Being Emily
- 26 Feb 2009
- 9781847671257
- £9.99
- 304 pp
- 129×198mm
In a few words
The brilliant new novel from the author of the bestselling Buddha Da
A tender, lyrical coming-of-age narrative, its people drawn with love in that singing Glasgow voice that is Donovan's signature
Stevie Davies
GuardianAn endearing coming-of-age novel, provoking laughter and sadness in equal measure.
Leanne Kolirin
MslexiaMore about
the book
Things are never dull in the O’Connell family. Still, Fiona, squeezed between her quiet brother and her mischievous line-dancing twin sisters, thinks life in their tenement flat is far less interesting than Emily Bronte’s.
But tragedy is not confined to Victorian novels. And life for Fiona in this happy domestic setup is about to change forever. Following the devastating events of a single day, her family can never be the same. But perhaps, new relationships will develop – built on a solid foundation of love.
Moving, funny and ultimately heart-warming, Being Emily is a wonderful novel about one young girl trying to find her place in the world amid the turmoil that only your own family can create.
Donovan's novel is an accomplished family drama which is quirky and endearing. Don't wait until your next life to read it.
Her deliciously corkscrewed tale flows with the sap of everyday life.
Wonderfully fresh and moving.
Kate Saunders
The TimesBeing Emily is so genuinely good-hearted, it's easy to warm to it. Rarely is Glasgow depicted so affectionately and if the family at the centre of the book is dysfunctional, there's no wallowing in misery for misery's sake.
The Arts
Sunday Herald
Anne Donovan
View profileAnne Donovan is the author of the prize-winning novel Buddha Da and the short-story collection, Hieroglyphics. Buddha Da was shortlisted for the Orange Prize, the Whitbread First Novel Award and the Scottish Book of the Year Award, and was nominated for the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award. It received a Scottish Arts Council Award and won the Le Prince Maurice Award in Mauritius in 2004. She has also written for radio and the stage and has been working on the screenplay for the film of Buddha Da. She lives in Glasgow.
