Brian Hall

Adam Mars-Jones M y mother was born on 20 August 1923 and christened Sheila Mary Felicity Cobon. At some stage she was told the supposed meaning of these names, or looked them up in a book. Her forenames meant by dérivation Blind Bitter Happiness. As an adult Sheila found this augury ruefully...

Magical, wondrous, breathtaking ... I want the whole world to read this epic coming-of-age tale! Saskia is one of the quirkiest, most loveable and carefully drawn characters I've ever met. She milks cows, reads Homer, and lives on an old farm that used to be a commune. Abandoned by her father and...