Never Again — Francis King

The story of a young boy growing up in India and England, by Booker-prize long-listed author Francis King. In this evocative and disturbing novel, Hugh has his comfortable childhood in the shadow of the Himalayas torn apart by the tragic death of both his parents in a house fire. After their deaths, he finds himself in the care of the childless wife of one of their friends, before being sent back to England to boarding school and the care of an aunt. He is ill-at-ease at the school, haunted by the spectre of India and eventually finding some solace by befriending another boy who is the son of a wealthy baronet. When this friend falls seriously ill and leaves, he struggles to cope with the rigours of the school before realising this friendship offers him a chance for a way out. A haunting and beautifully observed portrait of personal tragedy in the shadow of colonial India, Never Again is a poignant coming of age story that deserves a wider audience.