Publisher's Synopsis
Caught in an over-vivid world, Kitty feels haunted by her "child that never was". As children all around become emblems of hope, longing and grief, she begins to understand the reasons for her shaky sense of self. What family mystery makes Kitty's four brothers so vague about her mother's life? And why does Dad splash paint on canvas rather than answer his daughter's questions? On the edges of her dreams, Kitty glimpses the kaleidoscope van that took her sister Dinah away - is it a link to her indistinct childhood? Its resonant themes of identity struggles in a large family, the pull of desperation and the optimism of an eccentric, loving marriage make this a compelling and witty debut.
