Maureen Stapleton

“A lyrically written novel about life in 1950s London, based on the author’s own childhood.”

Miranda Miller has written about topics as diverse as the eighteenth century art and Edwardian London, but she turns to her own life for inspiration in her latest fictional work. 

When I Was, Miller’s ninth novel, uses her own childhood as the starting point to invent the life of the Samuell family. At the outset, they live extravagantly, by the mid-point they are all crammed into a small flat, and by the end they are living comfortably, though perhaps not as extravagantly as at the start.

It would be nice to say that the family endures their challenges with a British stiff upper lip, but they do not. Matriarch Colleen mourns for the life she once had. Patriarch Maurice wonders why he can’t get more money from the family trust. The four children have their own challenges: oldest Alex (convinced he’s adopted), twins Will and Ben (to call them rambunctious would be a compliment) and Violet (never satisfied, and based on Miller herself).

The beautifully written book offers a crisp snapshot of life in Great Britain after the war. It opens with the quintessential 1950s British scene– a party with people gathered around the Samuell’s new television watching the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. Other treats are in store, too– an elaborate meal at Veeraswamy’s, Fortnum & Mason delicacies and old-fashioned shopping at Peter Jones and Selfridge’s. 

This is a highly recommended novel presenting a slice of life of one family in a bygone era.