I absolutely loved Durrant’s previous title, ‘Running On Empty,’ so knew I was in for a treat when ‘Little Bits Of Sky’ arrived.  After saving it for a rainy day, I decided the time had come to dive in…

This story follows the lives of looked-after siblings Ira and Zac, as recalled through Ira’s childhood diaries.  We meet them as, after living in several different households, they are moving into Skilly House – a children’s home. Trying hard to hide their true feelings, the pair move into their attic room and set about trying to settle in.

The story beautifully captures the very close relationship between Ira and Zac, where she can read his body language so well she knows exactly what he’s thinking.  Beneath a calm exterior, there’s a riot of emotions inside Ira which are expressed at several different points across the story.

Set, initially, in the eighties, several key events have been cleverly woven into the plot, with their emotional relevance to the children in the home gently explored. The great storm of 1987, the Poll Tax riots and the coming down of the Berlin Wall are all included.

Although uplifting and joyous in places, there are also moments which will make you pause for thought, and certainly brought a tear to my eye.  I would thoroughly recommend this book to anyone looking for an insightful and carefully written read.

Library Girl.

*Many thanks to Nosy Crow for sending me this title to review*