Stranger than fiction

'QUEEN OF CRIME' WHO COULDN'T READ TILL SHE WAS 39 IS NOW WRITING HER 27TH 

- PAIGE OLDFIELD

HAVING become pregnant at just 15, Karen Woods had no choice but to drop out of school.

But when she tragically gave birth to a stillborn baby, she did not return to education - leaving her unable to read or write due to her previous poor attendance.

Karen eventually found work as a cleaner and remained in the job until she was offered a promotion.

But the new role meant she would need to write emails as part of the job with Karen 'losing sleep' over the possibility of her illiteracy being uncovered.

She eventually opened up to her boss and Karen, then 39, was sent on an adult literacy course, passing the test required to graduate after two attempts.

With the qualification under her belt, Karen realised her life-long dream of writing a novel was now a possibility finishing her first book Broken Youth just three months later.