Barbican Press When I Was

A 'Writer's Review' BOOK OF THE YEAR - "Engaging, perceptive and compassionate, this is a novel that’s hard to put down."1953.Viola is three. The young Queen ofEngland is being crowned on a television in the corner of the room.Tubby littleViola gazes out at the party guests in this fancy London house, already alertto human drama. This is a genteel family in gentle crisisas they have to move from a large house to a tiny flat.Viola’s Anglo-Indianmother hoped for much more from life, while her father gets involved inghosting the memoir of a chorus girl who married a millionaire.Viola burrowsinto the adventures of storybooks and battles her three older brothers forattention.A decade passes, and Viola finds friendship and danger among the oldand the young. 1950s London with its bomb sites, air raid shelters andattitudes to gender, race, class and sex is vividly present.When I Was providesa delicious, memorable portrait of the writer as a young girl.