Tying down the lion

the long version

It is the summer of 1967 and the Bishop family are departing their UK home for a continental road trip. Their destination: Berlin, a gritty city recovering from the bombs of World War Two and now sliced in half by the Cold War. Will the journey unite the Anglo-German family, or forever rip them apart? Grandma Nell loathes foreigners, especially German daughter-in-law Bridget. She's none too pleased about son Roy jamming the whole family into an aging Morris Traveller for the duration. Granddaughter Jacqueline observes the trip - and the resultant spillage of family secrets - with a keen eye and a notepad in which to pen it all. This is a story of ordinary people in an extraordinary situation, and the discovery of how something divided can be more revealing than a perfect whole. It is a quest for a family who build walls in their minds as they try to discover who they are and where they belong. Tying Down The Lion is a remarkable story that is both hilarious and heartbreaking. It will appeal to readers of all ages.