Holly Hail was a mischievious child known for causing much heartache for her parents. Her antics included going into the forbidden coal bunker and turning her skin black, pouring her mother’s face powder over the settee and floor, and cutting all the hair off her sister’s dolls. In a candid retelling of her coming-of-age journey, Holly chronologically leads others through her childhood as she played marbles, became stuck in mud up to her waist, met a lovely tramp in the railway carriage, and much more. Intertwined with all her experiences were continued moments of mischief as she tripped her teacher in school, caused the untimely death of her sister’s fish, and spoiled many games on the school playground. As Holly discloses how feeling unloved prompted her to eventually run away, she reveals a glimpse into the mind of a little girl doing her best amid less than ideal circumstances. But when her journey eventually leads her to dark places, it is Holly who must determine a way to emerge and reach the light of new beginnings. Holly’s Childhood Years is the true story of an impish girl’s experiences growing up amid challenging times as she struggles to find her place in the world.