Three Mothers (and a camel)

Description

A single-volume edition of two hugely charming and funny memoirs of family life - 'Notes to my Mother-in-Law' and 'How Many Camels Are There in Holland?' - by the inimitable Phyllida Law. Phyllida Law's treasured mother-in-law Annie was the lynchpin of the entire family, so when they realised she was growing ever more deaf the only solution was for Phyllida to note down all the day's gossip for Annie to read. When her own mother Mego - always deliciously dotty - was diagnosed with dementia late in her life, Phyllida devoted herself to Mego's care, on hand to keep the cottage tidy and prepare a medicinal G&T. And all the while Phyllida had to manage her busy acting career and bring up her own daughters, the actresses Emma and Sophie Thompson. Complete with wonderful new material from Phyllida, Emma and Sophie, this single-volume edition of Phyllida Laws's two enchanting memoirs of family life - 'Notes to my Mother-in-Law' and 'How Many Camels Are There in Holland?' - is a tender and sweetly comic story of mothers, daughters, a malfunctioning hearing aid and a most peculiar question about camels ...

Phyllida Thompson has appeared in numerous plays, television series and films, including Peter's Friends, Much Ado about Nothing, Foyle's War and Kingdom. She was married to Eric Thompson, the writer and narrator of the English version of The Magic Roundabout, until his death in 1982. She has two daughters, Emma and Sophie. 'Notes to my Mother-in-Law was her first book'.

Praise for 'How Many Camels Are There in Holland?': 'Handling delicate material with a clear head and a loving heart, Law manages to turn the stuff of tragedies into the most delicate of comedies ... Law's technique ought to be studied on writing courses.' Daily Telegraph 'I doubted that I could ever read anything that would make me smile gently at the tragic reality of caring for a beloved family member who slips away before your eyes becoming a stranger. Yet Phyllida Law has provided such a book ...' BOOK OF THE WEEK, Daily Mail 'Phyllida Law has a delightfully natural style, a gift for anecdote and the knack of seeing the funny side of pretty much everything. Someone so accomplished could write a book about their weekly trip to the supermarket and make it highly amusing ... funny, brave and heartening.' Spectator 'So much merriment courses through Phyllida Law's account of looking after her mother ... Many of their exchanges belong in an Alan Bennett play.' Daily Telegraph Praise for 'Notes to My Mother-in-Law': 'I just sat down and read it straight through and cried. Dreadfully funny and incredibly touching.' Joanna Lumley 'Moving, funny, enchanting. A beautiful, original portrayal of family life.' Sheila Hancock 'Something quite splendid, new and unforgettable.' Stephen Fry 'Wonderful, warm, witty and wise. Just like the author.' Ben Elton