A Calamity of Mannerings

by Joanna Nadin

Illustrated by Emma Block

UCLAN PUBLISHING, £8.99

Billed as the perfect choice for I Capture the Castle fans, Joanna Nadin's new coming-of-age novel is set in the Roaring Twenties and follows the lives of the eccentric Mannering sisters. They live in Radley Manor with grandma and a pet sheep, and in a state of genteel poverty since their father's untimely death (survived the War, run over in Whitehall by a dustcart). It's written in diary form by Panth, and her dramatic turn of phrase and yearnings for high-life experiences – romantic ones especially – make this a satisfying romcom with an endearing female cast.