Unbecoming - Hardcover

"This life-affirming story about a complicated family...is stunningly told by Jenny Downham." - The Times Children's Book of the Week; "This is a beautifully drawn portrait of three generations of women, hugely ambitious in its interwoven examination of sexual identity, family secrets, torn loyalties, family secrets, torn loyalties and the life-affirming power of breaking away from suffocating conventions." - Daily Mail; "This moving tale of three generations of women shouldn't be missed" - Closer; "[An] emotional, life-affirming read about identity, desire and the courage it takes for people to be themselves" - Woman and Home; "Intensely beautiful, empathetic and heart-rendingly powerful writing...This book absolutely broke my heart with its incredibly raw truth." - We Love This Book

Three women - three secrets - one heart-stopping story. Katie, seventeen, in love with someone whose identity she can't reveal.Her mother Caroline, uptight, worn out and about to find the past catching up with her. Katie's grandmother, Mary, back with the family after years of mysterious absence and 'capable of anything', despite suffering from Alzheimers. As Katie cares for an elderly woman who brings daily chaos to her life, she finds herself drawn to her. Rules get broken as allegiances shift. Is Mary contagious? Is 'badness' genetic? In confronting the past, Katie is forced to seize the present. As Mary slowly unravels and family secrets are revealed, Katie learns to live and finally dares to love.Funny, sad, honest and wise, Unbecoming is a celebration of life, and learning to honour your own stories.