All Made Up

In the second volume of her memoirs, the prize-winning author Janice Galloway reveals how the awkward child introduced in This is Not About Me evolved through her teenage years, living with her stoical mother and domineering older sister. In visceral descriptions of puberty, sex and school-room politics, Galloway casts her extraordinary gaze on the morals and ambitions of one small-town through the stories of three generations of women. When she entered secondary school, Galloway was still sharing a bed with her mother. Her awareness of the opposite sex was limited; she was more excited by Latin and the school orchestra than make-up or boys. Under the wing of one exceptional teacher, music was her passion. But as she struggled to make sense of the physical and emotional changes of adolescence, almost everything she thought she knew began to change. By turns absurd and tender, this is the story of a family’s secrets brought to light, revealing the bonds beneath. Here is one of our most celebrated writers, Janice Galloway, at her most personal, defiant and eloquent.