My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece

By Annabel Pitcher

Synopsis

Five years ago, Jamie's sister, Rose, was blown up by a terrorist bomb. His family is torn apart by their grief. His mum runs away. His dad turns to drink and hate. Rose's surviving twin sister Jasmine stops eating, gets piercings and dyes her hair pink - anything to look different to her twin. But Jamie hasn't cried in all that time. To him, Rose is just a distant memory.

Narrated by ten-year-old Jamie, this is a sensitively written novel about the tragedy that tears apart his family after a terrorist attack, and how they rebuild their lives.  

Setting

 London and the countryside.

Themes

 Grief

Coming of age

Terrorism

Identity

Genre

Realist literature

Educational Aspects

• Links to CRS Curriculum

• Teaches empathetic writing