It is a tremendous pleasure to read what Margaret McQuade McAuslan has written of her life in the mid 20th and early 21st Century.
This is an impressive and expansive book of memoirs. It is ambitious, honest, bravely revealing, heartfelt, funny and deeply emotional.
McAuslan’s memoirs cover the period from 1953 to 2023. The book might just as well have been titled an autobiography rather than a memoir, but I’m guessing the author opted for the title of memoir because of the tough choices she faced in deciding what to include and what to leave out.
The evocations of Glasgow in 1950s and 60s are outstanding. Post-war Glasgow is shown in all its poverty, community resilience, sectarian stupidity, and generosity in clear and engaging sentences.
Margaret McQuade McAuslan is now resident in Ivancha, Bulgaria. Her book is available via Paypal or Bank Transfer from: agallusweegie@gmail.com Glasgow Women’s Library Shop, and Locavore, Victoria Rd, Glasgow