Anne Tyler 
The Clock Winder 

 »Her brilliance in capturing the ripples on the surface of family life gives her a claim to be the Jane Austen of our age » Daily Mail
Having sacked her handyman, newly-widowed Mrs Emerson finds a replacement in Elizabeth, a lanky, awkward girl. The Emersons, with their seven adult children, have a reputation for craziness, and Elizabeth finds herself drawn into their disorderly lives against her will. But in the end it is hard to tell whether she is a victim of the needy Emersons, or the de facto ruler of the family.
**ANNE TYLER HAS SOLD OVER 8 MILLION BOOKS WORLDWIDE**
 »Anne Tyler takes the ordinary, the small, and makes them sing » Rachel Joyce
 »She knows all the secrets of the human heart » Monica Ali
 »A masterly author » Sebastian Faulks
 »I love Anne Tyler. I »ve read every single book she »s written » Jacqueline Wilson