Always You, Edina

An often funny, at times bittersweet novel, Always You, Edina tells the story of endlessly good-natured child narrator Bonnie as she negotiates family and school life in 1960's Britain. Most memorable is her crush on popular classmate Joanna Bayliss, who is alternately encouraging and dismissive, and Bonnie's love for the Edina of the title, her darling, glamorous aunt, whose relationship with other family members proves to be far from simple. Through Bonnie, VG Lee beautifully explores the inner life of a clever but naive pre-teen, and is particularly perceptive about the nature of burgeoning romantic love during childhood, and a child's growing understanding of the complexities of adult relationships. As you'd expect from Lee, this is a warm-hearted novel, and at the centre of its warm heart is Bonnie's relationship with her cantankerous raisin-eyed Gran, whom, in the present day, 50 year-old Bonnie visits in a residential home. There are revelations and surprises to come from these meetings, and one in particular had me cheering out loud for Bonnie.