Synopsis
A lauded contemporary classic of the memoir form: devastatingly powerful, moving and uplifting.
Winner of the Somerset Maugham Award
'Strong and admirable' – Hilary Mantel
'Full of energy' – Blake Morrison
When our stepfather staggered home reeking of whisky, ceramic hit the wall. We got used to the smash and the next-day stain, but eventually the wallpaper began to fade . . .
For Andrea...
Details
04 September 2025368 pages
9781035065264Imprint: Picador
Reviews
It is strong and admirable; not a long book, but the reader lives a year or two in the tellingHilary Mantel
Enchanting and thrilling . . . As a chronicle of northern working-class life in the seventies and eighties . . . it would be hard to better this book. It is extremely moving . . . It is also at time surprisingly, and gratifyingly, very funnyThe Times
Full of energy, wit and a child's wide-open gaze . . . Andrea Ashworth escaped the fire to write a remarkable bookBlake Morrison, Independent on Sunday
One of the most extraordinary stories you will ever read of the triumph of the human spiritDaily Mail
