Author(s): Andrea Ashworth

Young Adult Fiction

Set in grim 1970s Manchester, Once In A House On Fire tells the harrowing true story of three sisters and their mother, from the point of view of the eldest sister Andrea. They are a close-knit, loving family but are forced to battle with poverty, depression, and terrifying abuse at the hands of two stepfathers. Andrea, a sensitive and highly observant child, witnesses and suffers unbearable cruelty yet refuses to give into despair. She seeks escape in learning and is ultimately able to see a future beyond the darkly violent world of home.