What do you think?
Always in the Dark: One Woman's Search for Answers from a Family Shrouded in Secrets
Always in the Dark is a deeply moving memoir that tells of secrets, scandal and survival.
After her parents emigrated post war, Diane spends her idyllic and cosy childhood in Cape Town, which is ruined at the age of three after the arrival of a visitor. Her roller coaster existence and mother’s mental breakdown when she is eight adds to her confusion. Her father works for Cadbury’s and after securing a transfer with the company, the family move back to England when she is fourteen. With each new move, of which there are many, Diane prays that happiness will return to her parents’ marriage.
It is obvious her home life is a weird one and it is only after her mother’s death that she rummages through her secret box and unearths a wealth of staggering information she does not know exists. But Diane is a young child when it all begins and the fact she has lived her life to the point of naivety is beyond baffling. And because of the hurt and embarrassment her shocking revelation is not something she wants to share with her husband.
The search for the truth sends Diane on numerous missions to talk to many people only to discover that she is the last to know about her dysfunctional family. Her goal is to hear an apology for her ruined childhood.
After her parents emigrated post war, Diane spends her idyllic and cosy childhood in Cape Town, which is ruined at the age of three after the arrival of a visitor. Her roller coaster existence and mother’s mental breakdown when she is eight adds to her confusion. Her father works for Cadbury’s and after securing a transfer with the company, the family move back to England when she is fourteen. With each new move, of which there are many, Diane prays that happiness will return to her parents’ marriage.
It is obvious her home life is a weird one and it is only after her mother’s death that she rummages through her secret box and unearths a wealth of staggering information she does not know exists. But Diane is a young child when it all begins and the fact she has lived her life to the point of naivety is beyond baffling. And because of the hurt and embarrassment her shocking revelation is not something she wants to share with her husband.
The search for the truth sends Diane on numerous missions to talk to many people only to discover that she is the last to know about her dysfunctional family. Her goal is to hear an apology for her ruined childhood.
272 pages, Paperback
Published October 8, 2020
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
April 5, 2021
Always in the Dark is the story of Diane searching for answers about her past. A journey of discovery as to why a stranger came to live with parents and her, and what was the nature of the relationship between the three adults. As an only child, Diane grew up within a strange dynamic and one that caused her mother strain on her mental health. Without siblings or support to understand what had happened when the previous generation passed on, Diane struggles on to make sense of the lies she has been told.
This is a good read and one that explores the deeper problems of keeping children in the dark. Secrets and lies do not allow a child to grow into a confident and communicative adult. But with support you can overcome that.
This is a good read and one that explores the deeper problems of keeping children in the dark. Secrets and lies do not allow a child to grow into a confident and communicative adult. But with support you can overcome that.
November 29, 2021
In dire need of a good edit
I felt frustrated with this book. It’s an intriguing story but told in a rather pedestrian way. It needs a good content editor to create tension, peaks, troughs, suspense, and insights. It could have been told in a much more interesting way. The drama of not telling her husband, who could have supported her, irritated me. There are flaws with the South African details and a South African reader could have helped point this out. Most irritating are the racial stereotypes and portrayal of people of colour in the South African section. Ultimately disappointing.
I felt frustrated with this book. It’s an intriguing story but told in a rather pedestrian way. It needs a good content editor to create tension, peaks, troughs, suspense, and insights. It could have been told in a much more interesting way. The drama of not telling her husband, who could have supported her, irritated me. There are flaws with the South African details and a South African reader could have helped point this out. Most irritating are the racial stereotypes and portrayal of people of colour in the South African section. Ultimately disappointing.
June 10, 2024
I can understand why it was important to Diane that she wrote this book. I do feel for her, it would be a hard pill to swallow, but really it was one of those reads that belonged more in the family history vault... not bad, but not overly great either. Also felt for her mother, who obviously felt stuck in this dreadful relationship.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews