Child of Happy Valley Hardcover – 1 May 1999

Fascinating account of the author's childhood in rural conolial Kenya. It would have been idyllic if not for her sadistic father.

I have the large print version of this book.What a story she has to tell ! It is one that I first came accross through seeing the BBC TV film "the Happy Valley" (on VHS video entitled "Over Indulgence", possibly in NTSC format not PAL, from Amazon.com).The film is magnificent, well filmed and acted, and very moving; it covers Juanita's life at age fifteen, though there is too much emphasis on her being punished. Many of the details of the film are according to the book, though the order of some events is changed. There is however far more in the book than in the film; the book and the film complement each other very well. The book covers Juanita's life up to her joining the womans' territorials. She has numerous adventures, speaks local languages and is much more at ease with those outside the Happy Valley set than with her so called parents the Carberrys. There sounds to have been a terrible lack of kindness in her childhood. John Carberry was a sadistic monster. I wont spoil the story with further details.It would be interesting to hear what happened in the rest of her life. (Juanita Carberry died in July 2013 aged 88.)

What a story she has to tell ! It is one that I first came accross through seeing the BBC TV film "the Happy Valley" (on VHS video entitled "Over Indulgence", possibly in NTSC format not PAL, from Amazon.com).The film is magnificent, well filmed and acted, and very moving; it covers Juanita's life at age fifteen, though there is too much emphasis on her being punished. Many of the details of the film are according to the book, though the order of some events is changed. There is however far more in the book than in the film; the book and the film complement each other very well. The book covers Juanita's life up to her joining the womans' territorials. She has numerous adventures, speaks local languages and is much more at ease with those outside the Happy Valley set than with her so called parents the Carberrys. There sounds to have been a terrible lack of kindness in her childhood. I wont spoil the story with further details.It would be interesting to hear what happened in the rest of her life. (Juanita Carberry died in July 2013 aged 88.)

Juanita ( wonderful irish connection) grew up in Kenya quite unloved, yet having lived amongst drug addicts and alcoholics she turned her live around and despite her father cutting her off without a penny she does not dwell on his failures. It comes across to me that her father did love her though after a fashion, there were after all trips to England holidays in France boarding schools in the UK and finishing schools in Switzerland.A good read if at times the prose is quaint-I don't think small farmers in Cork who lived on or by their estate Castle Freke would like themselves being referred to as 'peasants'.

Enjoyed this book from beginning to end...don't know if I agree with the statement on the cover..."shocking". I didn't find it shocking and is just another view of the Happy Valley set with the story woven around June Carberry's step-daughter Juanita who was treated badly by her father and step-mother. It describes Juanita's life.... her travels, her upbringing, neighbours, the schools she went to etc etcAs in most of the books about Happy Valley details are slightly different depending on who's version you read.Even though this book promises to reveal the real truth about who murdered Lord Erroll..I am still not convinced..again it depends on who's version of it you read.

An entertaining memoir, enjoyable writing style and fairly "un-put-downable" - if a little far-fetched at times! A vivid picture of life as a wealthy but semi-neglected, innocent yet sophisticated child living amongst the hedonistic, callous and affected "Happy Valley" set.

A fascinating account through a child's eyes of the mysterious adult life in Happy Valley in the 1930s. More interesting for the account of growing up than for the contribution to the Erroll case - the author had a rotten childhood but is never self-pitying and seems always mesmerised by the wonders of Africa.

A valuable addition to your bookshelf if interested in the Lord Erroll murder.