Goodbye to Ribbons is a historical biography that follows the incredible true story of a remarkable woman growing up in rural Britain in the 1950s.
Rosie only wants one thing-her mother's love. But for reasons she is yet to discover, her popular, bolshy, and brash mother treats her no better than a servant. Like a cat toying with a shrew, she doesn't miss any opportunity to dig her claws in and ridicule her daughter, taking advantage of her willingness and desperation to please.
When Rosie happens upon a situation that she wishes for all the world she could unsee, her mother is left with no choice but to coax her deeper into the secret and more unsavoury parts of her life. And soon enough, Rosie becomes more than just her servant-she becomes her confidant, her accomplice, and her alibi. Having finally achieved what she always wanted, Rosie must decide if the price is worth paying as she finds herself teetering on the precipice of a moral conflict that threatens the very moral fabric of her family life.
Then, upon reaching her lowest ebb, the confident and fast-living Teddy Miller sets his sights on young Rosie, and with the gift of the gab and his heart on his sleeve, Teddy always gets what he wants. And so, Rosie soon finds herself caught in an emotional, manipulative, and sometimes violent tug-of-war, in which it appears there can only ever be one loser.
Based on an incredible true story, Rosie recounts her traumatic life in a unique way, unlike any voice you will have heard before, with truly inspirational positivity that can only reaffirm your confidence in the tenacity of the human spirit to conquer all that life dares to throw before us.
(This literary fiction, historical biography contains several strong themes regarding the female protagonist's family life, including domestic abuse, domestic violence, and adultery.)