A Village Girl: Memoirs of a Kentish Childhood

Shears recollects her childhood in early 20th century Kent, where she lived a poor yet largely happy life with her mother and three siblings. The five went years without seeing her military father -- long just a name and a framed photo to the youngest two. Despite living in a small, remote village and having few possessions, young Sarah's experiences are largely positive. She recalls visiting the local store with her pocket change, being encouraged to mull over the candy counter as long as she liked by the elderly proprietess; her lifelong love for words and books; and the fierce protectiveness displayed by her elder brother William, and in turn she for younger siblings Mary and Henry. This quietly moving story is surprisingly engaging, as readers are quickly pulled into a long-ago era and a distinctive kind of life that many can only imagine.