Berlie Doherty — Granny Was a Buffer Girl

Tracks 1988 Paperback, 128pp. Jess is 18 and is leaving home to go to France for her gap year. She is scared that the home she is leaving will change and that the place she loves will never be the same again. Jess also has a secret that she must share in case she doesn’t get the chance when she returns. The rest of the book sees Jess and various members of her family spanning three generations sitting and telling the stories of their lives. Jess learns that everyone has secrets and that change is natural and builds memories and lives. The book is about change and sharing, with the stories that the family tell each other that night bringing them closer together and also helping them to understand each other a little better too. (ISBN: 9780006727927). Good.