Almost English

'The multi award-winning Charlotte Mendelson is famous for whipping up the hottest, messiest family dramas a writer of literary fiction can . . . This is late Shakespeare meets Modern Family and it's irresistible' – The Times In a tiny flat in West London, sixteen-year-old Marina lives with her emotionally delicate mother and three ancient Hungarian relatives. Imprisoned by her family's crushing expectations and their traditions, she knows she must escape. At Combe Abbey, a traditional English private boarding school in the Dorset countryside, Marina realizes she's made a terrible mistake. Here, among the boathouses, chapel services and unspoken social hierarchy, she is the awkward half-foreign girl who doesn't know how to fit in, flirt, or even exist. Meanwhile, her mother has her own painful secrets to deal with – especially the surprising return of the very last man she'd expect to see. And Marina's disastrous spiral at Combe Abbey is going unnoticed . . . 'A deliciously funny tale of dysfunctional families. . . Reading Mendelson's easy, assured prose is like sinking into something soft and velvety' – Telegraph 'I read and adored Almost English . . . and now I will read everything she's ever written. Charlotte Mendelson is a fiendishly gifted writer' – Marian Keyes In A Tiny Flat In West London, Sixteen-year-old Marina Lives With Her Emotionally Delicate Mother, Laura, And Three Ancient Hungarian Relatives. Imprisoned By Her Family's Crushing Expectations And Their Fierce Unenglish Pride, By Their Strange Traditions And Stranger Foods, She Knows She Must Escape. But The Place She Runs To Makes Her Feel Even More Of An Outsider. At Combe Abbey, A Traditional English Public School For Which Her Family Have Sacrificed Everything, Marina Realises She Has Made A Terrible Mistake. She Is The Awkward Half-foreign Girl Who Doesn't Know How To Fit In, Flirt Or Even Be. And As A Semi-hungarian Londoner, Who Is She? In The Meantime, Her Mother Laura, An Alien In This Strange Universe, Has Her Own Painful Secrets To Deal With, Especially The Return Of The Last Man She'd Expect Back In Her Life. She Isn't Noticing That, At Combe Abbey, Things Are Starting To Go Terribly Wrong.-- Charlotte Mendelson. Includes Glossary And Pronunciation. "In a tiny flat in West London, sixteen-year-old Marina lives with her emotionally delicate mother, Laura, and three ancient Hungarian relatives. Imprisoned by her family's crushing expectations and their fierce unEnglish pride, by their strange traditions and stranger foods, she knows she must escape. But the place she runs to makes her feel even more of an outsider. At Combe Abbey, a traditional English public school for which her family have sacrificed everything, Marina realises she has made a terrible mistake. She is the awkward half-foreign girl who doesn't know how to fit in, flirt or even be. And as a semi-Hungarian Londoner, who is she? In the meantime, her mother Laura, an alien in this strange universe, has her own painful secrets to deal with, especially the return of the last man she'd expect back in her life. She isn't noticing that, at Combe Abbey, things are starting to go terribly wrong."-- Author's website Longlisted for the Man Booker Prize 2013 and the Baileys Women's Prize for Fiction 2014: the extraordinary, warm and witty novel from the Orange Prize shortlisted author of When We Were Bad