Belonging: Tales from a Life in Africa, Wales and Beyond

Through a lens of lifelong affection, Patricia James recounts her cosmopolitan early years bringing up children in Africa, feeding crocodiles, dealing with snakes and bugs, and the lasting impact of friendships and people. But when the Sixties come to a close and hiraeth calls, finding home starts again - this time, leading to deepest Powys. Back in Wales, she continues her full and adventurous life, becoming part of a renowned textile company and even mingling with royalty, while tackling the highs and lows of building a house and fitting into a new community. This down-to-earth and absorbing memoir reveals an extraordinary and intrepid life full of love, friendship and travel spanning over eight decades.

Patricia James was born into a large family in the Dulais Valley of south Wales. After Seven Sisters Primary School and then Neath Girls Grammar School, she worked for the Civil Service as a tax officer before marrying John James whom she had met in a dance hall in Neath. They had their first child in 1963. Her young husband had often spoken of working abroad after he had finished his articles as an accountant. His first posting was Benghazi, Libya. They had both never left the country before. It was the start of a lifetime of travel and adventure.