Underclass

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER

Dr Jessica Taylor grew up on a council estate where brutality and coercion were normalised, and where substance abuse was a day-to-day occurrence. Now one of the UK's most spirited advocates for women's rights, and a leading chartered psychologist helping women and girls subjected to violence and trauma, Jessica shares her own personal journey for the very first time.

Told through a series of absorbing vignettes spanning from her childhood days to gaining her PhD in forensic psychology, Underclass is a memoir about extraordinary strength, the complexities of belonging, and finding your power even when it feels as though the world is against you. Do you bend to fit in, or do you accept that you will always stand out? Do you run away from your roots, or love them for making you who you are? Do you fade into mediocrity, or do you change the world?

Taylor recounts with dark humour and unflinching detail the various lives she's lived, covering the violence suffered at the hands of her abusers, the realities of becoming a mother in her teenage years, coming to terms with her sexuality, putting herself through university, and overcoming underhand discrimination at work. She poignantly delves into both the classist and misogynistic double standards that she has faced throughout her life, whether she was waking up on a roundabout by the estate or chairing a parliamentary conference. You can take the girl out of the council estate, but you can't take the council estate out of the girl. Especially when it made her who she is today.

The result is deeply moving, searingly honest, horribly funny and, above all, unforgettable; a memoir that stays with you long after you've turned the last page.

Underclass is at times comedy and at times tragedy. Jess deserves good things - and this memoir shows it Will Hanrahan
Underclass is more than a memoir; it's a testament to the power of one person's story to ignite change. Jess' unwavering determination and resilience leap off the pages, pushing readers to confront difficult truths and inspiring action. This book is a must-read for anyone seeking insight into the complexities of advocacy paired with experience and the enduring strength of the human spirit -- Dr Charlotte Proudman

Dr Jessica Taylor is a working-class feminist and Sunday Times bestselling author, chartered psychologist, senior lecturer, speaker and researcher with a PhD from University of Birmingham in Forensic Psychology. In 2019, she was awarded a Fellowship of Royal Society of Arts for her contribution to feminism and psychology. She is the founder and director of VictimFocus, VictimFocus Resources, VictimFocus Academy and The VictimFocus Blog. She frequently appears on top trending crime documentaries as a victim psychologist.

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