Mothers and Daughters

Jeanette Winterson’s searing memoir Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal? unpicks her early success, the novel Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit. The story of the author’s childhood and upbringing by Pentecostal adoptive parents in Accrington more than justifies re-telling and being brought up to date. The tragi-comic style belies a tale of extreme deprivation, abuse and damage, culminating in a mid-life breakdown, which leads to a confrontation with her past. This brave memoir is a testament to the power of literature – Winterson found her salvation in books – to transport the reader to a different world.

Supported by The Sussex Country Gardener