Here Edward Blishen turns his loving and humorous attention to a celebration of his mother's life. Wry and touching, and as always, very funny.

"Lizzie Pye" by Edward Blishen is an unusual and interesting and sad book. The book jacket calls it an autobiography, and, indeed it is, but more than that it is a portrait of the author's mother. We meet her on the first page, two days after the death of her husband and follow her as she adjusts to her widowhood. Blishen melds details of his life and hers. The final pages are heartbreaking but we have, in this book, a son's complicated relationship with his mother beautifully told. ( )