with myself for getting through it before the mid-March deadline. Hadn‘t realised it was actually published last year 🙄 Won‘t tell you to enjoy it!! 4y

TrishB @RachelO paperback out March 12, that may be what you‘re looking at? 4y

rockpools @TrishB must be. Had no idea publishers used NetGalley before format changes - guess they‘re hoping for extra buzz 🐝. How was Kiefer? 4y

TrishB @RachelO really good 👍🏻 a great night. 4y

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rockpools

Skint Estate: A Memoir of Poverty, Motherhood and Survival | Cash Carraway

This is a rough read. Angry, brutal and all the bodily fluids. And every chapter makes you even more angry about the world we‘re living in. It‘s also doing a pretty good job of making me look at my own prejudices.

TrishB I‘m really interested in reading this, thanks for your review. I know it will probably make me very angry too! 4y

rockpools @TrishB I‘m only 1/3 through - but yeah, definitely one for you to read. And have fluff or a decent murder on hand for after! You‘d think vile attitudes would‘ve improved since the 70s, but they seem to be so much more conscious and ‘acceptable‘ right now. And there‘s so much ‘there but for the...‘. The system‘s v broken. 4y

TrishB There are some very judgemental reviews on Amazon, which have made me even more interested now! So I‘ve brought the book! Thanks 😁 4y

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TrishB I have this one already - not read yet!

Poverty Safari: Understanding the Anger of Britain's Underclass

rockpools @TrishB Stacking for (much) later! And the judgy reviews - it‘s definitely not a nice, polite, victimy book, and it may well be overstated for effect in places, but that doesn‘t take away from the underlying truths or experience in it 🙁 4y

veritysalter This looks interesting, I enjoyed Chavs and Establishment by Own Jones - I‘m more central in my politics, but open minded, I hope.

Chavs: The Demonization of the Working Class

rockpools @veritysalter I think I‘ve had Chavs unread on my kindle since it came out. One day! 4y

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rockpools

Skint Estate: A Memoir of Poverty, Motherhood and Survival | Cash Carraway

This is going to be my next #NetGalley read. Non-fiction, blurbed by Kathy Burke and Ken Loach...

Weaponxgirl That looks amazing and with a forward by Ken you know it won‘t pull any punches. Can‘t wait to see your review 4y

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TooManyBooks

Skint Estate: A Memoir of Poverty, Motherhood and Survival | Cash Carraway

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This book depicts what life is like for single mums with low paid jobs in Britain today. We see injustices faced due to government policy and stigma.
I appreciated Cash's honesty. I know many people- due to my job, family and friends- in similar, precarious situations where they are written off due to backgrounds and not having well-paid jobs.Although Cash's plight, and many others, is shocking, it is also vital for this book to have a platform.

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