Olga - A Daughter's Tale [Kindle Edition]

What a poignant true tale.

A young Jamaican girl, whose mother was white, and father black, goes to England just before the outbreak of WW2 in the hope of becoming a dancer.

The dance school cannot accept her, and so she turns instead to nursing, a career that she loves. She longs to qualify and return to her family in Jamaica and make them proud of her.

Naive, religious, timid, she becomes the victim of a callous encounter, and with an illegitimate child she can no longer be accepted as a nurse. She must find ways and means to support her little girl, and is prepared to endure any humiliation as long as she can give her child a good education. She is too ashamed to let her family in Jamaica learn what has happened to her.

Her story is written by her daughter, mainly in diary form. Olga suffers because of the colour of her skin, but also receives much kindness from nursing staff and people with influence. However, with a small child, finding work and keeping a job is not easy. Throughout her ordeals she shows no sign of self-pity or bitterness. She gets on with her life as best she can to raise her child.

I can't remember where I saw this book mentioned; I think it was on Facebook, but I am so glad that I followed up and bought it. I became so attached to Olga that I have written to her daughter to ask for further news about her, so I think the author has done an excellent job of portraying a memorable woman of great dignity and courage.

This book tells Olga's story - from her family home in Jamaica to the war torn London streets where she hopes to become a dancer. Her aspirations change during her story; she changes direction and begins her nurse training but is unable to continue due to the actions of another person... she gives birth to her illegitimate daughter, Marie, and the remainder of the book details the sacrifices Olga willingly made for her daughter.

It is a beautifully written story; all the more poignant for being true. The story is revealed via letters and diary entries and the narrative is strong as a result. The author's ability to tell her story is shown in every single page.

The very few formatting errors in the book did not detract from the book which I highly recommend.

What an amazing book, I travelled the journey alongside Olga I cried and smiled. An amazing story in journal form. Through my reading I feel privileged to have known such a brave strong woman.Thankyou for giving me an insight into her life.