Lifting Off: A Life in Freefall
Karen McLeod
Muswell Press, £10.99, pp320
After losing her way as an aspiring artist in her 20s, McLeod became a long-haul flight attendant. It was an existence in which the exotic intensity of far-flung destinations was heightened by the job’s party culture and shot circadian rhythms – at least initially. But having recently come out as a lesbian, she was advised to keep quiet about her sexuality, despite the acceptance of gay male cabin crew. Add to that her thwarted artistic yearnings and she seemed set to crash and burn – until love and Alan Bennett helped her find her way home. Atmospheric and idiosyncratic, this is a memoir that entertains and emboldens.
The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers
Samuel Burr
Orion, £16.99, pp368
Veni, vidi, solvi (“I came, I saw, I conquered”) is the motto of the society at the heart of this beguiling debut. Its protagonist, Clayton Stumper, was abandoned as a newborn on the steps of the Bedfordshire commune that doubles as the puzzlemakers’ HQ. Taken in by its founder, cruciverbalist Pippa Allsbrook, Clay has grown into a consummate young fogey, surrounded by oddball geniuses whose talents he’s sadly failed to absorb. Now Pippa is dead, and it’s up to him to solve the final puzzle she’s set: the mystery of his parentage. Clues are scattered throughout but it’s as a paean to intergenerational friendship and found family that this novel really sings.
Hungry Heart
Clare Finney
Aurum, £9.99, pp256 (paperback)
Having devoured her share of haute cuisine, food journalist Finney remains convinced “food is only as good as the feelings that come with it”. It’s a connection she’s hyper alert to, having suffered throughout her teens and 20s from eating disorders. Writing about food has been part of her recovery and she does so with relish here, allowing her experience to add depth and humility to a memoir told through recipes. Whether it’s the millionaire’s shortbread she’d bake in her grandparents’ hotel kitchen or the microwaved scrambled eggs her dad served up post-divorce, these homely offerings become portals to the past.
• To order Lifting Off, The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers or Hungry Heart go to guardianbookshop.com. Delivery charges may apply
