Once in a House on Fire

Synopsis: Set in 1970s Manchester, Once in a House on Fire tells the true story of three sisters and their mother, a close-knit and loving family forced to battle with poverty, abuse and the effects of depression. Beautifully written and deeply inspiring, with a new afterword by Andrea Ashworth, it is a book that will stay with its readers for ever. 'This is a brilliant book. Brilliantly written, brilliantly thought, brilliantly remembered ...Ashworth has written an extraordinary memoir; the only pity is that she had to live it to make it' Scotsman 'Enchanting and thrilling ...As a chronicle of northern working-class life in the seventies and eighties ...it would be hard to better this book. It is extremely moving ...It is also at time surprisingly, and gratifyingly, very funny' Tim Lott, The Times 'Full of energy, wit and a child's wide-open gaze ...Andrea Ashworth escaped the fire to write a remarkable book' Blake Morrison, Independent on Sunday.

Review: I suppose you'd call this a misery memoir ... there is a lot of misery but Andrea has such a sense of humour, and she's such a great storyteller, that it's a joy to read (though it is frequently and relentlessly upsetting.) Her story begins in Manchester, it's the 1970's, Andrea is six, her sister Laurie is four ... two dark haired, olive skinned beauties ... their father is dead and their mother has a new baby on the way. Andrea and Laurie are introduced to Peter Hawkins ... 'a looming, red-faced man, quite a bit older than her' and told that this was their new daddy. Andrea skids to a halt one afternoon when she is addressed by her headmaster by a new name ... Andrea Clarke-Hawkins ... 'My name wagged it's ugly new tail, stirring whispers behind my back until the home bell rang. My mother wasn't there to explain the name; she was in hospital giving birth to our new sister, Sarah, who came out blonde and screaming.'

And this is just the beginning really, to say that her mum (Lorraine)is bad at picking men is an understatement. She has two attempts at finding a suitable partner for herself but both choices are catastrophic. Outwardly the men couldn't be more different but, as soon as the chips are down, they both resort to using their fists as weapons and Lorraine's face as a punchbag. It's a cliché but really it's as if Lorraine is drawn towards abusive men, almost as if she doesn't feel worthy of anything better. There are rows, fights, recriminations, depressions, break-ups and reconciliations galore but, although it puts the girls in terrible danger (and completely ruins their childhood) you can't feel anger towards her, she's just too pathetic for that and the life she makes for herself seems it's own punishment really.

As is often the case in these situations, Andrea finds herself having to grow up fast and she's certainly a whole lot more sensible than her mum, having to step in often to run the household at a very young age and be a mum to her two young sisters when her mother is too ill or too beaten to function properly. Amongst the myriad of crimes that can be levelled at both of Andrea's stepfathers, bookcrime is definitely one and if my teeth hadn't already been ground into stumps by the violence then they would have been over their treatment of Andrea's books. School is her salvation though and there's a lovely passage in the book where the nine year old Andrea wins the school annual competition (for wrestling over a hundred words from the name 'Manchester') and wins a green leather bound edition of The Secret Garden. She loves it but is a bit daunted ... 'it felt heavy and exciting between my hands but I couldn't imagine actually opening it to read the pages, because it wasn't by Enid Blyton. My teachers were always telling me that I would have to give up her tales - they talked about 'Enid Blyton' as if it were an illness.' ... She loves learning and recognises that it's her chance to make something of herself and Lorraine for once is adamant that she will because, as she says to her, 'you're my hope' but that's easier said than done in a house where 'smacks come out of the blue' and whisky and blood stains are forever being sponged from the walls and carpet.

The story is a depressing and frightening one but the hope in it is uplifting and she writes sublimely.