Bournville

A great family epic that brings back memories and makes us laugh - humorous, melancholic and touching. The coronation of Elizabeth II, Wembley 1966, the 'chocolate war' between England and the EU, James Bond and Princess Diana, Brexit and pandemic - these are some of the fixed points in the long life of Mary Lamb and her far-flung family. Mary is the heart and centre of this novel, as daughter, mother and grandmother. The example of Mary's family shows England's brokenness and at the same time its ability to stand together in crisis situations. Nationalism, latent racism, Tories or Labour - the political conflicts also run through the Lamb family. In many voices we hear of dreams, disappointments, but also of happiness and love lived by Mary and hers in the small town of Bournville. The new novel by bestselling author Jonathan Coe.