Learning To Swim

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I am so glad I did, I really enjoyed the story and the way events unfold from the perspective of Abigail, the main character. It’s a story about individuality, family secrets and contrasting upbringings, and I can’t recommend it enough. review: Quirky book, follows a formula I have seen before - shy quiet lonely person gets drawn into a colourful family, and eventually they are treated as a member of the family, before some tragedy results in their total ejection and rejection. Perfect holiday reading, but I don't mean by that to disparage the writing or brand it as merely lightweight.

Praise for Clare Chambers-'Modern, intelligently observed and highly original' Daily Mail'This delicious novel is a joy from beginning to end - a perfect novel' Lisa Jewell'Charming - A funny and moving story with a great deal of style' Sunday Telegraph'A spirited account of growing up and falling in love' Good Housekeeping'An intelligent and escapist read - well written, and very funny' Daily Express Abigail Jex never expected to see any of the Radley household again. When her three children were teenagers, inspired by their reading habits, she produced two YA novels, Bright Girls (HarperCollins 2009) and Burning Secrets (HarperCollins 2011).

It takes a special person with a special talent to so vividly and expertly relay the story in a first person narrative by the main character from their pre teen years into their thirties . I was surprised when I found out this book had originally been published in 1998 as it felt like it could have been written this year - always the sign of a good read!

Although set in the 70s and 80s, it doesn't hark back to the cultures of the time but you get a feel for simpler times and the joy of an innocent childhood. If you are new to this author I strongly recommend "In a Good Light" as well as "Small Pleasures" instead. While we get to glimpse this family from the outside, we also see into the life of Abigail and her family.Some of the experiences of working for an eccentric, independent publisher in the pre-digital era found their way into her novel The Editor's Wife (Century, 2007). A lovely, often very funny story about a girl cursed with an embarassing surname (Onions) and unhappy parents with a deeply suburban life style, who finds an escape from home by her friendship with the wildly bohemian Radley family.

In dramatic contrast to her own conventional family, the Radleys were extraordinary, captivating creatures transplanted from a bohemian corner of North London to out suburbia, and the young Abigail found herself drawn into their magic circle. Apart from that small quibble, I really enjoyed this warm and entertaining novel (which I have had on one of my bookcases for years) and found it worked particularly well as a satisfying and undemanding holiday read.I also felt that Abigail let Rad off with way too much-I'm not sure I would have been that forgiving.

Overall I really enjoyed it and would recommend it if you’re looking for a read that will take you back to navigating teenage friendships and family life. I wish the author had spent more time developing the part of the story connected with Abigail's discovery of a previously unknown family member - but I cannot explain further for fear of spoiling the novel for those who have yet to read it.

You never know what goes on behind closed doors, and never has this been more true than in the story of Abigail Jex (née Onions) and her memories of her childhood friend Frances Radley.