Tracy King

An astonishing account of a father’s violent death, exorcism and religious superstition…. 
Learning to Think is, in many ways, a book about demons: the addiction, violence, mental health struggles and, yes, superstition, that so often accompany poverty. But it’s also the story of an extraordinary family, full of energy and joie de vivre. It’s a story that brims with life and hard-won hope… Well structured and punchily told.

A memoir you read with the same breathlessness as you read the most gripping of novels ... An account of a family both torn apart and trapped by a broken system. A story of poverty and hardship, religion and superstition, but also an incredibly hopeful tale of how King got out of it.

Reflective and compassionate, King gently reminds of the complex ways poverty wreaks havoc on people's lives.

A powerful depiction of a challenged but enterprising, intelligent and resilient family.

King's memoir is heartbreaking and hopeful; a devastating true story that teaches us how the pursuit of knowledge can be a path to both freedom and breathtaking grace.

A raw and unflinching account of growing up in poverty which tackles the false narratives we tell ourselves to survive.

What would you do if you began to suspect the events of your childhood didn't happen as you remembered them? In this evocative memoir, Tracy King confronts the stories we all tell ourselves in order to live.

Helen Lewis, author of Difficult Women: A History of Feminism in 11 Fights

You won’t often read a book so driven by raw emotion. A book of tragedy, hope and ultimately of triumph.

HH Wendy Joseph KC, author of Unlawful Killings

I loved Tracy’s extraordinary book. It’s compelling and courageous, and it couldn’t be more timely. It’s written with such clarity and compassion, and I think it will leave every reader wiser and stronger.

Daisy Buchanan, author of How to be a Grown Up and Sisterhood

Fantastic - could have been me, could have been you, could have been anyone, so we all cheer for Tracy King's brave escape.

Learning to Think is eloquent, brutally honest but also warm. Life and events are complicated and she unfolds this learning process in seamless prose.

A compelling tale of how the power of science and reality will always win. How Tracy King battled against all the odds to become a brilliant science advocate and a fantastic writer too!

A stirring account of one woman’s staggering climb through grief to independence and a page-turner to boot, King is an exciting, brave new voice in memoir.

Courtney Maum, author of The Year of the Horses

Reflective and compassionate, King gently reminds us how little we understand the ways poverty wreaks havoc on people&rsquo;s lives.

Compelling ... a devastating yet hopeful read

A truly devastating yet hopeful read, which dives into some of the most heartbreaking experiences. Seeing King come out the other end with a new perspective on life is something we can all learn from.

King writes vividly, painting her family life with colour and pathos&hellip;Learning to Think explodes stereotypes of working-class homogeneity whilst acknowledging the double standards and discrimination that knock vulnerable families down again and again.

make believe, injustice and searching for truth – a memoir

When Tracy King was twelve she was exorcised. 
Unfortunately, the demons that beset Tracy could not be so easily displaced. 
While her life was filled with creativity, curiosity, and love, it was also constricted by poverty, by Tracy’s father’s alcoholism and her mother’s agoraphobia. 
 
By the time she turned twelve Tracy’s father had been killed, her sister taken into care and her mother ensnared by the promises of born-again Christianity. 
 
This is the story of an ordinary family trapped in a broken system. It is a story that could happen to anyone without the tools to transform their circumstances. 
But it is also a tale with a twist. And one full of humour and hope. 
Because with courage, perseverance and self-education, Tracy learnt to think for herself and found her way out.

Tracy King

Praise for Learning to Think.

An astonishing account of a father’s violent death, exorcism and religious superstition….
Learning to Think is, in many ways, a book about demons: the addiction, violence, mental health struggles and, ye ...

A memoir you read with the same breathlessness as you read the most gripping of novels ... An account of a family both torn apart and trapped by a broken system. A story of poverty and hardship, religion and superst ...

An earth-shattering, hopeful memoir.

An astonishing account of a father’s violent death, exorcism and religious superstition….
Learning to Think is, in many ways, a book about demons: the addiction, violence, mental health struggles and, ye ...

A memoir you read with the same breathlessness as you read the most gripping of novels ... An account of a family both torn apart and trapped by a broken system. A story of poverty and hardship, religion and superst ...

An earth-shattering, hopeful memoir.

An astonishing account of a father’s violent death, exorcism and religious superstition….
Learning to Think is, in many ways, a book about demons: the addiction, violence, mental health struggles and, ye ...

A memoir you read with the same breathlessness as you read the most gripping of novels ... An account of a family both torn apart and trapped by a broken system. A story of poverty and hardship, religion and superst ...

An earth-shattering, hopeful memoir.

Follow penguin

Follow ladybird

Follow puffin

Sign up to the Penguin newsletter

Praise for Learning to Think.

An astonishing account of a father’s violent death, exorcism and religious superstition…. Learning to Think is, in many ways, a book about demons: the addiction, violence, mental health struggles and, ye ...

A memoir you read with the same breathlessness as you read the most gripping of novels ... An account of a family both torn apart and trapped by a broken system. A story of poverty and hardship, religion and superst ...

An earth-shattering, hopeful memoir.

An astonishing account of a father’s violent death, exorcism and religious superstition…. Learning to Think is, in many ways, a book about demons: the addiction, violence, mental health struggles and, ye ...

A memoir you read with the same breathlessness as you read the most gripping of novels ... An account of a family both torn apart and trapped by a broken system. A story of poverty and hardship, religion and superst ...

An earth-shattering, hopeful memoir.

An astonishing account of a father’s violent death, exorcism and religious superstition…. Learning to Think is, in many ways, a book about demons: the addiction, violence, mental health struggles and, ye ...

A memoir you read with the same breathlessness as you read the most gripping of novels ... An account of a family both torn apart and trapped by a broken system. A story of poverty and hardship, religion and superst ...

An earth-shattering, hopeful memoir.

An astonishing account of a father’s violent death, exorcism and religious superstition….
Learning to Think is, in many ways, a book about demons: the addiction, violence, mental health struggles and, ye ...

An astonishing account of a father’s violent death, exorcism and religious superstition….
Learning to Think is, in many ways, a book about demons: the addiction, violence, mental health struggles and, ye ...

An astonishing account of a father’s violent death, exorcism and religious superstition….
Learning to Think is, in many ways, a book about demons: the addiction, violence, mental health struggles and, ye ...