Quilt on Fire

A frank, funny and inspiring new memoir from Christie Watson about the search for meaning in midlife

A frank, funny and inspiring new memoir from the bestselling author of The Language of Kindness about the search for meaning in midlife

‘An insightful and outspoken exploration of middle age and the perimenopause’ Observer

Am I a terrible mother? Is the world ending? Did I turn the oven off? Did I pay the parking fine? Is my TV licence up to date? Will I go to prison? Who will take care of the children?

This is the story of Christie Watson’s journey through midlife. The joy of letting go and the pain of the morning after, the unstoppable power of female friendship and the struggle to raise teenagers as a single parent. It lays bare the exhilaration, agony, wonder and fears of being a middle-aged woman with a wild heart, a changing body and a new set of challenges. And as her world takes on a different shape, there’s something else she starts to feel- the hot flush of possibility…

‘A superb chronicle of midlife and the chaos of the perimenopause. Candid, humorous, insightful, deeply empathetic, inspiring and utterly necessary’ i Paper

‘Brilliant… Like having an honest conversation with a smart and funny friend’ Cathy Rentzenbrink

‘I adore Christie Watson. Quilt on Fire is full of her trademark candour, compassion and humour’ Elizabeth Day

‘You don’t have to be in midlife to appreciate this funny, real, empathetic memoir about the multitudes contained in every woman’ Red

Author Biography

Christie Watson is Professor of Medical Humanities at UEA and worked as an NHS nurse for over twenty years. She has written seven books, including her first novel Tiny Sunbirds Far Away, which won the Costa First Novel Award, and memoir, The Language of Kindness which was a number one Sunday Times bestseller. Christie is a contributor to The Times, Sunday Times, Guardian, Daily Telegraph and TEDx, and her work has been translated into 23 languages and adapted for theatre.