Has there been another title this fitting to the moment released this year?
I doubt it. And how perfect that it was decided years in advance, as a favorite saying of Jacqueline's father's during the hard times after the second world war. Reading this memoir, and discussing it with Jacqueline, was a wonderful reminder that we can get through so much more than we think.
As a fan of the Maisie Dobbs series, reading this memoir felt like a tour of the author's life, seeing all the events that inspired plot lines in her novels. It is satisfying to spy them as you read. But this is also an extraordinary story of a childhood that spanned huge changes in society and a family grappling with the world lurching ahead. It was the perfect read for this year.
And once again, what a treat to speak to Jacqueline, a woman who dreamed of being a writer all her life, but didn't publish her first book until her forties- obviously that's a story after my own heart... happy listening!
Jacqueline Winspear | This Time Next Year We'll Be Laughing