A life of my own

A Sunday Times Top 10 Bestseller In this remarkable memoir of love, loss and literature, acclaimed biographer Claire Tomalin turns her eye to another fascinating literary life: her own.

She tells of a wartime childhood, Cambridge friendships and an early marriage to a brilliant journalist.

After his sudden death in a war zone, Claire is left to raise their four children alone - all while leading a trail-blazing career in literary London.

A Life of My Own is the tale of a woman overcoming obstacles both rare and routine to live not only a good but also a meaningful life. 'A dramatic and absorbing survivor's tale' Hilary Spurling, Spectator'Unexpectedly moving.

Tomalin's story filled me with a kind of awe. Every page is valiant, every paragraph full of pluck' Rachel Cooke, New Statesman'She has been tested in ways few women are.

This memoir is a triumph' Valerie Grove, Literary Review