Morphine and Dolly Mixtures
AWARD WINNING AUTOBIOGRAPHY
About the Book
Morphine and Dolly Mixtures
This is the true and compelling story of an eleven-year-old girl who, after her mother died of a brain tumour, was left in charge of three younger brothers and a baby sister. Her father, unemployed and suffering from lung cancer, was addicted to the morphine prescribed for his illness. His violence and swings of mood were terrifying. Caroline accidentally knocked her mother’s head on the day before her death, and her father subsequently accused her of
murder. Haunted by guilt and fear, it was only when she became an adult that she finally sought out her mother’s death certificate and absolved herself of any blame.
This book is powerful, visual and arresting. It brings to life the north London slums of the mid-fifties as we follow the plight of a vulnerable child at the mercy of an erratic and all-powerful father, watched helplessly from the sidelines by the local community, and inefficiently dealt with by the social services of the day.
This book has been made into a film and BBC TV series of the same name.
About the Author
Carol-Ann Courtney
Born in England in 1945, Carol-Ann remained in ‘care’ following the conclusion of the book until she was sixteen. Her first marriage at that age resulted in her first three children. Unhappily the marriage failed and for many years Carol-Ann and her children faced homelessness.
In 1972 life took a dramatic change whereby she found herself working for a housing association, and security followed when she met and married her present husband David, an architect.
Her surviving children have now fled the nest. Tales of ‘Gran’s capers’ prior to the events depicted in this book are still regaled to grandchildren and great grandchildren.
Carol-Ann has since written a sequel to this book ‘A Shilling for the Axe-Man’ and has recently re-commenced writing a two part work ‘The Toffee Apple Woman’, with visual aids.
Following the removal of cataracts from both eyes in 2005. Her sense of isolation increased when Carol-Ann could no longer read ‘large print’ books and have that wonderful tactile feel of reading them. This was something she’d been privileged to do for so long, and could no longer gauge distances.
It was in 2007 when Carol-Ann was first introduced to the Institute for the Blind in Cardiff. This lovely group of people all had varying degrees of sight loss; some blind from birth and others in Carol-Ann's situation. Here Carol-Ann learned to use a computer that ‘swore’ back if she made an error. The RNIB supplied gadgets that raised all sorts of alarms, magnifiers and made ‘safe’ the darkness of the world she’d slipped into.
It was in 2009 that Carol-Ann had an appointment at the Ophthalmology Department at the University Hospital of Wales where she met Mr. Al A Bahmani to whom this book is dedicated. He diagnosed the sight loss as a Macular Degeneration. This he treats with Laucentis Injections which attempts to stem the tide of dimming sight.
Carol-Ann says:
'Although my eyes are sometimes on a ‘switchback ride,’ I am no longer getting into stranger’s cars. The last time I did this, a deep sonorous Welshman’s voice asked “Where we goin’ to then my lovely?!”'
Carol-Ann says:
'The RNIB have so many schemes as in ‘talk and support’ where a group of 6 talk for an hour about the previous
7 days. Some of the girls have dogs and talk to them and about them as they are after all, not just guides, but their family. Strangely, we rarely speak about
our sight, only perhaps if something has disturbed one of us
and we are reassured. We also have our RNIB, councellors and voluntary support workers, who, like the stars, we can’t see them but know that they are there, I thank you all…so much.'
Press
Press Reviews
Looking back, Honno's successes during those first few years were unbelievable...
In 1989 came the first best-seller, Morphine and Dolly Mixtures, by Carol-Ann Courtney; we took a risk, printed 6,000 copies, stacked them high in a friend's house and waited. Morphine and Dolly Mixtures became a film ..., won the Arts Council of Wales Book of the Year Award in 1990 and was one of the top 20 women's titles for that year. When Penguin bought the paperback rights we knew we had arrived.
Extract from review by Stephanie Tillotson on Honno’s 25th Anniversary
Her tale is told in the powerful autobiographical novel which was the inspiration for the film Morphine and Dolly Mixtures
Lester Middlehurst - Sunday Today
An extraordinary book
Spare Rib
Despite it’s theme of bullying and fear, there is a warmth and strength in the relationship of Caroline with her siblings, especially the baby, Anna. This is a book that should be read by everyone.
Everywoman magazine
Spellbinding is the only way to describe Carol Ann Courtney with this book.
The Berlingske tidende (Danish Newspaper Review)
Dickens at his very best
London Evening Standard
Online Reviews
A very thought provoking and moving book. I have read it twice and my thirteen year old daughter once. The book follows a young girl growing up in depravation, where the family is too poor to afford life's basics and the author recalls her mother's death, her father's abuse and yet strangely his love. A very gripping read that left me thankful that I have never had to endure the physical and mental traumas the author was subjected to. But don't let me put you off with these comments, it is book that I could and probably will read time and time again.
Amazon Review - October 2002
I WAS TOLD ABOUT THIS BOOK AND SENT OFF FOR IT, I READ THE BOOK IN 4 DAY'S, I COULDN'T PUT IT DOWN, I WAS THEN TOLD ABOUT THE NEXT BOOK, IN HER LIFE, A SHILLING FOR THE AXE-MAN AGAIN I READ THIS BOOK IN 3 DAY'S, I CRIED THROUGH MOST OF THE FIRST BOOK, ALTHOUGH I COULDN'T PUT IT DOWN, I WAS READING THROUGH MY TEARS, HOW LUCKY I WAS WITH MY LIFE READING THIS WAS AN EYE OPENER, 10/10.
Amazon Review - December 2011
Where to Buy
Order from Amazon
Morphine and Dolly Mixtures is available in paperback at Amazon and selected book shops listed below.
Book Stores
The books can be purchased from the following outlets:
- A B Snell & Son, Stanwell Road, Penarth
- Blackwell’s University Bookshop, Cardiff
- J & K Hopkins Newsagents, Station Road, St. Clears. Carmarthenshire
- The Welsh Books Council, Aberystwyth
Direct contact with me can be made via email at carol-ann@morphineanddollymixtures.co.uk for questions and signed copies of the publication.