This author crafts deeply human stories with a keen eye for detail and evocative atmosphere. Her works often explore the complexities of relationships and the inner lives of characters. She has garnered recognition within literary circles for her distinctive style and insightful observations on the human condition. Her short fiction has been awarded and featured in notable anthologies, as well as performed in public forums and broadcast.
The story explores the struggles of a mother who feels trapped at home, caring for her autistic son, who is deeply engrossed in his computer world. As she navigates her responsibilities and desires for freedom, the narrative delves into the complexities of their relationship and the challenges of seeking independence while being anchored by familial obligations. The novel is noted for its keen observations and emotional depth, making it a compelling read.
A candid exploration of body image and resilience unfolds as Catherine Simpson recounts her journey through life's challenges, from painful periods to a cancer diagnosis. With humor and honesty, she reflects on societal pressures to conform to beauty standards and the personal growth that comes with embracing her body. Through her experiences on a farm, navigating motherhood, and facing illness, she learns to find gratitude in her physical self and recognizes the strength and joy it has brought her, ultimately celebrating the life she leads.
'If you loved Tara Westover's Educated, get yourself a copy of When I Had a Little Sister as soon as humanly possible...beautifully under-stated...a startling, elegiac portrait of farming life in modern Britain.' Vogue 'Gripping and heart-wrenching' Mail on Sunday On a cold December day in 2013 Catherine Simpson received the phone call she had feared for years. Her little sister Tricia had been found dead in the farmhouse where she, Catherine and their sister Elizabeth were born - and where their family had lived for generations. Tricia was 46 and had been stalked by depression all her life. Yet mental illness was a taboo subject within the family and although love was never lacking, there was a silence at its heart. After Tricia died, Catherine found she had kept a lifetime of diaries. The words in them took her back to a past they had shared, but experienced so differently, and offered a thread to help explore the labyrinth of her sister's suicide. When I had a Little Sister tells a story of sisters and sacrifice, grief and reclamation, and of the need to speak the unspeakable.