I’ve read it and reread it and read it again, and it doesn’t pall. She wants to write words, she says (p.13) and, by God, she does: wily wriggly words, wise and witty words, “sassily succinct”.
Read more >> —Mo Robinson, lyricist, musician, and writer
I think a charitable foundation should ensure that every couple announcing their engagement gets one of these. Brilliant dialogue, and in some of the stories a compact one-liner quality reminiscent of Saki.
—Robert Palmer, poet and publisher
I couldn’t put it down. I went from one thing to another, from cover to cover, then got up in the night and dipped into it again.
—Jill Miller, poet and author
Really enjoying it—I do like the laconic/humorous style in which you present motherhood and other aspects of human behaviour, with a tinge of melancholy underneath—but also acceptance.
—Chris Coleman, poet and novelist
A beautiful collection from a powerful, haunting, writer. I laughed out loud, I felt tears in my eyes, I felt completely transported into other character's lives and other worlds. So many heartstopping moments and exquisitely observed details, such subtlety and nuance, colour, love, sadness, life and passion. A bagful of brilliant precious gems.
—Steve Hennessy, playwright
Impressive and moving: a record of a time faded crystallised before it is lost. It is beautifully written, especially some of the poetry. I like the female standpoint it offers without being strident or "feminist". I have been left feeling that it has been well wrought but probably at some personal cost.
—Helen
From the poignancy of such lines as '...wanting to marry/that scruffy student with his guitar' to the homage to your father, from the quirky stories with beautiful characters (Rosie is a 'gem') to the poems, I love them all.
—Jenny
Amazing phrases and wish-I’d-written-that moments.
—Pippa
