Learning to Think., 9781804991947
Paperback
Exorcism, poverty, hope: One woman’s journey to think for herself.
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Learning to Think.

make believe, injustice and searching for truth – a memoir

$32.21

  • Paperback

    336 pages

  • Release Date

    25 August 2025

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Summary

Title: Breaking Free: A Journey of Demons, Hope, and Self-Discovery

An astonishing account of a father’s violent death, exorcism, and religious superstition… in many ways, a book about demons - the addiction, violence, mental health struggles - but also a story that brims with hope. A stunning coming-of-age story. - Sunday Times

When Tracy King was twelve, she was exorcised.

Unfortunately, the demons that beset Tracy could not be so easily displaced. While h…

Book Details

ISBN-13:9781804991947
ISBN-10:1804991945
Author:Tracy King
Publisher:Transworld Publishers Ltd
Imprint:Penguin
Format:Paperback
Number of Pages:336
Release Date:25 August 2025
Weight:234g
Dimensions:198mm x 130mm x 20mm
What They're Saying

Critics Review

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.

– Christina Patterson * Sunday Times *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. * i paper *An earth-shattering, hopeful memoir. * Woman’s Own *Reflective and compassionate, King gently reminds of the complex ways poverty wreaks havoc on people’s lives. * Woman & Home *A powerful depiction of a challenged but enterprising, intelligent and resilient family. * Times Literary Supplement *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. – Tim MinchinA raw and unflinching account of growing up in poverty which tackles the false narratives we tell ourselves to survive. – Caroline Criado PerezA brilliant writer – Adam KayWhat 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 FightsYou 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

About The Author

Tracy King

Tracy King is a writer, producer and science communicator based in England. She has contributed to media on subjects ranging from science and technology to politics and video games, for the BBC and in the Guardian, Telegraph, the New Statesman, Stylist and the New European, amongst others. She was a columnist for Custom PC magazine for over ten years. Her science and critical-thinking animations include a collaboration with Tim Minchin, Storm, which has over five million views on YouTube and was adapted into a bestselling graphic novel. Her television and radio credits include Sky News, Newsnight, Good Morning Britain and BBC Sounds. She is writer in residence at the Royal Institution, one of Britain’s oldest scientific organizations.

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