Books with author Mark Stafford

A harrowing yet greatly uplifting and humorous account of the author's childhood experience within a seriously dysfunctional family. Set in the slums of Walsall, Staffordshire, 'Light in the Dust' spans the author's formative years 1939-1960 opening with the outbreak of WWII. Follow Jo Mary in her life journey as she blossoms into an enchanting young lady, enrapturing and shattering the hearts of many a besotted admirer along the way.As well as the main thread being of a serious nature, Jo Mary's humour radiates throughout the book. Anyone reading even a few pages of Light in the Dust will realise Jo Mary Stafford is not a woman who gives up easily. This fascinating autobiography shows her to possess both fortitude and courage with herculean inner strength.This first volume of Jo Mary's memoirs has variously been described as funny, lyrical, tragic, evocative and entertaining by prestigious British writers, including Beryl Bainbridge ('extremely good'), Colin Wilson ('Fascinating. A remarkable piece of writing') and Meera Syal ('...brave, truthful, vivid, memorable). Light in the Dust is hard to categorise. Jo Mary Stafford has produced a book that has a timeless appeal, her readers spanning age grades, gender divides and geographical locations. Its universal theme 'appeals to the head as well as the heart' (The Black Countryman Magazine.) As a slice of social history, it is a striking, thought-provoking book which stays with the reader long after the last page had been read. It is hoped that the long-awaited sequel will shortly be published.

"Miss Stafford writes with brilliance. Scene after scene is told with unforgettable care and tenuous entanglements are treated with wise subtlety. She creates a splendid sense of time, of the unending afternoons of youth, and of the actual color of noon and of night. Refinement of evil, denial of drama only make the underlying truth more terrible." --Saturday Review "Hard to match . . . for subtlety and understanding. . . written wittily, lucidly, and with great respect for the resources of the language. "--New Yorker Coming of age in pre-World War II California and Colorado brings tragedy to Molly and Ralph Fawcett in Jean Stafford's classic semi-autobiographical novel, first published in 1947. Torn between their mother's world of genteel respectability and their grandfather's and uncle's world of cowboy masculinity, neither Molly nor Ralph can find an acceptable adult role to aspire to. As events move to their swift and inevitable conclusion, Stafford uncovers and indicts the social forces that require boys to sacrifice the feminine in order to become men and doom intelligent girls who aren't pretty.

Lincoln and the Lilac Lilies is Book One in The Fantastic World of Lincoln Llama series. This is an endearing story that can be enjoyed by children of all ages. Lincoln a young Llama learns a valuable lesson when his adventure in the Lilac Lily field results in a curious change in him. With help from his friends and family, Lincoln discovers how differences can be the measure of true friendship. This is a Pro-Literacy Selection

Lincoln's Day of Discovery is Book Two in The Fantastic World of Lincoln Llama series. This charming story will capture the imagination of children of all ages. Lincoln Llama's greatest desire is to find his way out of the Secret Valley, but discovers it may be close to impossible. In this story of determination and courage, Lincoln overcomes the problems preventing him from fulfilling his dream of travel to the outside world. This is a Pro-Literacy Selection

Light in the Dust is the heartwarming tale of one young woman's struggle to survive the poverty and oppression of the post-war years. Written with startling clarity and honesty, it is a book that celebrates the triumph of an irrepressible optimism in the face of the greatest of odds. This is the story of the survival of the human spirit in the face of parental oppression and social and economic deprivation. It points to a greater need for compassionate understanding in a society often deaf and blind to the mental scarring of the growing child and, by definition, of the adult.