Learning to Think.

make believe, injustice and searching for truth – a memoir

Tracy King

$24.99

Paperback

Forthcoming
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English

Transworld
26 August 2025

Biography; Autobiography: literary; Memoirs; Poverty & unemployment; Moral & social purpose of education; Intergenerational relationships

Educated meets Lowborn and more- '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 her life was filled with creativity, curiosity, and love, it was also constricted by poverty, by Tracy's father's alcoholism and her mother's agoraphobia.

By the time she turned twelve Tracy's father had been killed, her sister taken into care and her mother ensnared by the promises of born-again Christianity.

This is the story of an ordinary family trapped in a broken system. It is a story that could happen to anyone without the tools to transform their circumstances. But it is also a tale with a twist. And one full of humour and hope. Because with courage, perseverance and self-education, Tracy learnt to think for herself and found her way out.

By: Tracy King
Imprint: Transworld
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 198mm, Width: 130mm, Spine: 20mm
Weight: 234g
ISBN: 9781804991947
ISBN 10: 1804991945
Pages: 336
Publication Date: 26 August 2025
Audience: General/trade , College/higher education , Professional and scholarly , ELT Advanced , Primary
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

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.

Reviews for Learning to Think.: make believe, injustice and searching for truth – a memoir

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 *