Book - Orphan of Angel St by Annie Murray

The covers of Annie Murray's books deny what's contained within; inside they are as black as the darkness of poverty, grey as the oppressiveness of the working classes, purple as the bruises of war, beige as the slums and as red as bloodshed.

With my current luxurious position allowing me more time to read books, I can hopefully afford more than the usual 2 Annie Murray books I allow each year. Especially as they are not even among the most upsetting I’ve read - some of the memoirs have been harder.

With this one clearly about an orphan, Mercy, bought up in the slums, we know a back story will unfold at some point, probably near the end. 

In the meantime, we learn how a  little girl had to become an adult before she was a teenager as she learns that not every child is beaten by an adult seeking revenge for their shortcomings. (We know bullying tends to be acts from those who lack confidence and self-esteem). 

After a while, I realised I’d spent a lot of time during these 500+ pages in the company of two-faced gents/brutes and that this is s running theme. So many of the men featured are brutes in this stifling, oppressive early 20th-century society along with a couple of women. 

As ever, the author expertly walks me along the small streets of Birmingham so that I can almost smell the pollution and sewage. And as ever, I’m glad I have learned a little bit more about society.