In learning to write, will Hope Nicely learn more about herself?

Hope’s mind is not like that of most people. Thoughts struggle to keep in a straight line and words slip away like through a fishing net. Teachers at school used to tell her that it was like an old jumble sale, with everything stacked up high, clothes and curtains and toys, all piled together with little order. It’s not always easy to tame it and express her feelings but if there is something Hope Nicely can rely on it is her determination and stubbornness.

What she wants more than anything is to write her life story so she can find her birth mother and get answers to all her troubling questions. When she signs up for an evening writing course little does she know that this will turn her life into an adventure. In the space of a few weeks she’ll make new friends and a couple of enemies; she’ll understand that not everything in the world is what it seems; and when her mum gets ill her little universe of structured routines will turn upside down. What she’ll learn will be much more than teachings on style, structure and storytelling …

This is a poignant and beautifully written story about a young woman and her emotional journey to find out who she really is and how she fits into the world around her. With the innocent/naïve charm of Amelie and the wayward quirkiness of Eleanor Oliphant, Hope is an irresistible character. Her brave, funny and honest voice will hit you like an unexpectedly tight hug, one that you might at times feel you will never be free from but that eventually you will never want to give up.