posted on 11 Nov 2015

Once in a House on Fire by Andrea Ashworth.

I first saw this book in my brother’s room after he had to read it for his assignment a few years ago. I remember sneaking the book out after the orange book cover caught my attention. As I stared at the cover, I had said that I would only read a couple of pages that night before I went to sleep. But after reading the first few pages, I simply could not put it down. It was as if the book was commanding me to listen to its story without any interruptions.

For me, Once in a House on Fire makes a compelling read as the author describes the events that happened in her life in such a heart-breaking yet uplifting manner. The story takes place in rural Manchester in the early 1970s, and tells the harrowing yet true story of two young sisters and their mother, a once happy family which is on now the brink of fragmentation as they are forced to battle poverty, domestic abuse, teenage woes and the effects of depression. Although I could not relate to Andrea’s situations personally, this autobiographical account enabled me to see that sometimes things are not as they appear to be. For example, both step fathers appear to be charming gentlemen, but after delving in the book, it was clear to me that they are not who they painted themselves to be to the outside world.

The story is tragic and takes place immediately after her biological father drowns. After his death, Andrea and her younger sister find themselves with not one, two stepfathers, one after the other. Both stepfathers, although appearing to be nice people, later reveal themselves to be selfish, abusive bullies who verbally and physically assault the girls' mother, Lorraine, before starting on the two sisters, one of whom is a biological daughter of one of the stepfathers. It was shocking to read that the latest step father beat his own biological daughter who was still an infant.

Throughout the book, I found myself rooting for her character and willed her to escape the house, where her childhood traumas engulfed what was once a place of solitude and security at the start of Lorraine’s marriage. By the author’s gritty yet witty style of writing, it was clear to me that she did not want sympathy for her sad situation, but rather, she reserved her sympathy for her neglectful mother for not leaving her abusive spouses, because the author has determined to make the best of her damaged life by using her intelligence and resourcefulness to escape from the situation she has found herself in, hence going to a prestigious university.

Within the book, there is a part where Andrea and her younger sister, Laurie, found every single knife in the house and made sheaths for them out of cardboard in an attempt to make them harmless, terrified that their stepfather was about to kill their mother eventually. Whilst reading this particular part, it humbled me to know how lucky I am to have been born to a wonderful and loving family. I did not have to spend my days fearing for my own safety or the safety of a family member or even abuse at the hands of a family member in my own home. As I continued to read the book, my sympathy for Andrea quickly diminished and instead, I began to admire her for her resilience. As a reader, I was proud of Andrea for managing to escape the abuse and pursed her dreams by studying at Oxford University. Even though there are many sad events in the book, nothing explains the relief when at the end, she is leaving in a taxi, ready for Oxford. Although it is a story of violence, it is not extremely harrowing as the tight bond of Andrea, her sister and mother shines through at times. I feel that the author conveys her story with honesty and unbelievably, wit. This is a very inspiring book which I believe I will always remember.

I thoroughly recommend this autobiographical story as it really gives you food for thought. From reading it, it also helps you to visualise the 70s and 80s era.

Yushra Fatima

November 2015