by Diana Athill
First published 2011
Diana Athill grows up in the peaceful Norfolk countryside, where her childhood unfolds without trouble or worry. At fifteen, she meets a young university student and falls completely in love. The relationship deepens as they move to Oxford together, planning their wedding and future life. Then her fiancé abandons her without warning or explanation. The betrayal shatters Athill completely, leaving her struggling to understand who she is without him. She must piece together a new sense of self from the wreckage of her first love. Athill examines her devastation with unflinching honesty, refusing to romanticize her pain or seek easy comfort. Through careful self-examination, she slowly learns to live again. This memoir captures both the crushing weight of early heartbreak and the gradual emergence of resilience and wisdom.
Genres: 20th-century, coming-of-age, autobiography, biography-memoir
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: coming-of-age, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Norfolk, Oxford
Period: 20th-century
Paperback · Granta Books