num_pages: 336
description: Set in 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. Ultimately this is an empowering account of survival and hope, as Andrea forges a future beyond the violent world of home.
language: English
title: Once in a House on Fire
titlecomplete: Once in a House on Fire
genres: British Literature, Autobiography, Abuse, History, Cultural, Female Authors, Biography Memoir, Biography, Memoir, Nonfiction
ratings_count: 2141
awards: awardedAt: 915177600000
name: Somerset Maugham Award
publisher: Pan MacMillan