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THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER

WINNER OF THE ONDAATJE PRIZE

''The best book I read last year by a mile. . . so beautifully written that anyone would be hooked'' Laura Hackett, Sunday Times, Best Summer Books

''Wonderfully funny and poignant. . . a tale of family secrets and political awakening amid a crumbling regime'' Luke Harding, Observer

''We never lose our inner freedom; the freedom to do what is right''

Lea Ypi grew up in one of the most isolated countries on earth, a place where communist ideals had officially replaced religion. Albania, the last Stalinist outpost in Europe, was almost impossible to visit, almost impossible to leave. It was a place of queuing and scarcity, of political executions and secret police. To Lea, it was home. People were equal, neighbours helped each other, and children were expected to build a better world. There was community and hope.

Then, in December