Great Reading!

I’ve just finished reading this pair of books and I am really impressed.  I’m not sure how I’ve managed to miss Jeanette Winterson all these years but I’m really glad fate put an end to this state of affairs.
An old friend who translates books from English into Swedish asked me to help her with a few points and so I found myself deep in “Oranges”, 30 years after it was first published.  Working with translation gives you a real appreciation for clever writing as you pick over the language and exactly what it means. I came home and started reading and within two days had finished "Oranges". 
That book is fictional, though based upon JW’s young life but “Why Be Happy” is autobiographical. Reading that second book you realise that the fictional account had actually been made more jolly, compared with the absolutely grim reality.
But the books are both far more than just “misery”. They also contain humour and optimism and a lot of deep thinking.
If you haven’t read these books give them a go.
A final point is my wife actually grew up in Accrington. It was interesting to read about places we know so well and Jan even recognised one character as someone she knew as a child!