Ootlin: A memoir

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'A phenomenal memoir. I am in awe' AMY LIPTROT 'Beautiful, deep, dangerous, transfixing . . . it will burn a home in your heart, it has in mine. Read every word of every page. Turn them carefully. Jenni Fagan is made of fire and spirit. From start to finish I could not put it down. Close the door. Sit down now. Read Ootlin. Read' LEMN SISSAY 'Essential reading, life changing, I couldn't stop reading once I started . . . Unbelievably brave. Beautiful , earth shattering and unforgettable. A truly rare talent' SAMANTHA MORTON The government told a story about me before I was born. Jenni Fagan was property of the state before birth. She drew her first breath in care and by the age of seven, she had lived in fourteen different homes and had changed name multiple times. Twenty years after her first attempt to write this powerful memoir, Jenni is finally ready to share her account. Ootlin is a journey through the broken UK care system - it is one of displacement and exclusion, but also of the power of storytelling. It is about the very human act of making meaning from adversity.

Reviews

A phenomenal memoir. I am in awe. It takes exceptional strength to survive the events described in this book and courage, skill and magic to write a life story, especially when this type of story is often marginalised -- Amy Liptrot
A clear-eyed, unsentimental account of the author's childhood being shuffled between foster homes. Her resilience is remarkable. It's a book that really made me want to reach through the pages and help -- Douglas Stuart
An astonishing piece of work. I tore through it, and it through me. I will never, ever forget it -- Niall Griffiths
Ootlin is a 21st century classic from one of our most exceptional writers -- Adelle Stripe
Heartbreaking, magnificent, and incredibly important . . . [Jenni Fagan] is one of the best -- Ever Dundas

Author Bio

Jenni Fagan was born in Scotland. Jenni was selected as one of Granta's Best Young British Novelists after the publication of her debut novel, The Panopticon, which was shortlisted for the Desmond Elliott Prize and the James Tait Black Prize. The Sunlight Pilgrims, her second novel, was shortlisted for the Royal Society of Literature Encore Award and the Saltire Fiction Book of the Year Award and saw her win Scottish Author of the Year at the Herald Culture Awards. Luckenbooth was shortlisted for the Gordon Burn Prize 2021. Jenni Fagan is a Doctor of Philosophy, she lives in Edinburgh with her son.