Readers will shed a tear at her losses and laugh at her predicaments in this sometimes hilarious, often heartbreaking, true story that gives a moving and often shocking insight in to the earlier life of the much-loved travel author famed for her humour and her honesty.

Susie recalls a 1950s childhood in post-war London's every shade of grey and the splendours of Africa as, with her glamorous mother and father, she boards a ship bound for exotic, technicolor Kenya. Then in its final decade as a colony, Kenya was peopled with larger-than-life characters who had helped to forge its identity. There, with the threats of the Mau Mau uprising ever-present, Susie's life disintegrates at break-neck speed into a web of jealousy, rejection and casual cruelty.

Each time it seems things cannot get any worse, they do as the popular travel author lifts the lid on her own, often shocking, behaviour in her quest to protect herself and those she loves. Rebellious, lonely and self-destructive, it is a small grey horse named Cinderella who saves Susie from herself and brings her the love she craves.

'Susie wins my ‘best book of the year’ without hesitation for the quality of her writing and the honesty and truth which makes this book such a great read. It had me gripped from the first page and left me feeling quite emotional at the end. I happily award a rare five out of five stars.'The Writing Desk

'What an astounding story, sometimes true life experiences are better than fiction.' Goodreads reviewer

'There is something very special about this book and the way the reader is instantly drawn into Susie's world and the appalling people and situations she had to endure.' Goodreads reviewer

'This memoir kept me up. I could not stop reading this. An almost idyllic early girlhood that becomes more and more dysfunctional. What a story!' Goodreads reviewer

'The whole story is a great tug on the heart strings. I couldn’t put the book down and have every intention of reading it again.' Goodreads reviewer

'A dysfunctional families true story that had me shedding real tears in some places and laughing out loud in other places as I read. A marvellous book.' Goodreads reviewer

'Great, engaging, memoir. Funny and very sad at times.' Goodreads reviewer

'Spellbinding. I didn't want to put it down.' Goodreads reviewer

'I am blown away by such talent. Fabulous, the kind of book where you can't wait to drop everything and get back to reading.' Goodreads reviewer

'A Child Called It meets Out Of Africa in this stunning memoir of a woman's 1950s childhood in Kenya. Filled with candid humor and insights, this authentic tale captures one woman's incredible coming-of-age journey.' BookBub

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