Notes from the Henhouse

'THIS BOOK IS HEAVEN' OLIVIA LAING'JOYOUS, STARTLING, FUNNY, LUSH' THE TIMES'UTTERLY CAPTIVATING' INDIA KNIGHT Elspeth Barker lived a riotous, rapturous, remarkable life, featuring: - A gothic castle, a draughty Norfolk farmhouse and a malevolent Aga- A pet pig named Portia whose penchant for drama leads to an obsession with geraniums and an addiction to wine (the Bulgarian vintage)- George Barker, poet and beloved husband, warbling cowboy songs into his glass and declaiming Hopkins and Houseman in The Drinking Room- Five entrancing baby cherubimos, rolling and bouncing about in a big brass bed, before growing up at breakneck speed- The ecstasy of writing, the dither of procrastination and the endless adventures to be had in the wild realms of the imaginationFrom the author of the beloved modern classic O Caledonia, this collection of autobiographical writing gives a joyful insight into the mind of a truly original and enchanting writer.A W&N Essential with an Introduction by Raffaella Barker