Paper Cup

Product Information

I admired Kelly’s determination to return the engagement ring to its rightful owner, and being inside her head and hearing her thoughts. What led her to become who she was, and her want to attempt to make amends and perhaps turn things around. It’s like that wonderful maxim of not judging a person until you walk a hundred miles in their shoes. A]mbitious … picturesque … generous and often wryly comic novel: a nice variety of incident and characters, fine descriptions of street life in Glasgow and of Kelly’s journey - a quest that is both physical and spiritual, offering the prospect of recovery and redemption … readers are surely likely to find pleasure and satisfaction in the humanity of Campbell’s treatment of people who have led difficult lives” Paper Cup is a pensive, heart-tugging novel that takes us to Glasgow and into the life of Kelly, a homeless alcoholic estranged from her family who, after finding an engagement ring and witnessing a horrific accident, embarks on a journey south, meeting some interesting characters and visiting some historical places along the way, heading to Gatehouse of Fleet, Galloway to not only return the ring to its rightful owner but to finally confront the demons she fled from and the family she hasn’t seen in years.

Really interesting book, it took me a while to get into the narrative properly. I thought the description and thread throughout the book of homelessness and the way the systems work was so well researched and written, and I know it's only a small insight into the world, but there must be an opportunity for us all to do better, especially those with influence in the systems and support available. I also felt challenged as the main character isn't exactly likeable- something I normally struggle with - but the portrayal of her inner struggles with alcoholism, relationships, pain was really well written and I did feel for her, even if and when she make decisions that didn't make sense or I wouldn't have been able to justify The great Scottish poet Robert Burns is referenced once, and once only, in Karen Campbell’s wonderful, empathetic, timely and moving new novel Paper Cup. But the truth is that while reading Karen’s book I couldn’t get him out of my head. The words on the dust cover say that your world will be a better place for reading this story. It may or may not be. But the novel is a reminder that, should we wish, it can be. We have choices. Agency. Kelly’s story is gently teased out to the reader in small increments, through past drunken stories, childhood memories, and the experiences which led her to where she is today. No possessions, no money, and the constant choice between some hot chips and cheap booze. Kelly has suffered so much, and her ability to see glimpses of positivity made me love this story.Then at the balance let’s be mute / we never can adjust it / what’s done we partly may compute, but know not what’s resisted”. And so begins a pilgrimage across Scotland, starting in Glasgow to Kelly’s home town, as she is determined to return the ring before the Wedding takes place. I won���t tell you how she knows these details, but the journey is all set up in the first chapter. A voyage of self-discovery, the audiobook encapsulates the vulnerable and very human Kelly in a worldly-wise yet still likeable Scottish voice. It's third person but still works as an audiobook you feel connected to. Kelly's is the life we wouldn't want for our children, the one we often try and ignore when we see it, and it's upsetting to see behind the overcoat and dirt to the person underneath. The person. Glowing with empathy and wry intelligent wit. Let Kelly into your life. She'll change you, and you won't forget her -- KIRSTIN INNES Kelly is used to being starving, to ignoring the rumble in her stomach even when it becomes a roar. Kelly is used to eating out of bins. Carefully watching office workers rush by on their lunchbreak, throwing away half eaten sandwiches.

It’s also a training ground for the next generation of baristas. Our training programme for people in recovery from addiction helps them learn new skills, gain work experience and move closer to a more fulfilling way of life. An old English teacher of mine liked to quote that Tennessee Williams line from A Streetcar Named Desire. “I have always depended on the kindness of strangers”. Kelly is living rough in all aspects, an alcoholic who seems to have accepted her lot in life, something dreadful has happened with someone she loves dearly earlier in her life, and she will not return home. The way this story unfolds shows simply not how hard it would be to walk a mile in her shoes, or how impossible it would be to sleep on the streets, or how awful one is treated when begging. It is more than that. It shows the desperation of one human being who believes it is what she deserves, the ability for this person to still see good in what she is in the midst of, and the select few who still help and care. The blatant experience with what seemed to me an almost non existant support and welfare agency was frustrating, Kelly certainly was buried deep in loss. One wanted this woman to get there, wherever there was. Being a dog lover, Collie of course won my heart, and I loved watching the bond between him and Kelly grow.

Throughout the book we get glimpses of Kelly’s past, giving hints at how she ended up on the streets after what seemed like a fairly privileged upbringing. I loved how these parts of the story were randomly inserted into the story, it was almost as if they were thoughts creeping into Kelly’s mind, reminding her of who she was, who she’s become and maybe who she really wants to be. It also shows how easy it can be for people to become homeless but how difficult it can be to escape. A set of circumstances pushes Kelly to set off on a mission, of sorts, which sees her follow a pilgrimage trail in the South West of Scotland, setting out from her usual Glasgow spots. Along the way she meets good people, and not, and crucially she makes questionable decisions borne of necessity or driven by her inner demons. It’s a story of hopelessness and ultimately, the humanity that binds us together and keeps that hope alive. It’s also funny - the other characters are sharp witted and dry and there’s a gallows humour which keeps it from being too depressing. I didn’t like the fact that the story lines of other characters didn’t go anywhere. I felt like their stories had been cut short, and that what had been put in before seemed a bit unnecessary. They could have been told through other characters and not have whole chapters dedicated to them to then lead nowhere. This story gives a name and a face to at least a segment of our unsheltered brothers and sisters. While a complex issue with multiple pathways into it, some are there because of tough circumstances, impulsive decisions, individual challenges, while the stepping stones to finding solid ground again are rife with holes and tilts. It's an unpredictable scrabble out once there. Overall, Paper Cup is an astute, touching, compelling tale by Campbell that does a beautiful job of reminding us that family is not always those just related by blood but rather those who love, care, support, and accept us.

While this could have been a downer of a read, it was not. There was compassion, humor, tenderness in unexpected places, and a sense of purpose and hope beyond all reason that buoyed the story even as it dealt with harsh realities. Occasional bit players popping in and out broadened the character base and brought more depth to the story.Do they think people want to live like this? Crusted with their own filth? Cold and old and hungry. Wanting to be seen, and be unseen. Wanting to be present, even in their self appointed margins. Do they think it’s a choice to be scared and lonely?” As the story progresses, it’s clear that Kelly has tried – and failed – to resist one hell of a lot. And what Karen does brilliantly is to convey that struggle with real empathy. And Kelly is a raw and brilliant commentator on the terrible injustices inflicted on the voiceless and the faceless, not least when she shares a shelter with a couple, seeking asylum and expecting a child. When I returned my copy to my local library yesterday, I felt kind of sad. Like a piece of me was missing. I was so used to seeing it all over the house as I was reading it. I took it everywhere. This is a story that I’ll carry around with me, and ponder on, for a long, long time.