Summary

Susan Lewis writes beautifully and movingly about growing up in the shadow of her mother's terminal illness. Her parents are determined to keep the truth from Susan and her younger brother Gary to 'protect' them. For months Susan believes that her mother's disappearances (visits to the hospital) are because she has another family. She is terrified her mother will leave them for good. Susan is a typical, feisty little girl, carefree one moment, angry and frightened the next. A daddy's little girl but loving her mother fiercely even when she's being told off - which is often. It is a close-knit, down-to-earth family but her mother is ambitious for Susan even if it means her going to a posh school and having elocution lessons. And Susan fights her mother all the way. Then one day her mother finally leaves them and as her father sits in one room grieving, Susan and Gary mustn't talk about their mother for fear of upsetting him further. Although she knows her mother has died, Susan can't quite believe she's never coming back...