Lily Brett’s third book of non-fiction once again offers the unsparing Brett candour full-on as it traces a number of physical and emotional journeys. This is the voice her readers have come to rely on - insistently honest, unflinching, self-mocking and always hilarious.
In Mexico, she tries to write a novel, while the toilet explodes in the house, the gardener hoses her notes and the young maid questions her about plastic surgery. In Poland she retraces the steps of her much-loved character from The Many Men,Ruth Rothwax, and finds herself surprised to hear Ruth’s words coming out of her mouth. In between she writes for the first time about the devastation of losing her New York home to fire and having to rebuild not only a life but a history. She also offers powerful insights into her adopted city anew York, both before and after the tragic events of September 11.
