THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER
WINNER OF THE ONDAATJE PRIZE
''The best book I read last year by a mile. . . so beautifully written that anyone would be hooked'' Laura Hackett, Sunday Times, Best Summer Books
''Wonderfully funny and poignant. . . a tale of family secrets and political awakening amid a crumbling regime'' Luke Harding, Observer
''We never lose our inner freedom; the freedom to do what is right''
Lea Ypi grew up in one of the most isolated countries on earth, a place where communist ideals had officially replaced religion. Albania, the last Stalinist outpost in Europe, was almost impossible to visit, almost impossible to leave. It was a place of queuing and scarcity, of political executions and secret police. To Lea, it was home. People were equal, neighbours helped each other, and children were expected to build a better world. There was community and hope.
Then, in December
