WHAT ABOUT ME?
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The happy family days didn't last, though, as it was just after my fifth birthday that Dad up and left us which triggered a kind of change in Mum. Mum came home from work one day to find a note and all his belongings (and some of our furniture) gone. The note said that having a family was holding him back so he needed some space; I'd never seen Mum so angry and upset. She cried and cried for days and when she was in a bad mood she would destroy things like her wedding photo album (which had no pictures of Dad because she'd cut round them then burnt them). Sometimes, when I laid in bed at night I could hear her crying and cursing in Jamaican patois and in the mornings her eyes were always swollen. Dad never wrote or phoned to check on me and when Mum was angry she would say that she never wanted to hear from that `no good so and so,' or `if he knows what's good for him, he'll never show his ugly face again'.
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About the Book
What about Me? This is the story of a girl called Danielle whose life is disrupted from an early age by the separation, and subsequent divorce, of her parents. The story is her recollection of the events in her life and her various thoughts that she often shares in her diary. At the age of 5 her father abandons her and her mother in search of his own freedom and at the age of 12 her mother goes on a `holiday' which lasts for years. She is forced to stay with her aunt in the Midlands, much to her dismay. It is there that she is humiliated privately and publicly by her cousin and forced to do the majority of the work around the house. Despite the disappearance of her father rather early on, she idolises him and hopes that he will come and rescue her. However, it is actually her Grandma that becomes her saviour and takes her in. After a few failed attempts at reuniting with her father Danielle realises that her family truly consists of only her and her Grandma. Life with her Grandma is a welcome change of pace until the arrival of her Grandma's boyfriend Pete. Pete is an alcoholic and one night makes advances towards Danielle and threatens her. However, when she finally manages to pluck up the courage to tell her Grandma, Pete is thrown out for good. Danielle doesn't realise that she has a problem with the way she views the world until her best friend Nicole becomes pregnant and moves into her Grandma's flat; causing jealousy and tension to flare up. Her Grandma's no nonsense approach to parenting leads her to tell Danielle some home truths about her attitude causing her to make drastic changes to the way she thinks and acts.
About the Author
Eutel White holds a BSC Degree and is a single mother of four. She is a British citizen of Jamaican descent and resides in London England. She has been writing for a number of years and her greatest love is children's picture books. Eutel has recently ventured into writing non-picture fiction books and has written this novelette for young adults. It is her wish to share her work with children and young adults across the world and feels that this book conveys to the reader that no matter how bad things may seem there is always someone less fortunate. Her interests include writing, entertaining, going to the theatre, spending time with her grandchildren and cooking.