There are many facets to this book. It's about anti-Nazi resistance in the 1930s in Germany and the nuclear disarmament movement of the 1960s. It's about grief and loss, belief and memories, family and suicide.

On the sudden death of her mother, Natasha Walter was thrown into a period of bewilderment and sadness. Desperate to manage and counter her grief, she took up yoga, running, swimming and she charts each experience beautifully. 

Then she looks back on her mother's story and starts to understand what led to the decision to take her own life. Natasha learns that her mother, Ruth took huge risks for her beliefs in the nuclear disarmament movement of the 1960s.

And Natasha found that her grandfather was imprisoned for three years for his part in the anti-Nazi resistance. He then went on the run across Europe before finding safety in England.

There are also recollections from the author's own professional life, her early career at 'Vogue' and then at the 'Guardian'. She records the routine of life with a backdrop of a family experiencing some of the great crises of the twentieth century.

The author has a warm, easy style - it's as if you're reading a letter or diary entries. It's very personal and moving; an affecting read.