The Girl from Lamaha Street

- Blurb -

' An incredibly moving, truly inspiring story of the power of determination. An absolutely stunning read' . Katharine Birbalsingh. Perhaps it' s true that absence makes the heart grow fonder. Perhaps it' s true that you only know what you truly love when you no longer have it. But I wouldn' t have known any of this if I hadn' t left it all behind to discover where my home truly was. . . Growing up in British Guiana in the 1950s, Sharon Maas has everything a shy child with a vivid imagination could wish for. She spends her days studying bugs in the backyard, eating fresh mangos straight from the tree and tucked up on her granny' s lap losing herself in books. But with her father campaigning for Guiana' s independence and her mother away for work, there' s a void in Sharon' s heart, and she craves rules and structure. The books she devours give her a glimpse of life in a faraway country: England. And although none of the characters in these books look like her, her insatiable curiosity leads Sharon to beg to be sent to boarding school. Life at a conservative, Christian school is quite different from Sharon' s liberal, atheist upbringing. Girls march silently and single file along corridors and earn badges for deportment. There are twice-daily hymns, grace before and after meals and mandatory bedside prayers. And, all the girls are posh and white, while Sharon is the only one with dark skin. Will she ever fulfil her dream of horseback riding over green hills and going on adventures like her literary heroes? And has she truly found what she was looking for in this chilly corner of the world, thousands of miles away from home. You will be swept off your feet by the unputdownable story of Sharon Maas' s extraordinary childhood in British Guiana and England, a beautiful and inspiring coming-of-age tale of self-discovery, determination and chasing your dreams. Praise for Sharon Maas' s previous books:' Blew me away and I absolutely loved it. . . Oh my goodness me this was one seriously fantastically, heart wrenching tale. . . I became addicted. . . this book got to me more than any other book I have read. . . one hell of a fantastically brilliant book. ' Ginger Book Geek, 5 stars' If only I could give this book 100 stars rather than 5!. . . This book is epic, a mesmerizing book of strength through unimaginable losses. . . Heartbreaking and beautifully written this is a gripping tale of bravery. . . One of the best and most memorable historical books I' ve ever read!' Deanne' s Book Thoughts, 5 stars' Wow! . . . Such a powerful story, so brilliantly narrated, in such a way that you feel part of it all and are left bereft when i