World Enough and Time

&quote;Sometimes I look in the mirror and things don't seem so bad. Maybe when the light is flattering, or a shadow falls in just the right place. I can spend hours examining myself at times like this, trying to convince myself that this better version of my face appears to the world more often than I imagine. That every time I sit face to face with Michael, this is what he sees. Other times I will catch a stranger staring, or a toddler will ask its mummy what's wrong with the big girl over there, and the illusion shatters.&quote; Anna Jones is an intelligent and spirited girl of 15, whose everyday experiences of growing up are overshadowed by a rare condition called Goldenhar syndrome. While Anna approaches her life with humour and determination, she is haunted by the inescapable fact that she looks a little different from other girls. Despite the support of her friends and family, she remains convinced she will never be loved - especially not by the gorgeous and intelligent Michael. Anna's life and schooling is regularly interrupted by a variety of hospital visits, each one of which seems designed to make her feel even more different from the other girls. As she counts down the days until the major surgery that will change the course of her life forever, Anna becomes increasingly doubtful as to whether she will ever be truly normal. World Enough and Time is an often funny, sometimes painful but ultimately uplifting novel about growing up and finding your feet in the world. It has been inspired by Judy Blume and offers a harrowing but inspirational insight into a condition that is mostly unheard of.