First published 2003
Ten-year-old Philip Norman lives among the seaside hustlers of the Isle of Wight in 1953. His father Clive, a former RAF officer turned reluctant pier entertainer, struggles with his new role. Uncle Phil owns a pub and cross-dresses each New Year's Eve. Grandma Norman commands her rock kiosk like a crime boss, keeping the dysfunctional family in line. The coronation year brings national celebration and the fizzy new drink Babycham represents modern sophistication. But Philip sees trouble brewing as his father becomes fixated on Joan, a Bronze Medal roller skating champion. The boy devises a desperate plan to reclaim his parents' attention. His scheme backfires catastrophically. Norman captures both the comedy and pain of childhood while recreating a vanished world where the Isle of Wight drew exotic holiday crowds and Babycham symbolized glamour.
Genres: historical-fiction, 20th-century, coming-of-age, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: coming-of-age, family-secrets
Setting: Isle of Wight
Period: 1953, Coronation Year
330 pages · Hardcover · Macmillan