‘A compelling portrait of an extraordinary woman, written with a poet's precision … A powerfully written, refreshingly honest work’ - Observer

‘An absolutely wonderful book’ - Deborah Moggach

‘Educational, entertaining, moving’ - Scotsman

‘An exploration of being female, of cultural conditioning and of sisterhood’ - New Statesman

'Her book is a tribute to their friendship. But it is also about the vulnerability of marginal women, of whom Antigona’s fate is tragically emblematic’ - Sunday Times

'Clanchy grapples with guilt in employing a woman to do her housework, re-evaluates her approach to motherhood and is shocked by the Malesis insistence on shame and revenge. It is Antigona’s determination to escape those ancient values that threaten to rip apart her family and push her to the brink of self-destruction. Clanchy tells this heart-rending story with lucid intellectual rigour and instinctive compassion' - Daily Mail

‘What Clanchy learns about herself, about her country and the way it treats those who seek protection – all of this is as painful, flawed and true as what she learns about Antigona and Albania’ - Independent