Her memoir is called First in the world somewhere, and I liked it for it's matter of factness. It's an extraordinary story told in a very down to earth way, and it's not one of those memoirs that falls into the misery memoir bracket. On the other hand though, it's not one of the equally trying breed of memoirs where everything goes right and a rags to riches narrative ensues.
I was initially attracted to the book because of the punk connection, but I quickly realised that this was not going to be a straightforward punk/post punk memoir, mainly because Pepper's experiences of punk, and of the post punk music world in London, have been unwillingly filtered through a mesh imposed by perceptions of her disability.
Those of you aware of the social model of disability (as opposed to the medical model of disability) will probably be able to guess what I'm getting at but, to spell it out: Imagine having to interact with punk as a teenager who can't easily get to punk gigs because they are not wheelchair accessible. Imagine trying to launch a career as a singer/songwriter when record companies seem unable to look past your wheelchair and listen to the songs.
I actually found it quite hard to review the book, not because I didn't enjoy reading it, but because I found myself slightly hamstrung by stereotypes around disability coupled with a desire to explain that it wasn't going to be one of those kind of books. Ie, a misery memoir, with a 'determined but always struggling' heroine. I didn't think that kind of framing device did the book, or it's author, justice.
I'm really pleased that I got to read the book, and to review it, but I'm aware that my review hasn't quite done the book justice as I would have liked. To which all I can add is: Go read it, it's ace.
Photo of Penny Pepper taken at Edinburgh Book Festival by Edinburgh Elite Media. Provided by Penny Pepper's PR Laura Horton.
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