Overview

At 50, Sophie Calon's father was a celebrated lawyer. At 55, he was found dead on a garage forecourt at Christmas. Meanwhile he had pinballed between homeless shelters, prison cells, and dry-out hostels. His story is a lesson in how alcoholism corrodes a person - and a family. Long Going is a powerful, unflinching memoir that sings with Calon's love for her eccentric, witty father while recounting his drink-fuelled disintegration. In telling his story, Calon explores her family's instability and pain as well as her own survival. 'Throughout my childhood, our family's struggles couldn't be said aloud. I hope that, together with readers, we can all come to deeper understandings about addiction, grief, and how we could break destructive cycles.'

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9781916821248

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Reviews

‘Very touching’ JACQUELINE WILSON “Sophie Canon’s heartbreaking portrait of her alcoholic father combines a clarity about the selfishness of addiction with a deeply loving portrait of a generous, energetic and joyful person. It’s also a vivid portrait of growing up in Cardiff. This portrait pulls no punches but is, at the same time, profoundly life-affirming. Everyone who has an alcoholic in the family should read this book for its compassionate awareness of the damage and chaos caused by addiction, while never forgetting the humanity of the person caught in that trap. A wonderful book.” Gwyneth Lewis, author of Nightshade Mother “Hugely impacting and searingly honest, Sophie Calon's work is a powerful piece of memoir: bold, bruising and yet beautiful.”  James Canton, author of Grounded “Sophie Calon’s writing is deeply real and moving – she is a talent to watch.” Jessica Andrews, author of Milk Teeth “Searing and poetic, Sophie Calon's prose sparkles in this elegiac, gripping memoir. By piecing together fragments of his writing, Calon poignantly charts her father's gradual slip into homelessness. This painfully personal tale explores the complex, knotty truths of loving someone drowning in addiction. Long Going draws you in and takes you on a journey. Calon is an immensely readable writer to watch.” Maeve McClenaghan, author of No Fixed Abode “It’s a moving and thought-provoking account of an impossible situation.” Louis de Bernières, author of Captain Corelli's Mandolin

Author Information

Sophie Calon is a new young Welsh writer, born and raised in Cardiff during the Cool Cymru era. Her writing was published in the anthology Tales of Two Londons, and has been shortlisted for the 2021 Wild Writing Prize and published by Short Fiction. She lives with her husband, daughter, and their two cats on a hilltop near Hay-on-Wye, where they are bringing nature back to their farm. Long Going is her first book.

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