Publisher's Synopsis
Growing up in the slums of Bermondsey, Hilda Kemp's childhood was one of chaos and fear. Hilda knew what it was to grow up in desperate poverty and what it was to feel hunger. A casual dockworker by day, a bare-knuckle fighter by night and a lousy drunk to boot, her Pa honed his fists down the Old Kent Road, and it was Hilda or her Ma who bore the brunt of them at home. This is the powerful and moving memoir of Hilda's childhood growing up in dark, filthy, crime-ridden Bermondsey. And out of this bleak landscape emerges a brave, resilient young girl whose life is a testament to the power of love and good humour.
