Featured on The Book Show on Sky Arts on 17 November 2011.
When Myrtle's husband, Austin, dies on the bus one morning, everything seems to freeze. But in reality Myrtle has been frozen for nearly forty years, locked into an emotionless marriage. So if the barriers have been lifted, why does she still feel trapped?
Is a death in the family the chance for a new start? When Myrtle's husband, Austin, dies on the bus one morning, everything seems to freeze. But in reality Myrtle has been frozen for nearly forty years, locked into an emotionless marriage. So if the barriers have been lifted, why does she still feel trapped? Her daughters are a mystery to her - one prickly and defensive, the other with a closely guarded secret. And thanks to Austin's cold presence, friends are a rarity. How is a widow supposed to find herself when she's alone and unconfident of her place in the world? But hope might rest with Gianni, the kind stranger in whose arms Austin died. And when nosy neighbour Dorothy discovers Myrtle's sad news, she also refuses to let her wallow. But Myrtle will never move on until she's dealt with her past and the reason for her devotion to Austin. The truth must out, even though the consequences might prove devastating for Myrtle and her daughters...
Ulrika Jonsson is the Swedish born television presenter and media personality who won 2009's Celebrity Big Brother. She began her career as a weather girl for TV-am and then went on to host Gladiators before achieving iconic status as a team captain on the immensely successful BBC2 show, Shooting Stars with Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer. Her autobiography, Honest, was a bestseller in 2003.
