What it really looks like to be disadvantaged

Katriona O’Sullivan is an Irish academic who grew up in poverty with two addicted parents. Her autobiography is entitled Poor because that is the word that best described her upbringing and her early life.

The author and her siblings experienced uncertainty in their lives with their home environment meaning that they were unable to concentrate to study or to achieve much in life. At fifteen years of age the author found herself pregnant and homeless and spent the next few years surviving only at subsistence level. What saved her was the intervention and support of a number of authority figures such as teachers and community workers who opened to her possibilities and opportunities for study and achievement.

There are, sadly, a lot of memoirs by people who grew up in poverty and neglect. Many of the authors have gone on to succeed but, of course, the ones who haven’t don’t write about it and we have no idea how many people have their life chances unfulfilled because they didn’t get the opportunities that this author did. To be fair to her, she tackles this question in the book and also shows how the opportunities open to people from disadvantaged backgrounds often don’t take into account the true nature of poverty and expect that those participating will be grateful to be offered things which other children take for granted.

This is a very insightful memoir where the author uses her own experiences to illuminate the world from which she came and the importance of people to offer opportunities, to provide proper support and not to give up on the poor. She makes a heartfelt case for more opportunities, support and understanding for those who are left behind.

This is a gripping true life story which leaves the reader with a lot to think about.