Ethel & Ernest: A True Story

First edition. 8vo. Pp. 103, [1], illustrated in colour throughout. Dark brown cloth, lettered in gilt to spine; tan endpapers.

Winner of the "Best Illustrated Book of the Year" at the 1999 British Book Awards. Narrated in strip-cartoon format, this is an endearing tribute to the author's parents' lives from their first meeting in the '20s to their deaths in the '70s. A unique social history, encompassing the Great Depression, the build up to World War II and its tribulations, the euphoria of VE Day, the birth of the Welfare State, the advent of television, and post-war austerity giving way to the cultural changes of the 1960s.

Adapted into a feature-length animated film by the same name, and voiced by Brenda Blethyn, Jim Broadbent and Luke Treadaway, amongst others, it premiered at the 2016 London Film Festival. "The creator of The Snowman turns his magical paintbrushes on his own parents in this funny book, which is bound to bring a tear to your eye... You'll learn more about the changes of the last century than you will in most history books." –The Times