How it All Began

When . . . Charlotte is mugged and breaks her hip, her daughter Rose cannot accompany her employer to his lecture engagement, which means his niece Marion has to do so, causing her to cancel a tryst with her lover by text, which is discovered by his wife, which is . . . just the start of series of life-changing events. How It All Began, taking one small incident and following its effects on lives only tentatively linked to one another by the slightest of threads, is a vibrant, compelling story about the interconnectedness of modern life. 'Sly and sharply observed, always enjoyable'. Sunday Times'Classic Penelope Lively - deeply comical, essentially kind-hearted, wonderfully written and seasoned with a rare wisdom.' Literary Review'Witty and astute.' Daily Mail'An engaging and warm read full of keenest human insight.' Independent'Splendid.' Sunday Telegraph'Heartrending. A stylish lesson in storytelling.' The Times