Childhood

A Memoir

By: Shannon Burns

Write A Review

Paperback | 5 October 2022

At a Glance

Paperback
272 Pages

Dimensions(cm)
2.2 x 15.4 x 23.4

Paperback

RRP $34.99

$32.75

or 4 interest-free payments of $8.19 with

Ships in 5 to 7 business days

A breathtaking, confronting memoir that examines class, poverty, neglect, masculinity, and the transformative power of books

Things may have been good for a while, but it didn't last- they argued fiercely and he left. Weeks later, she tracked him down and said she was pregnant. So he moved back in with her and they prepared themselves for parenthood.

Eleven months later I was born. By the time my father discovered the deception, it was too late.

There is something chastening about this mode of conception, about knowing that, by most standards, your beginning was aberrant.

In this arresting memoir, Shannon Burns recalls a childhood spent bouncing between dysfunctional homes in impoverished suburbs, between families unwilling or unable to care for him. Aged nine, he beats his head against the pillow to get himself to sleep. Aged ten, he knows his mother will never be able to look after him- he is alone, and can trust no-one.

Five years later, he is working in a recycling centre-hard labour, poorly paid-yet reading offers hope. He begins reciting lines from Dante, Keats, Whitman, speeches by Martin Luther King, while sifting through the filthy cans and bottles. An affair with the mother of a schoolfriend eventually offers a way out, a path to a life utterly unlike the one he was born into.

With its clarity of purpose and vividness of expression, Childhood is a powerful act of remembering that is destined to be a classic.

About the Author

Shannon Burns is a writer, critic and academic from Adelaide. His work has appeared in the Monthly, Meanjin, Australian Book Review and the Sydney Review of Books.

Shipping

	Standard Shipping	Express Shipping
Metro postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95
Regional postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95
Rural postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95

Orders over $79.00 qualify for free shipping.

How to return your order

At Booktopia, we offer hassle-free returns in accordance with our returns policy. If you wish to return an item, please get in touch with Booktopia Customer Care.

Additional postage charges may be applicable.