The Boy From Ashfield

The Boy from Ashfield is the memoir of Adrian Lane-Mullins following his journey to maturity after a somewhat brutal start in life. Born into a devout Catholic family of twelve children and growing up in Sydney, Australia in the 1950s, Adrian soon discovers that religion is not a guarantor of peace and harmony. From a very early age he learns to fend for himself as the 'Big Boys', his much older brothers, and borderline alcoholics, hold violent sway over the family once their father dies. Although Adrian makes it through to adulthood, marriage and success, the scars from his childhood remain deep, so much so that they are carried forward in a form of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Told with vivid honesty and brash Aussie humour, The Boy from Ashfield is an absorbing read both in terms of Catholic Sydney life of the time and of how, given a little luck, adversity can be overcome and transformed into success.