Cack-Handed: A Memoir

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This hilarious memoir tells the story of how from growing up as a child of Nigerian immigrants in working class London, running from skinheads, and her overprotective mum, Gina went on to become the first female engineer with the UK branch of Otis, the largest elevator company in the world, where she went through a baptism of fire from her racist and sexist co-workers. From birth, Gina carried a similar birthmark—a sign that she was her grandmother's chosen heir, and would fulfill Patience's dreams. For me, this was not a noteworthy memoir, but I did enjoy Gina's narration because her vocalizations are always hysterical.

As well as her personal story, she interweaves information on race in the UK, giving a really good exposition of the reasons for the conflict between people of Caribbean and African origin: when she was a child in the 80s, Africans having been fed a diet of American culture thought that Caribbean and African American people were lazy and criminal, whereas British people of Caribbean origin didn’t realise they were originally African (there’s a big section on how the UK offshored its slave-owning to third countries); this division has started to clear with further generations, as other books I’ve read recently have clarified. Gina's mother pursued a private prosecution against him but the judge gave the man an absolute discharge. I don't usually read memoirs but I was intrigued by the story of the daughter of Nigerians who immigrated to the UK. You can change your choices at any time by visiting Cookie preferences, as described in the Cookie notice. The decision to move to the US was a gamble because she would be starting from scratch but one that paid off.It was good reading it, plus my mother and her mother were good friends; it took me back to my own Nigerian-British upbringing, and I chuckled inwardly with some of her descriptions growing up, because my mother was identical to Gina's mother.

Not believing her life was difficult enough, she later left engineering to become a stand up comic, appearing on numerous television shows and becoming one of the top comedians in the UK, before giving it all up to move to the US, a dream she'd had since she was six years old, watching American kids on television, riding cool bicycles, and solving crimes.I've always found her comedy hilarious and the times when her mum has been in an audience have added to her stories. The book ends with her making the finals of the NBC reality show Last Comic Standing, which opened more doors than an advent calendar. If her mum was cruel for good intentions, no such latitude can be given to the ‘Step-bastard’ who entered the Yasheres’ lives… he’s portrayed as a weak, spiteful bully who gets his kicks from imposing his power on children, and worse. Unfortunately it ends as she moves to the US; from the epilogue it's apparent that Gina hopes to publish a second volume at some point. A real shame that there is not the same opportunities here in the UK for black comedians to showcase their talent.

Young Gina tried to find refuge in her school but the gate was closed and she banged on the door while a teacher inside was trying to open it, all the while the man hitting and punching her! A collection of eccentric, addictive, and uproarious stories that combine family, race, gender, class, and country, Cack-Handed reveals how Gina’s unconventional upbringing became the foundation of her successful career as an international comedian. I may not have a African Mother but I have a Lancastrian Mother which are very similar let me tell you - so relatable especially the mother stories. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go get caught up on her appearance in Season 2 of The Standups on Netflix. She had made her home in London and was determined to make the most of the opportunities available for herself and her three children, Gina and her two boys, Dele and Sheyi.No wonder it was a world she wanted to leave, despite - or possible because of - being the company’s totem of diversity.