One Mother's Pain: Short Stories for Night Owls (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9781982282189)

Darlene Torey was born in 1955 in Manchester. She moved to London when she was six years old. She has always had an interest in writing. During the nine years she ran her own childminding business, Darlene discovered that a dynamic way of involving parents in their children's learning journey was through the many projects she devised. The outcomes from the projects prepared by the children, which ultimately went on to become their learning stories, were shared with families at congenial social gatherings held in her home. These were presented by the children in short plays, poetry readings and books, covering topics such as bridges, Dad's story week and the London Eye, to name but a few.

Her working life cannot be defined by any specific trade or profession having worked across diverse disciplines, including civil engineering, administration, community and youth work. She has volunteered extensively in her local community, mentored young black teenagers, and in conjunction with social services, supported vulnerable families living in transitional periods of their lives.

She is a mother of three children, and she has four inspiring grandchildren.

She graduated when she was 60 years old, achieving an Early Years Foundation Degree. Her motivation for committing to and completing the course are found in these her father's timeless words of encouragement.

"It is my considered view that the most important single word in my experience is TRY. I cannot too strongly urge you to try with your training and never stop until you obtain meaningful qualifications. The training and experience you pursue today may well be saving your life and making your existence meaningful tomorrow."

***Front cover image by Laura Crewes