Veronica's Bird by Veronica Bird
Summary:
Veronica Bird was one of nine children living in a tiny house in Barnsley with a brutal coal miner for a father. Life was a despairing time in the 1950s, as Veronica sought desperately to keep away from his cruelty. Astonishingly, to her and her mother, she won a scholarship to Ackworth Boarding School where she began to shine above her class-mates. A champion in all sports, Veronica at last found some happiness until her brother-in-law came into her life. It was as if she had stepped from the frying pan into the re: he took over control of her life removing her from the school she adored, two terms before she was due to take her GCEs, so he could put her to work as a cheap option on his market stall.
Abused for many years by these two men, Veronica eventually ran away and applied to the Prison Service, knowing it was the only safe place she could trust. This is the astonishing, and true story of Veronica Bird who rose to become a Governor of Armley prison. Given a ‘basket case’ in another prison, contrary to all expectations, she turned it around within a year, to become an example for others to match. During her life inside, her ‘bird’, she met many Home Secretaries, was honoured by the Queen and was asked to help improve conditions in Russian Prisons. A deeply poignant story of eventual triumph against a staggeringly high series of setbacks, her story is filled with humour and compassion for those inside.
My Review:
Veronica's Bird is a book of three parts.
I might be better off in a children's home.
The first is an incredibly emotional journey through Veronica's childhood. The hunger, pain and abuse, the hope, hard work and glimpses of happiness, all told with brutal honesty. It will most definitely tug at your heartstrings. A young child needing more than anything an expression of love from her family, but more often than not, experiencing the harsh punishment meted out by her violent father. The unfairness that followed young Veronica throughout her childhood seems beyond belief but was unfortunately not uncommon during that time.
Climbing
Part two follows Veronica after she has separated herself from her family. She wants more than anything to feel safe and find her place in the world. She decides to become a Prison Officer, a strange decision some might think, but as time will tell, a very astute one!
Here we have a wonderful history of the prison service, from her first days at Holloway as a new recruit in 1968 until her retirement, decades later, in 2002.
Veronica's is an insightful and honest look at the lives of both the inmates and staff in prisons all over Britain. As she climbed her way up from prison officer to Governor, Veronica made a huge difference in the lives of those around her. In her first interview to join the prison service she said, "I want to help other people in difficult situations." and this was a mantra that she never forgot. It was the reason behind each of her decisions.
All the stories she shares are told with humour and humanity. Each occurrence, whether an attempted escape, a prison riot, or a celebrity visit to a prison, are told in a way which makes you feel like you were there, you can feel the emotion, hear the sounds and ( unfortunately) smell the odours!
Why Do We Lock People Up?
Part three will make you think. It will make you question everything you think you know about prisons and the hows and whys. That is one of the brilliant things about this book, it's not just a story to read, a memoir that induces admiration for it's heroine ( it is that too! ) but it really, REALLY makes you think about whether prisons are really the right place for many of the inmates that are incarcerated today.
Veronica's Bird is an amazing biography of an equally amazing woman. A fantastic read!
Information about the Book
Title: Veronica’s Bird
Author: Veronica Bird
Release Date: 23rd January 2018
Genre: Non-Fiction
Page Count: 290
Publisher: Clink Street Publishing
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