Written as diary entries by 13-year-old Lydia, this is a delightful account of a resilient young person coping with all that life can throw at her.

It's 1979. Her mother has died, her father is embarking on a new relationship, two families are fused, bringing some seven children together to live on an old Thames barge in Essex. There are 'real life' issues, but also hope, joy and fortitude.