Four Meals For Fourpence

Four meals for fourpence are the memoirs of Grace Foakes, who lived in London's East End during the early 1900s. 

   The book covers various aspects of Grace's early life, such as the struggles she and her family faced in the over crowded, poverty stricken and polluted area of London in which they lived. As well as this, she tells us about her pass-times, members of her family, schooling, clothing and her general day to day life. 

   The book is largely centred around money, and we are told a lot about how the family had to scrape by and also how Grace and her siblings still were able to amuse themselves. We discover how this lack of income affected Grace as, being the eldest child, had to grow up quickly and help provide for the family.  

   Four meals for fourpence is a heartwarming and interesting insight into the tight-knit community of the old East End, a stark contrast to the many cities and towns of today. Also, it provides an array of information about how the lower class lived in the early 1900s, along with many other matters. 

   However, the book is at times difficult to follow, as the writer is frequently switching between subjects and often rambles. Another issue is that it is quite repetitive, with many things being mentioned over and over again at different times throughout the book, therefore making it quite tedious towards the end. 

   I would recommend this book to those who are interested in history and hearing about other people's experiences. Personally, I found it interesting to hear about how life differed in the past, but didn't find myself particularly gripped by the book. 

Jodie Bain