Kitty loves living at the isolated Hay House with her doting grandparents, but it cannot provide the adventure and excitement that her restless, bohemian mother Marina craves. When a guru sees Marina's future in New York, Kitty is torn from her home and bounced from place to place—first a colorless boarding school, then an American ashram, and finally back to an unfamiliar England. But soon, no god, man, or martini can staunch Marina's hunger for a happiness that proves all too elusive. And Kitty, turning fifteen, must choose: whether to play dangerous games with the grown-ups or put herself first.
With this witty and poignant debut novel, Sophie Dahl ably carries on the literary legacy of her grandfather, the beloved children's book author Roald Dahl.
“A tale that finds magic and shadows alike in a young girl's coming-of-age on both sides of the Atlantic.” —Vogue
“Captivating. . . . [Dahl] blurs the line between memoir and fiction with her portrait of an appealing, resilient girl named Kitty.” —The New York Times
“Utterly charming.” —Los Angeles Times
“Funny and moving. . . . Playing with the Grown-upsgrows beyond charming child's play to a clear-eyed compassion for the world's limitless store of tragic comedy.” —BookPage
Kitty loves living at the isolated Hay House with her doting grandparents, but it cannot provide the adventure and excitement that her restless, bohemian mother Marina craves. When a guru sees Marina's future in New York, Kitty is torn from her home and bounced from place to place—first a colorless boarding school, then an American ashram, and finally back to an unfamiliar England. But soon, no god, man, or martini can staunch Marina's hunger for a happiness that proves all too elusive. And Kitty, turning fifteen, must choose: whether to play dangerous games with the grown-ups or put herself first.
With this witty and poignant debut novel, Sophie Dahl ably carries on the literary legacy of her grandfather, the beloved children's book author Roald Dahl.
Praise
“A tale that finds magic and shadows alike in a young girl's coming-of-age on both sides of the Atlantic.” —Vogue
“Captivating. . . . [Dahl] blurs the line between memoir and fiction with her portrait of an appealing, resilient girl named Kitty.” —The New York Times
“Utterly charming.” —Los Angeles Times
“Funny and moving. . . . Playing with the Grown-upsgrows beyond charming child's play to a clear-eyed compassion for the world's limitless store of tragic comedy.” —BookPage
