What I Did

'Gripping, hilarious and tender, this is, without doubt, one of the books of the year' -- Daily Mail 'The novel brilliantly captures parent-child relations in the raw and the emotions that even the most experienced social worker can't tame' -- Independent 'An amusing and unsettling story' -- Saturday Guardian This is family life at its most believable: warm and messy, bored and raging. WHAT I DID is every parent's nightmare, but will make you burst out laughing too. I loved it. -- Emma Donoghue, author of ROOM I loved it! Staggeringly good. Terrifyingly good -- Lisa Jewell Hugely impressive, gripping, funny and thought provoking -- Emily Barr Excellent ... Dark but uplifting -- Alex Preston '[A] fine, challenging novel' -- Mail on Sunday

"This is a story about a terrible thing which happens to me. I have to warn you that nobody is bad or good here, or rather everyone is a bit bad and a bit good and the bad and the good moluscules get mixed up against each other and produce terrible chemical reactions. Did you know cheetahs cannot retract their claws?"
Six-year-old Billy loves animals, David Attenborough documentaries, and sneakers that flash when he runs. He does not love sitting still, the blood-soaked sky in Watership Down, or his father's cell phone.
When Billy runs into a busy street, ignoring his father's commands, he sets in motion a series of unexpected, family-altering events. What I Did is a heart-wrenching reminder of how best intentions can lead to disastrous consequences, and how one rash decision can take on a life of its own.