Things my mother never told me

In his masterpiece of family literature, "And When Did You Last See Your Father?", Blake Morrison's mother appears as an intriguing but mostly silent figure.

This is her startling and touching story - and a son's search to discover the truth about the remarkable Kerry girl who qualified as a doctor in Dublin in 1942, worked in British hospitals throughout the war, and then reinvented herself again to adapt to a quieter post-war family life.

At the heart of the book, there's a passionate wartime love affair, seen through the frank, funny, furious letters his parents wrote during their courtship.

It evokes a surprising picture of life and love in WWII. "Things my Mother Never Told Me" is a revealing and poignant anatomy of family conflict, love, war and finally marriage.

Kim Morrison emerges quietly, magically form the shadows, a determined heroine for our times.