The Gingerbread House

Book excerpt: 'Moving, honest, and darkly comic.' - Marian Keyes 'Gripping, heartbreaking, funny, surprising.' - Roddy Doyle 'Beautiful, heartbreaking, original, honest, unique.' - Cecelia Ahern Life in the Gingerbread House is no fairy tale... When Tess agrees to move into her aged mother-in-law's idyllic country cottage, she sees it as the perfect opportunity to escape the distractions of the city and start work on a novel. However, life in the Gingerbread House is no fairy tale. Tess is utterly unprepared for the reality of caring for Eleanor, who suffers from dementia. Feeling increasingly isolated, she struggles to cope as Eleanor fluctuates between violent mood swings, child-like dependency and moments of heart-wrenching lucidity. Meanwhile, Tess's teenage daughter Katia is helpless to intercede; in the end she can only watch as things fall apart and a tragedy even closer to home surfaces. Heart-breaking and hopeful in equal measure, The Gingerbread House addresses a struggle that many families face with compassion, honesty and a gentle humour that becomes so necessary when coping with the impact of dementia. What readers are saying about The Gingerbread House: 'A small novel, with a huge heart ... Beaufoy has created a stunning and sensual read, which may just break even the hardest of hearts. Highly recommended.' - Margaret Madden, Sunday Independent 'You won't see the final, heart-rending twist in this taboo-tackling novel until it hits you. And it hits hard.' - The Sunday Post 'Darkly funny.' - Woman's Own 'A triumph. Darkly moving, beautifully written. A counterpoint to the disturbing them is the deft and beautifully readable prose. Couldn't put it down.' - Pippa James, author of The Secret Life of Lucy Lovecake 'Charming, funny, tender and sad, and devastatingly readable. I will never forget it.' - Hilary Mortz 'Frank and incredibly moving.' - Book-Drunk Blog 'A most original, thought-provoking and all too real story.' - Amazon Reviewer