In a book which reads like an autobiography, we learn of Elly’s life from her birth in the late 1960s through her teenage years and beyond, from the suburbs to rural Cornwall and then New York. Her home and family, childhood friends, relationships and romances all lead inexorably to the impact of one of the World’s most terrible atrocities. The recurring theme is the closeness between Elly and her brother Joe and his relationship with his partner. It is a story of love, loss, grief and a rabbit called God.

For once I’m at a loss to explain exactly what I liked about this book – it’s certainly intriguing, very well written and frequently amusing, despite the eventual bleakness. It was almost possible to believe it was the story of the author’s own life and I really wanted to know what happened to the characters.

Verdict: Perhaps it is what I think of as a slightly disappointing ending and the fact there is a bit “too much information” about Joe’s sex life that stops me from giving it five stars.” ****